Washington, DC—June 25, 2008— The 2008 American Society for Microbiology (ASM) ICAAC Young Investigator Award will be presented to Ekaterina Heldwein, Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts. Sponsored by the ASM, this award recognizes early career scientists for excellence in research in microbiology and infectious diseases.
Dr. Heldwein's research is centered on herpes simplex virus and cytomegalovirus. These two viruses have relevance to the susceptibility to and treatment of HIV/AIDS and other diseases of immunocompromised people. She gained prominence in her field by studying viral pathogenesis, in particular the cell entry mechanisms of herpesviruses, using structural techniques. In 2007, Dr. Heldwein was named a Pew Scholar and awarded the prestigious NIH Director's New Innovator Award and the Zucker Center Award.
Dr. Heldwein received her M.S. in Chemistry from Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia, and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Oregon Health and Sciences University.
The ICAAC Young Investigator Award will be presented during ASM's 48th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy/46th IDSA Annual Meeting, October 25 – October 28, 2008 in Washington, DC. ASM is the world's oldest and largest life science organization and has more than 43,000 members worldwide. ASM's mission is to advance the microbiological sciences and promote the use of scientific knowledge for improved health and economic and environmental well-being.