Three early-career scientists who have conducted their research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have been honored with the Young Physician-Scientist Award by the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI). They are Abby Margaret Green, MD; Jing Hughes, MD, PhD; and Parker C. Wilson, MD, PhD.
The honor recognizes 50 physician-scientists nationwide who are early in their careers and have had notable achievements in their research. The award supports their involvement with three scientific associations offering leadership development workshops, panel discussions with ASCI members, virtual poster sessions and other career-enhancing activities.
Green, an assistant professor of pediatrics and of pathology & immunology, focuses on the causes of genetic mutations associated with pediatric and adult-onset cancers. She studies how specific enzymes, which cause damage to DNA, promote the development and progression of cancer. The goal of her research is to develop targeted therapies for cancer. In the process, Green’s lab emphasizes mentorship. She is affiliated with Siteman Cancer Center and Siteman Kids, and the Roy and Diana Vagelos Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences.
Hughes, an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Lipid Research, studies pancreatic cells that produce hormones that drive glucose metabolism, a key factor in processing and storing energy in the body. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes can result when glucose levels are too high. Specifically, she analyzes the role in diabetes of an organelle called the primary cilium. Hughes is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and has established collaborations with other scientists to study the structure and function of pancreatic cells.
Wilson — formerly an assistant professor in the Division of Anatomic and Molecular Pathology within the Department of Pathology & Immunology, and the university’s Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences — researches single cell biology and the genetics of kidney disease. Previously, Wilson was a fellow in WashU’s Molecular Genetic Pathology program. Earlier this year, he accepted a tenure-track position at the University of Pennsylvania; however, the award recognizes his research conducted at Washington University.
For more information on the awards, please visit ASCI.
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