The rockefeller university

Awarded:

Sreekanth H. Chalasani and Shai Shaham, finalists in the 2009 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists. Dr. Chalasani, a postdoc in Cori Bargmann’s Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, will receive a grant of $5,000. Dr. Shaham, head of the Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, will receive $10,000. The competition winners, who will receive additional funds, will be announced at the New York Academy of Sciences’ annual Science and the City gala on November 16.

Jeffrey M. Friedman, half of this year’s Keio Medical Science Prize as well as half of the 2009 Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine (see “High honors for Friedman, Fuchs”). Dr. Friedman is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and head of the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics.

Elaine Fuchs, a 2008 National Medal of Science, the nation’s highest honor, as well as a 2010 L’Oréal-UNESCO Award in Life Sciences (see “High honors for Friedman, Fuchs”). Dr. Fuchs is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and head of the Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development.

Max Heiman, a finalist for the Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology. The international prize, established in 2002, recognizes the most outstanding neurobiological research done in the past three years by a young scientist, as described in a 1,000-word essay. Dr. Heiman is a postdoc in Shai Shaham’s Laboratory of Developmental Genetics. Along with the winner — Richard Benton, a former postdoc in Leslie B. Vosshall’s laboratory — the finalists were honored at a ceremony last month at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Chicago.

Charles M. Rice — in collaboration with investigators at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — has received a Transformative R01 Grant from the National Institutes of Health. The award, for $5.8 million, is part of a groundbreaking new program designed by the NIH to encourage high-risk research. The money will fund a five-year project to elucidate the notoriously complex mechanisms underlying disease progression in hepatitis B and C virus infection. Dr. Rice is head of the Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease.

Mike Rossner, a SPARC Innovator award from the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition. Announced in July, the award honors Dr. Rossner, executive director of The Rockefeller University Press, for his work as a proponent of data integrity in and wider public access to scientific publishing.

Sohail Tavazoie, a Director’s New Innovator Award from the National Institutes of Health. Established in 2007, the award program is designed to support unusually creative new investigators with highly innovative research ideas. Dr. Tavazoie, head of the Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, is working to clarify how specific microRNAs may act as signals of metastasis in cancer.

Michael W. Young, head of the Laboratory of Genetics, a share of the 2009 Neuroscience Prize from The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation, for his work on the molecular mechanisms that control circadian rhythms. The prize, which comes with $500,000 to be shared among the recipients, was announced in July.

Named:

Michel C. Nussenzweig, head of the Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine. Recognized for his innovative research on the innate and adaptive immune system, Dr. Nussenzweig is one of 65 new members and five foreign associates elected to the institute this year.

Eric D. Siggia, head of the Laboratory of Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics, a member of the National Academy of Sciences. One of 35 faculty NAS members, Dr. Siggia was elected for his work applying bioinformatics approaches to the study of gene expression and other biological problems.

Hired:

Kemal Akat, postdoctoral fellow, Tuschl Lab.

Catalina Arenas Huertero, postdoctoral fellow, Chua Lab.

Natalie Arkus, fellow in physics and biology, Feigenbaum Lab.

Magali Audry, postdoctoral associate, Casanova Lab.

Patricia Balacich, medical staff credentials coordinator, Hospital Regulatory Affairs.

Walter Barry, research assistant, Rice Lab.

William Beazer, security guard, Security.

Jennifer Belasco, instructor in clinical investigation, Krueger Lab.

Carl Bellander, visiting student, McEwen Lab.

Iddo Ben-Dov, instructor in clinical investigation, Tuschl Lab.

Alan Bernstein, visiting scientist, Steinman Lab.

Eva Billerbeck, postdoctoral associate, Rice Lab.

Kıvanç Birsoy, postdoctoral associate, Friedman Lab.

Karen J. Booth, director, Child and Family Center.

Alexander Bounoutas, postdoctoral associate, Strickland Lab.

David Boylan, teacher, Child and Family Center.

Meagan Brooks, manuscript coordinator, JEM, The Rockefeller University Press.

Teresa Brophy, postdoctoral associate, Coller Lab.

Claudia Brunetti, visiting student, Rice Lab.

Gabriela Bustamante, research assistant, Greengard Lab.

Minji Byun, postdoctoral associate, Casanova Lab.

Mary Ellen Castillo, research assistant, Rice Lab.

Christopher Cederroth, postdoctoral fellow, Hudspeth Lab.

Pavol Cekan, postdoctoral associate, Tuschl Lab.

Shuk Kei Cheng, research assistant, Greengard Lab.

Won-Seok Choi, postdoctoral associate, Coller Lab.

Urey Chow, research assistant, Greengard Lab.

Michael Ciancanelli, postdoctoral associate, Casanova Lab.

Ronald Crystal, member of the adjunct faculty, Coller Lab.

Mary Derasmo, fly food coordinator, Steller Lab.

Rohini Desetty, research specialist, Smogorzewska Lab.

Marcus Dorner, postdoctoral associate, Rice Lab.

Kathleen Dowd, clinical research coordinator, Hospital Program Direction.

Christophe Dupre, research assistant, Greengard Lab.

Nancy Fang, research assistant, Kreek Lab.

Kaneez Fatima, visiting scientist, Rice Lab.

Rachel Feder, research assistant, Steinman Lab.

Ofer Feinerman, postdoctoral fellow, Leibler Lab.

Zhiyang Feng, postdoctoral associate, Brady Lab.

Steven Flavell, postdoctoral associate, Bargmann Lab.

Rachel Flynn, research assistant, Gilbert Lab.

Natasha Forde, teacher, Child and Family Center.

Madoka Fujita, visiting fellow, Roeder Lab.

Michele Gallinaro, member of the adjunct faculty, Goulianos Lab.

Alexis Gambis, visiting fellow, Steller Lab.

Robert Giliberto, grants management specialist, Sponsored Research and Program Development.

Jo Ling Goh, research assistant, McEwen Lab.

Chandrawatee Gowcaran, laboratory technician, Steller Lab.

Ana Guarner, visiting student, Steller Lab.

Isabel Gutierrez, laboratory technician, Vosshall Lab.

Nils Halberg, postdoctoral associate, Tavazoie Lab.

Jin-Hwan Han, postdoctoral associate, Ravetch Lab.

Elizabeth Heller, postdoctoral associate, Heintz Lab.

Joshua Horwitz, research assistant, Rice Lab.

Brian Houck-Loomis, postdoctoral fellow, Muir Lab.

Galadriel Hovel-Miner, postdoctoral associate, Papavasiliou Lab.

Kuo-Chiang Hsia, postdoctoral associate, Blobel Lab.

Kabir Husain, research assistant, Greengard Lab.

Peter Janki, research assistant, Fuchs Lab.

Meelis Kadaja, postdoctoral associate, Fuchs Lab.

Rajender Kalashikam, visiting scientist, Friedman Lab.

Martin Kampmann, postdoctoral associate, Blobel Lab.

Sophiya Karki, research assistant, Rice Lab.

Alexander Katsov, postdoctoral associate, Bargmann Lab.

Shigehiro Kawashima, postdoctoral fellow, Kapoor Lab.

Laurent Keller, visiting scientist, Leibler Lab.

Brice Keyes, postdoctoral associate, Fuchs Lab.

Nakesha King, visiting medical student, Breslow Lab.

Florian Klein, postdoctoral associate, Nussenzweig Lab.

Junseock Koh, postdoctoral associate, Blobel Lab.

Kenneth Krauter, visiting professor, Friedman Lab.

Nadiya Kryachko, laboratory technician, Heintz Lab.

Joanna Krzyspiak, research assistant, Brivanlou Lab.

Stacy Ku, research assistant, Greengard Lab.

Changsoo Kwak, research assistant, McEwen Lab.

Diego Laplagne, neuroscience fellow, Shelby White and Leon Levy Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior.

Alexander Larsson, visiting student, McEwen Lab.

Fubin Li, postdoctoral associate, Ravetch Lab.

Roger Li, visiting medical student, Steinman Lab.

Wei Li, research assistant, de Lange Lab.

Richard Liang, postdoctoral associate, Strickland Lab.

Jun Liu, postdoctoral fellow, Chua Lab.

Jesse Llerena, animal technician, Heintz Lab.

Courtney Lovejoy, postdoctoral associate, de Lange Lab.

Ashira Lubkin, research assistant, Steinman Lab.

Whitney Macdonald, visiting assistant professor, Fischetti Lab.

Marie-Claude Marsolier-Kergoat, visiting professor, Siggia Lab.

Carolyn McBride, postdoctoral associate, Vosshall Lab.

Caroline Melendez, clinical research recruitment specialist, Hospital Clinical Research Office.

Stephan Meyer Zum Alten Borgloh, visiting fellow, Gilbert Lab.

Fadi Mikhail, postdoctoral associate, Greengard Lab.

Arash Mohebati, visiting fellow, Krueger Lab.

Ann Monahan, visiting medical student, Steinman Lab.

Mathias Munschauer, visiting student, Tuschl Lab.

Mary Murphy, research assistant, Rice Lab.

Annette Nelkenbaum, research assistant, Steinman Lab.

Kenneth Newman, doorperson, Housing Scholars Residence.

Uyen Nguyen, postdoctoral associate, Muir Lab.

Keiichi Niikura, postdoctoral fellow, Kreek Lab.

Osami Niwa, visiting professor, Nurse Lab.

Jaclyn Novatt, postdoctoral associate, Rout Lab.

Cindy Nuernberger, foreign research intern, Rice Lab.

Olakunle Ogunrinade, visiting student, Breslow Lab.

Kenneth Olden, member of the adjunct faculty, Coller Lab.

Dana Orange, postdoctoral fellow, Robert Darnell Lab.

Austin Pantel, visiting student, Steinman Lab.

Julia Pettersen, visiting medical student, Krueger Lab.

Kara Pham, visiting assistant professor, Mc
Ewen Lab.

Valentin Piech, postdoctoral associate, Gilbert Lab.

Andrew Pincetic, postdoctoral fellow, Ravetch Lab.

Joseph Pucella, research assistant, Konarska Lab.

Sri Ramulu Pullagura, research assistant, Heintz Lab.

Jaclyn Rabkin, research assistant, Kreek Lab.

Lalit Rajeev Reddybattula, research assistant, Heintz Lab.

Yi Ren, postdoctoral associate, Blobel Lab.

Ana Ribeiro, member of the adjunct faculty, Pfaff Lab.

Alicia Rodriguez-Folgueras, postdoctoral associate, Fuchs Lab.

Lindsay Ronning, teacher, Child and Family Center.

Kristina Schierhorn, foreign research intern, Rice Lab.

Martin Seeger, foreign research intern, Tuschl Lab.

Jeremy Segal, visiting fellow, Fuchs Lab.

Angelica Segui, teacher, Child and Family Center.

Alok Shah, postdoctoral associate, Fuchs Lab.

Elina Shrestha, research assistant, Steinman Lab.

Agata Smogorzewska, assistant professor and head of laboratory, Smogorzewska Lab.

Astrid Stienen, postdoctoral associate, Tarakhovsky Lab.

Yuan Tian, postdoctoral associate, Greengard Lab.

Constance Tuffet, foreign research intern, Pfaff Lab.

Santiago Varela, research assistant, Greengard Lab.

Jake Vaynshteyn, research assistant, Friedman Lab.

Valerie Vogt, administrative assistant, Brivanlou Lab.

Huan Wang, visiting student, Chua Lab.

Sarah Wensley, research assistant, Rice Lab.

Lars Westblade, visiting scientist, Darst Lab.

Andrew Widmer, research assistant, Shelby White and Leon Levy Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior.

Zev Williams, visiting fellow, Tuschl Lab.

Homare Yamahachi, postdoctoral associate, Gilbert Lab.

Xiao-Hu Yan, foreign research intern, Magnasco Lab.

Mitsukuni Yoshida, research assistant, Tavazoie Lab.

Yun Zhong, postdoctoral associate, Heintz Lab.

Promoted (academic appointments):

Elizabeth Campbell, to senior research associate, Darst Lab.

Maria Longhi, to research associate, Steinman Lab.

Davide Robbiani, to research assistant professor, Nussenzweig Lab.

Thomas Tuschl, to professor and head of laboratory, Tuschl Lab.

Pei-Yun Wu, to research associate, Nurse Lab.

Jun Xu, to research associate, Chua Lab.