News Release

Bert L. & N. Kuggie Vallee Foundation announces first recipients of its Young Investigator Awards

3 extraordinary young scientists receive $250,000

Grant and Award Announcement

Bert L. and N. Kuggie Vallee Foundation

Boston, MA - The Bert L. and N. Kuggie Vallee Foundation announces, today, the first recipients of its Young Investigator Award. The 2013 winners are:

Dr. Kirsty L. Spalding, Senior Researcher in the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at the Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden) who studies obesity by investigating the maintenance and regulation of fat cells.

Dr. David Tobin, Assistant Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at Duke University Medical Center (Durham, NC) whose research centers on the direct observation of the response of immune cells to pathogens in zebra fish.

Dr. Feng Zhang, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and Biological Chemistry and Principal Investigator in the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a core member of the Broad Institute (Cambridge, MA) who investigates the genetic and circuit-level mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disease and the technologies that enable nervous system repair.

Young Investigator Award

The Young Investigator Award recognizes outstanding young scientists at a critical juncture in their careers. It provides $250,000 in discretionary funds for basic biomedical research. Candidates are competitively selected by their originality of research, innovation, quality of the proposal as evidenced by ideas and execution, record of accomplishment, and clear evidence that the awardee can carry out an independent research program.

###

About the Vallee Foundation

The Vallee Foundation was formed by Bert L. and N. Kuggie Vallee as their legacy to the advancement of medical science and medical education. The Foundation stimulates development of interdisciplinary sciences related to human health by promoting interaction between productive scientists worldwide. In addition to the Young Investigator Awards, programs include: Vallee Visiting Professorships for distinguished researchers, international scientific meetings, and a special collaboration with the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings. More information is available online, http://www.thevalleefoundation.org.


Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.