FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 4, 2005
Contact: Stacy Brooks
American Physiological Society
301-634-7253
sbrooks@the-aps.org
APS Announces Its 2005
Postdoctoral Fellowship Winners
The American
Physiological Society Awards More Than $140,000 to Two Postdoctoral Research
Scientists in the Field of Physiological Genomics
August 3, 2005 - Bethesda, Md. - The American
Physiological Society (APS) has announced the winners of its 2005
Postdoctoral Fellowships in Physiological Genomics. This two-year award
will provide each of the two winning scientists with funds totaling $73,000,
including stipend and a mini research grant for each year. Winners of the
2005 APS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Physiological Genomics are:
Julia Halperin, Ph.D. – University of Illinois,
Chicago
Dr. Halperin studies prolactin (PRL), a hormone
involved in breast development and milk production. Specifically, her lab
looks at the signals through the short and long proteins of the prolactin
receptor in rodents. Dr. Halperin’s team has recently discovered that
prolactin short form signaling has a severe impact on the ovary and leads to
premature ovarian failure and infertility when the long form receptor is
missing. The focus of her research is to define the prolactin signaling
pathway through the short form of its receptor and to identify ovarian
target genes whose expression is essential for normal egg development.
Xiaopeng Li, Ph.D. – Michigan State University
Dr. Li’s research focus is pulmonary fibrosis, which
involves scarring of the lung. Dr. Li’s research goal is to investigate why
and how a lung becomes fibrotic after lung injuries. By using the tools of
cellular and molecular biology in the setting of the whole animal, he will
try to identify the causative agent for the development of lung fibrosis.
This may lead to effective therapeutic or preventive approaches for
pulmonary fibrosis.
The aim of the APS Postdoctoral Fellowship is to
advance the study of physiological genomics by furthering understanding of
the human genome in the context of the whole body. The Fellowship was
established to provide training that enables outstanding young scientists to
combine the tools of cellular and molecular biology in the setting of the
whole animal. Through these fellowships, awarded annually since 1995, APS
has contributed more than $1 million to physiological genomics research.
For more information about APS and its Postdoctoral
Fellowship in Physiological Genomics go to
http://www.the-aps.org/awards/student.htm#Postdoc or contact Stacy
Brooks at 301-634-7253 or
sbrooks@the-aps.org.
The
American Physiological Society is a non-profit, professional society that
seeks to integrate the life sciences from molecule to organism. The Society
is dedicated to fostering research, education and the dissemination of
information about the function of the body and its organ systems. Through
its journals, meetings and professional development awards, APS plays an
essential role in the advancement of knowledge toward the understanding of
basic biological function in living organisms. In May 2004, APS won the
Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering
Mentoring (PAESMEM).
Founded in
1887, APS membership now includes more than 10,000 professionals in science
and medicine.
###
|
