SEATTLE – March 4, 2013 – Thirteen graduate students from throughout the U.S. have been chosen to receive the 2013 Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award sponsored by the Basic Sciences Division of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Nominations were solicited internationally; the winners were selected on the basis of the quality, originality and significance of their work.
The recipients, all advanced students at or near completion of their studies in the biological sciences, will present their work in a scientific symposium May 3 at Fred Hutch.
The award, established in 2000, honors the late Harold M. “Hal” Weintraub, Ph.D., a founding member of the Basic Sciences Division, who in 1995 died from brain cancer at age 49. Weintraub was an international leader in the field of molecular biology; he identified genes responsible for instructing cells to differentiate, or develop, into specific tissues such as muscle and bone.
“Hal was one of the most outstanding scientists of his generation, as well as one of the most unpretentious. Hal had the knack of identifying the important questions in biology and designing experimental approaches that were creative, simple and elegant,” said Mark Groudine, M.D., Ph.D., deputy director at Fred Hutch and a former friend and colleague of Weintraub.
“By nurturing colleagues, students and postdocs – and helping all of us become better scientists – Hal was instrumental in establishing the collegial atmosphere at the Hutchinson Center. We believe having a symposium recognizing the achievements of young scientists is a great way to honor Hal and the recipients of this award,” said Groudine, who was instrumental in establishing the award.
The award recipients will receive a certificate, travel expenses and an honorarium from the Weintraub and Groudine Fund, established to foster intellectual exchange through the promotion of programs for graduate students, fellows and visiting scholars.
Editor’s note: A list of 2013 Weintraub awardees follows. To receive a research summary, CV and a photo of any of the recipients, please contact Nylkhalid “Bo” Jungmayer, Communications Specialist, 206-667-5469 or njungmay@fhcrc.org.
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At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, home to three Nobel laureates, interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists seek new and innovative ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. Fred Hutch’s pioneering work in bone marrow transplantation led to the development of immunotherapy, which harnesses the power of the immune system to treat cancer with minimal side effects. An independent, nonprofit research institute based in Seattle, Fred Hutch houses the nation’s first and largest cancer prevention research program, as well as the clinical coordinating center of the Women’s Health Initiative and the international headquarters of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network. Private contributions are essential for enabling Fred Hutch scientists to explore novel research opportunities that lead to important medical breakthroughs. For more information visit www.fredhutch.org or follow Fred Hutch on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.
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2013 Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award Recipients
University of California, San Francisco
Christopher Baker
Ph.D. in genetics awarded in 2012
The Rockefeller University
Teresa Davoli
Ph.D. candidate, cell biology and genetics
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Ruei-Jiun Hung
Ph.D. candidate, neuroscience
Robert Orchard
Ph.D. candidate, molecular microbiology
Stanford University
Timothy Kelliher
Ph.D. candidate, biology
Stanford University School of Medicine
Thomas Vierbuchen
Ph.D. in cancer biology awarded in 2012
University of North Carolina
Kathryn Kohl
Ph.D. candidate, genetics and molecular biology
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Tara LeGates
Ph.D. candidate, biology
University of California, San Francisco
Paolo Manzanillo
Ph.D. candidate, microbiology & immunology
University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Sheila Teves
Ph.D. candidate, molecular and cellular biology
University of California, Berkeley
Jakob von Moltke
Ph.D. candidate, infectious disease
Adam Williamson
Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology awarded in 2012
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
David Weinberg
Ph.D. in biology awarded in February 2013
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