The Johns Hopkins Gazette: April 8, 2002
April 8, 2002
VOL. 31, NO. 29

  

SOM to Honor Its Student Researchers

In an annual spring rite, the next generation of scientists is recognized

By Joanna Downer
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Johns Hopkins Gazette Online Edition

The best of the best. The cream of the crop. Cliches may accurately describe the winners of this year's Young Investigators' Day awards at the School of Medicine, but their work is anything but run-of-the-mill.

Now in its 25th year, Young Investigators' Day recognizes the substantial contributions of all graduate school and medical students, postdoctoral fellows, and medical residents and fellows throughout the School of Medicine and hospital by rewarding the advances of some of Hopkins' most talented researchers-in-training.

This year's winning projects have brought a new anticancer drug to clinical trial, shown a common diagnostic observation not to be diagnostic at all and turned more than one scientific field on its head. The award recipients will present their study results and accept their awards Thursday, April 11, beginning at 4 p.m. in Mountcastle Auditorium on the East Baltimore campus.

Jef Boeke, center, this year sponsored two Young Investigators' Day winners: Siew Loon Ooi, who received the Hans Joaquim Prochaska Research Award and will present her work at the April 11 ceremony, and Joseph F. Lawler Jr., who received a Paul Ehrlich Research Award.

"Young investigators are the heart and soul of the research enterprise," says Paul Talalay, a driving force in the creation of Young Investigators' Day in 1978 and a continuing supporter. "Each year we take part in an extraordinary intellectual feast, really, in which our young investigators tell the larger Hopkins community about their discoveries. So many wonderful new ideas are presented, and a sense of happy excitement surrounds [the event]."

The results of more than a few of the recognized projects have been or are about to be published in leading journals such as Cell, Science, Nature, The Lancet and The New England Journal of Medicine. But while publication in such journals validates the efforts of a budding scientist or research physician, recognition within Hopkins--not to mention the award checks--can be an important boost for young investigators.

"Having my work accepted for publication is a great feeling, but receiving recognition from people I know and have a great deal of respect for professionally is something else," says biophysics postdoctoral fellow Colin Garvie, winner of this year's W. Barry Wood Jr. Research Award. "The recognition encourages me in the opinion that I have chosen the right path, which is fortunate considering how much I enjoy what I am doing."

Sponsor Hal Dietz with Pamela Frischmeyer, an M.D./Ph.D. candidate in the Human Genetics Program, who received the Michael A. Shanoff Research Award. She will present her work April 11.

Publications, presentations and the support of a good mentor are common and important ways for young investigators to gain confidence and a boost toward a satisfying career. But celebrating the next generation of scientists in a big way draws the attention of the entire institution, say YID's organizers.

"Young Investigators' Day is a really nice way to recognize accomplished young scientists while at the same time remembering colleagues who made Hopkins what it is today," says Carolyn Machamer, associate professor of cell biology and mentor of doctoral candidate Emily Corse, winner of the 2002 Mette Strand Research Award.

Most of the awards, whose monetary value varies from year to year, were established in memory of people who had educational or research ties to Hopkins. Funds for the awards come from a variety of sources, including family, friends and colleagues of the person memorialized. The Johns Hopkins Medical and Surgical Association, an alumni organization, funds five awards.

Sponsor Philip Cole with Wei Lu, a Ph.D. candidate in pharmacology and molecular sciences, who was given the Alice Showalter Reynolds Research Award.

This year roughly two-thirds of the awards were open to students pursuing doctorates or combined doctorates, and one-third to postdoctoral fellows including clinical residents. Only doctoral degree candidates are eligible for the very first YID award--the Michael A. Shanoff Research Award, named in memory of a young investigator who died in a scuba diving accident in 1975. Shanoff, an M.D./Ph.D., earned three degrees from Johns Hopkins.

This year's Shanoff Award recipient is Pamela Frischmeyer, an M.D./Ph.D. candidate in human genetics. Her work, published in two papers in the journal Science on March 22, revealed for the first time how cells get rid of messenger-RNA that has no "stop" signal. Understanding this clean-up mechanism may help efforts to treat many genetic diseases that are caused by mutation or misreading of stop sequences in DNA, she says.

The first Nupur Thekdi Research Award, named for an M.D./Ph.D. student who died accidentally in 2001, recognizes M.D./Ph.D. candidate Jacob Jones, whose research has changed thinking about the proteins that make membranes of a tiny compartment within cells. The Daniel Nathans Research Award went to Mark Levis, M.D., Ph.D., whose studies have led to clinical trials of a new treatment for acute myelogenous leukemia, the disease that claimed the life of the award's namesake, a Nobel laureate and Hopkins professor.

Awards also are made for clinical research. Postdoctoral fellow Lisa Korn, M.D., discovered that screening for osteoporosis in people over age 65 may be beneficial, while cardiology fellow Charles Henrikson, M.D., M.P.H., revealed that nitroglycerin's effect on chest pain does not help diagnosis, contrary to conventional wisdom. Korn received the Helen B. Taussig Research Award; Henrikson, the Alfred Blalock Research Award.

For detailed information about all of this year's awardees, go to www.hopkinsmedicine.org/press/APRIL/ YIDrecipients.html.

About the Awards

The Michael A. Shanoff Research Award was established in 1977 in memory of Shanoff, who received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in 1973.

The David Israel Macht Research Award was established in 1982 to commemorate the centenary of the namesake's birth. Macht was a 1906 School of Medicine graduate and member of the faculty of the departments of Pharmacology and Medicine at Johns Hopkins.

The Martin and Carol Macht Research Award was established in 1993 to honor Martin B. Macht, who received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins and was a trustee of the university for many years. Carol Macht received her M.A. and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins in the history of art and archeology.

The Alicia Showalter Reynolds Research Award was established in 1996 in memory of Alicia Showalter Reynolds, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences.

The Mette Strand Research Award was established in 1998 in memory of Strand, who was a professor of pharmacology and molecular sciences.

The Hans Joaquim Prochaska Research Award was established in 1998 in memory of Prochaska who earned his M.D. and Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins.

The Paul Ehrlich Research Awards are given to candidates in the Ph.D., M.D. or master's programs at the School of Medicine in recognition of their contributions to research.

The Johns Hopkins Medical and Surgical Association Awards for Postdoctoral Investigation were established in 1981 by the School of Medicine to recognize excellence in research by clinical or research fellows in the School of Medicine. These awards are designated for clinical research, laboratory research with direct clinical relevance and basic laboratory research. The awards are as follows:

The Alfred Blalock Research Award
The A. McGehee Harvey Research Award
The Daniel Nathans Research Award
The Helen B. Taussig Research Award
The W. Barry Wood Jr. Research Award


 

Program for 25th Annual
Young Investigators' Day

The 25th annual Young Investigators' Day Awards will begin at 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, in the Vernon B. Mountcastle Auditorium, Preclinical Teaching Building, East Baltimore campus.

4 p.m.
"Reflections on Young Investigators' Day"

Paul Talalay, John Jacob Abel Distinguished Service Professor

STUDENT LECTURES

The Michael A. Shanoff Research Award
"Nonstop decay: A novel mRNA surveillance mechanism" Pamela A. Frischmeyer, candidate for the degrees doctor of medicine and doctor of philosophy, Human Genetics Program Sponsor: Hal Dietz

The Nupur Dinesh Thekdi Research Award
"A new paradigm for membrane protein biogenesis"
Jacob M. Jones, candidate for the degrees doctor of medicine and doctor of philosophy, Department of Biological Chemistry
Sponsor: Steve Gould

The Hans Joaquim Prochaska Research Award
"Yeast genetics on microarrays: Probing DNA end-joining in S. cerevisiae"
Siew Loon Ooi, candidate for the degree doctor of philosophy, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics
Sponsor: Jef D. Boeke

The David Israel Macht Research Award
"Early detection of colorectal tumors through the examination of fecal DNA"
Giovanni Traverso, candidate for the degree doctor of philosophy, Human Genetics Program
Sponsor: Bert Vogelstein

PRESENTATION OF STUDENT AWARDS

The Martin and Carol Macht Research Award
"New insights into the typanosome RNA editing complex"
Catherine E. Huang, candidate for the degree doctor of philosophy, Department of Biological Chemistry
Sponsor: Barbara Sollner-Webb

The Mette Strand Research Award
"Envelope protein localization and coronavirus budding at Golgi membranes"
Emily Corse, candidate for the degree doctor of philosophy, Department of Cell Biology
Sponsor: Carolyn Machamer

The Alicia Showalter Reynolds Research Award
"Site-specific incorporation of a phospho-tyrosine mimetic reveals a role for tyrosine phosphorylation of SHP-2 in cell signaling"
Wei Lu, candidate for the degree doctor of philosophy, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences
Sponsor: Philip A. Cole

The Paul Ehrlich Research Awards
"Regulation of glutamate receptor function and synaptic plasticity by PDZ ligand phosphorylation"
Hee Jung Chung, candidate for the degree doctor of philosophy, Department of Neuroscience
Sponsor: Richard L. Huganir

"Identifying prime numbers with a DNA computer"
Joseph F. Lawler Jr., candidate for the degrees doctor of medicine and doctor of philosophy, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Sponsor: Jef D. Boeke

"Studying trypanosome gene function with RNA interference"
Zefeng Wang, candidate for the degree doctor of philosophy, Department of Biological Chemistry
Sponsor: Paul T. Englund

"Assembly and stoichiometry of heteromeric cyclic nucleotide-gated channels"
Haining Zhong, candidate for the degree doctor of philosophy, Department of Neuroscience
Sponsor: King-Wai Yau

The Ivor and Colette Royston Awards
Predoctoral Research Award
"Novel inherited caspase-8 mutation in autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome"
Hyung J. Chun, candidate for the degree doctor of medicine
Sponsor: H. Franklin Herlong and Michael J. Lenardo

Postdoctoral Research Award
"Genes expressed in human tumor endothelium"
Brad St. Croix, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, Oncology Center
Sponsor: Kenneth W. Kinzler

5:15 p.m.
"A Legacy of Postdoctoral Excellence"
Peter C. Agre, professor of biological chemistry

POSTDOCTORAL LECTURES

The Helen B. Taussig Research Award
"Is screening for osteoporosis associated with fewer hip fractures?"
Lisa M. Korn, M.D., postdoctoral fellow, Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar Program and Department of Medicine
Sponsor: Linda P. Fried

The W. Barry Wood Jr. Research Award
"Structural insights into the regulation of DNA binding of ETS-1"
Colin Garvie, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry
Sponsor: Cynthia Wolberger

PRESENTATION OF POSTDOCTORAL AWARDS

The Daniel Nathans Research Award
"An FLT3-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor is cytotoxic to leukemia cells in vitro and in vivo"
Mark Levis, M.D., Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, Oncology Center
Sponsor: Donald Small

The A. McGehee Harvey Research Award
"A human genotoxicity assay? High-throughput measurement of p53 responses"
Taylor A. Sohn, M.D., postdoctoral fellow, Department of Surgery
Sponsor: Scott E. Kern

The Alfred Blalock Research Award
"Chest pain relief by nitroglycerin: Predictive value for coronary artery disease"
Charles A. Henrikson, M.D., M.P.H., postdoctoral fellow, Department of Medicine
Sponsor: Nisha Chandra-Strobos

The Albert Lehninger Research Award
"The monitoring of heterotrimeric G-protein activation in living cells"
Chris Janetopoulos, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, Department of Cell Biology
Sponsor: Peter N. Devreotes

5:45 p.m.
Poster presentations and reception

All are invited to the Greenhouse in the Preclinical Teaching Building.

Acknowlegments: The 25th Young Investigators' Day program is made possible by generous contributions from the Johns Hopkins Medical and Surgical Association; the Office of the Dean; friends and family of Michael Shanoff; friends and family of David, Martin and Carol Macht; family of Hans Prochaska; Drs. Paul and Pamela Talalay; the Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences; Dr. Emanuel Libman; the San Diego Foundation Ivor and Colette Royston Fund at the recommendation of Dr. Ivor Royston and Mrs. Colette Carson Royston; Dr. and Mrs. Dinesh C. Thekdi; Dr. and Mrs. John Vela; and many friends and members of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. The program for the event is based on a poster designed by John Gibb, class of 1998, Department of Art As Applied to Medicine.
 


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