2002 Young Investigator Award Winners:
Claudette M. St. Croix, Ph.D. – University of Pittsburgh
The Giles F. Filley Memorial Award in Respiratory Physiology and Medicine
An award of $25,000 will be made to the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health on Dr. St. Croix’s behalf. Her research focuses on nitric oxide signal transduction and metal ion (zinc) homeostasis in pulmonary vascular endothelial cells. Dr. St. Croix’s specific goals are to investigate how nitric oxide-induced changes in intracellular zinc affect gene expression and cell survival.
Mai-Lan N. Huynh, M.D. – University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
The Giles F. Filley Memorial Award in Respiratory Physiology and Medicine
An award of $25,000 will be made to the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center on the behalf of Dr. Huynh. She is developing an animal model to examine what happens when dying cells are scavenged by the immune system. Dr. Huynh has shown that when dying cells are scavenged, the transforming growth factor beta-1 is secreted, which resolves inflammation more quickly. She plans to focus on how this process causes tissue fibrosis.
Simon C. Malpas, Ph.D. – University of Auckland
The Arthur C. Guyton Award for Excellence in Integrative Physiology
An award of $15,000 will be made on Dr. Malpas’ behalf to the University of Auckland’s Department of Physiology. His ongoing research focuses on the regulation of blood pressure and the causes of high blood pressure. Dr. Malpas and his research team have developed a wireless radio transmitter (an implantable amplifier and telemetry unit) for recording the nerve activity generated by the brain that controls blood pressure. With the new amplifier, he hopes to explore why sympathetic activity increases in the early stage of high blood pressure in some people.
Jeffrey T. Potts, Ph.D – Wayne State University
The Shih-Chun Wang Young Investigators Award
This $12,000 award recognizes an individual with outstanding promise in the field of physiological research and will be given on Dr. Potts' behalf to Wayne State University's School of Medicine. His research examines how the brain controls blood pressure and breathing. Dr. Potts' laboratory is currently focusing on cellular mechanisms that alter the excitability of brain cells located in cardiovascular and respiratory neural networks. This information will assist with understanding how these neural networks control blood pressure and breathing, as well as how changes in neural network activity may be involved in cardiovascular and respiratory disease.
James D. Stockand, Ph.D. – University of Texas, San Antonio
The Lazaro J. Mandel Young Investigator Award
This $12,000 award recognizes an individual with outstanding promise in the field of epithelial and renal physiology and will be given on Dr. Stockand’s behalf to the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. One goal of his research is to increase understanding of blood pressure control. He is specifically interested in investigating how the epithelial sodium channel protein is modulated on a cellular and molecular level. Dr. Stockand’s recent work addressing this simple yet fundamental question has identified novel portions within this protein that are likely involved in sodium channel regulation.
For more information on the APS or the Young Investigator Awards, go to http://www.the-aps.org/awards/awd_society.htm or contact Stacy Brooks at 301-571-5739 or sbrooks@the-aps.org.
The American Physiological Society is a professional scientific membership organization devoted to fostering scientific research, education, and the dissemination of scientific information. The APS supports a variety of educational activities including programs and fellowships to encourage the development of young scientists at the undergraduate and graduate levels, with a particular focus on women and underrepresented minorities. Founded in 1887, the Society’s membership includes more than 10,000 professionals in science and medicine.