The University announced yesterday Assoc. Engineering Prof. Silvia Salinas Blemker and Assoc. Biology Prof. Christopher Deppmann had received the Hartwell Biomedical Research Award which includes an annual research stipend of $100,000 for three years.
The Hartwell Foundation, a group which works to promote biomedical research to support children's health, gave research grants to twelve researchers at nine different institutions. The University was one of three institutions to receive two awards.
"For [the Hartwell Foundation] to pick two University faculty members is exceptional on a national scale, and it's very good that two faculty members could compete on a national playing field," University Vice President for Research Tom Skalak said.
Blemker said she received the award for her work developing physics-based computer simulations of cleft palate muscle function. "This Hartwell Award is a new application of looking at muscles of the palate that are involved in speech and will hopefully help people who have cleft palate have better outcomes from their surgery," she said. "We will simulate the surgery in the models and come up with new ways to do the surgery that will result in a better outcome."
Deppmann said Biology Prof. Ignacio Provencio's work looking at the influence of light on individuals' melanopsin levels inspired his own research. After discovering a correlation between lower rates of dieting success and the level of activity in the peripheral nervous system, Deppmann began to investigate this relationship and its effects on metabolism and obesity. He plans to use the grant to conduct various tests on different drugs' effects on metabolism, including burning fat or insulin production, according to a University statement released yesterday.
"[Weight loss treatments often fail] because people will try them and after a month of dieting they'll stop losing weight," Deppmann said. "The sympathetic nervous system is probably responsible for that. If we target that perhaps we could help others lose weight."
In addition to the grant, recipients will receive advanced video conference equipment to allow them to work closely with the foundation and other awardees. Recipients will also be able to collaborate with the nearly 60 researchers the foundation has funded in the past six years.
Skalak said the awards indicate the University's "frontier ideas" in the fields of biomedical research.
"[The award] really is a sign of how innovative some of our faculty are," Skalak said. "Who [the biology department is] hiring could be on the cutting edge of biology and solving major medical problems."
The Hartwell Foundation also named the University one of the top 10 biomedical research facilities in the country, a distinction it has held since 2007.
The Hartwell Foundation works to promote biomedical research to support children's health, according to the University press release.
Read More
From the Archives: Celebration and Reflection (4/28 - 5/4)
By Clara Franklin and Annabelle Nee | 10 hours agoFrom The Purple Shadows breaking into the Dean of Students’s office to multiple student athletes accused of honor code violations, the graduating class’s four years were a wild ride.
PBS NewsHour correspondent speaks on bringing humanity to international conflict
By Grace Little | YesterdaySchifrin's work exploring Putin’s Russia, his coverage of COVID-19 and his reporting in Afghanistan and Ukraine have earned him various accolades.
Spring meal swipe drive aims to tackle food insecurity at the University
By Nicolas Biernacki | YesterdayU.Va. Dine facilitated the drive by converting each meal swipe donated by a student into one pound of food that is then donated to the CFP.
