Publications, presentations and the support of a good mentor are common and important ways for young investigators to gain confidence and a boost toward a satisfying career. But celebrating the next generation of scientists in a big way draws the attention of the entire institution, say the day's organizers.
"Young Investigators' Day is a really nice way to recognize accomplished young scientists while at the same time remembering colleagues who made Hopkins what it is today," adds Carolyn Machamer, Ph.D., associate professor of cell biology and mentor of Ph.D. candidate Emily Corse, winner of the 2002 Mette Strand Research Award.
Most of the awards, whose monetary value varies from year to year, were established in memory of people who had educational or research ties to Hopkins. Funds for the awards come from a variety of sources, including family, friends and colleagues of the person memorialized. The Johns Hopkins Medical and Surgical Association, an alumni organization, funds five awards.
This year, roughly two-thirds of the awards were open to students pursuing doctorates or combined doctorates, and one-third to postdoctoral fellows, including clinical residents. Only doctoral degree candidates are eligible for the very first Young Investigators' Day award -- the Michael A. Shanoff Research Award, named in memory of a young investigator who died in a scuba diving accident in 1975. Shanoff, an M.D./Ph.D., earned three degrees from Johns Hopkins.
This year's Shanoff Award recipient is Pamela Frischmeyer, an M.D./Ph.D. candidate in human genetics. Her work, published in two papers in the journal Science on March 22,
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Contact: Joanna Downer
jdowner1@jhmi.edu
410-614-5105
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
9-Apr-2002