Vol. 5 No.

1 February 2010

ASIP Pathways

ASIP 2010 Meritorious Awards

2010 Gold-Headed Cane Awarded to Nelson Fausto MD
Dr. Nelson Fausto, Chair, Department of Pathology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, will receive this year's ASIP Gold-Headed Cane Award. This is the most definitive honor granted by ASIP to a member, and it is in recognition of longterm contributions to pathology, including meritorious research, outstanding teaching, excellence in the field, and leadership in pathology. Dr. Fausto has made major research contributions for over four decades in defining mechanisms of liver injury and regeneration. As described by Dr. Steven L. Kunkel of University of Michigan Medical School, Dr. Fausto has interwoven in vivo studies involving animal models with in vitro cell biological and biochemical approaches to assess complex pathophysiological events. Dr. Kunkel goes on to say that these studies "have substantially impacted our understanding of how the liver undergoes growth in physiology and oncologic conditions." Dr. Fausto has been a leader in academic medicine through his teaching, mentoring, and administrative accomplishments, including founding the Department of Pathology at Brown and currently leading the Department of Pathology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, which is one of the most renowned pathology departments in the country. With an internationallyrecognized reputation in the field of pathology, Dr. Fausto has published over 200 manuscripts, presented over 100 lectures, and edited many books, including the classic Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease (7th and 8th Editions). Additionally, he has a noted record of NIH grant support. Dr. Stephen J. Galli of Stanford University School of Medicine notes that "perhaps the most extraordinary aspect of Nelson's career is the extent to which, as busy as he has been with his research program and his educational and administrative activities in his home institutions, he has made time to give exceptional service to the community of science in general, and to pathology in particular." In describing Dr. Fausto, Dr. Janardan K. Reddy of Northwestern University says he is not only "a distinguished biomedical researcher who is internationally recognized for his pioneering research contributions" but also "an outstanding human being, mentor and leader of exemplary nature who is genuinely interested in furthering academic medicine and the careers of others. Hecontinues to be a stellar credit to the biomedical scientific enterprise." In addition, Dr. Michael B. Cohen of University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine says the "legacy of an individual is often predicated on his impact on individuals.Nelson has had a great impact on the trainees in his own laboratory, the faculty in the two departments he has led, and other individuals that he has interacted with throughout his professional career. I myself fit into that latter category." Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Fausto served on the ASIP Executive Council in varying capacities from 1992-2006, including President of ASIP (2003-2004). Additionally, he served as Editor-inChief of The American Journal of Pathology for nearly a decade (1992-2001) and as Editor-in-Chief (founding Editor) of The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics from 1999-2001. Under Dr. Fausto's considerable leadership and influence, The American Journal of Pathology's impact factor rose to its highest levels and it became the leading journal in the field of pathology research. Dr. Fausto has received a number of distinguished teaching awards and has continuously proved his dedication to teaching and mentoring during his long career by serving as graduate thesis sponsor for a number of students and training numerous postdoctoral fellows and residents. In 2000, Dr. Fausto therefore received the ASIP Chugai Mentoring Award, which recognized senior investigators that had distinguished their careers with a dedication to mentoring and education. Dr. Fausto was born in Sao Paolo, Brazil where he received his MD from the University of Sao Paolo School of Medicine in 1960. After completing his pathology training in the Department of Pathology at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Dr. Fausto joined the faculty of Medical Science (Pathology) at Brown University in 1966 as an Assistant Professor. He continued on at Brown to serve from 1983-1994 as the founding Chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine before moving to Seattle to be Chair of the Department of Pathology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Fausto will receive the Gold-Headed Cane, a mahogany cane with a 14-karat gold head and engraved band, at the ASIP Annual Meeting in Anaheim, CA on Monday, April 26, 2010 at the Awards and Business Meeting.

ASIP to Honor Donald E. Ingber, MD, PhD with the Rous-Whipple Award
Dr. Donald Ingber is the 2010 recipient of the Rous-Whipple award, which is presented to a senior scientist with a distinguished career in research who has advanced the understanding of disease and has continued productivity at the time of the award. Dr. Ingber's research career is focused on the general mechanisms of cell and developmental regulation and is specifically focused on control of angiogenesis and vascular development. His research approach has been driven by the hypothesis that the process of tissue construction may be regulated mechanically. He introduced the concept that living cells stabilize their internal cytoskeleton, and control their shape and mechanics, using an architectural system first described by Buckminster Fuller, known as "tensegrity." Dr. Ingber has combined the use of techniques from various fields, including molecular cell biology, mechanical engineering, physics, chemistry, and computer science to identify mechanical forces and the cytoskeleton as critical cell and developmental regulators. He discovered that transmembrane integrin receptors that anchor cells to extracellular matrix also mediate mechanotransduction.

BASIC RESEARCH - TRANSLATIONAL DISCOVERY - CLINICAL APPLICATIONS

ASIP Pathways

Vol. 5 No. 1 February 2010

Extracellular matrix and cell shape distortion play central roles in control of angiogenesis that is required for tumor growth and expansion. Dr. Ingber has developed numerous novel microtechnologies, nanotechnologies, magnetic control systems and computational models in the course of pursuing these studies. Their potential applications are currently being explored in areas ranging from ultra-sensitive clinical diagnostics to nanoscale medical devices, engineered tissues, and biologically-inspired materials for tissue repair and reconstruction. Dr. Frederick J. Schoen of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital describes Dr. Ingber as "among the most innovative and original thinkers I have encountered in my 38-year professional career." He also states that Dr. Ingber's research results "have been paradigm-shifting and have widespread implications for control of tissue physiology and potentially development of new therapeutic modalities for diseases, such as hypertension and cancer." "Perhaps the largest reason Dr. Ingber has been so successful is his uncanny ability to apply sophisticated concepts from the physical sciences and engineering to study problems in biology and pathology," according to Dr. Michael Klagsbrun and Dr. Marsha A. Moses of Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital Boston. In addition, they added that "One of the most convincing measures of Dr. Ingber's lasting impact on science and medicine is the record of his trainees." Dr. Ingber has been involved in the training of 15 current faculty members at some of the top institutions in the world. Dr. Ingber received MD and PhD degrees from Yale University in 1984 and is currently the Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, Professor of Bioengineering at Harvard University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the Director of Harvard's Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. Dr. Ingber will present his award lecture on "Mechanobiology and Diseases of Mechanotransduction" on Sunday, April 25, 2010 at the ASIP Annual Meeting in Anaheim, CA and will receive the Rous-Whipple Award at the ASIP Awards and Business Meeting on Monday, April 26, 2010.

Charleen T. Chu, MD, PhD will Receive the 2010 Outstanding Investigator Award
Dr. Charleen Chu, Associate Professor of Pathology and Ophthalmology at University of Pittsburgh, is the recipient of the 2010 Outstanding Investigator Award. This prestigious award recognizes mid-career investigators with demonstrated excellence in research in experimental pathology. Dr. Chu's research centers on the role of kinases in age-related neurodegenerative diseases with an emphasis on mitochondrial dysfunction and macroautophagy. As related by Dr. Kevin Roth of Department of Pathology at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, "Dr. Chu has made major contributions to our understanding of neurodegenerative disease pathogenesis particularly in the area of Parkinson's DiseaseHer work has dramatically advanced the concept that altered subcellular compartmentalization of activated signaling proteins regulates the cellular response to neuronal injury. Her most recent work on the role of autophagy and autophagic stress in neurodegenerative disease pathogenesis is truly pioneering." Dr. George Michalopoulos of University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine states that Dr. Chu, in addition to her superb scientific achievements, "has demonstrated truly exceptional commitment to the advancement of experimental pathology through innovative educational programs at institutional and national levels," including her involvement in several ASIP activities including Courses, mentoring activities, committees, and the Summer Academy. She also spearheaded the Pathologist Investigator Residency Research Training (PIRRT) program at University of Pittsburgh to promote research as a career track among pathology residents, which has doubled in size since its inception. Dr. Michalopoulos goes on to describe Dr. Chu as "an energetic, dynamic and truly outstanding investigator." Dr. Chu is Associate Professor of Pathology, director of the Ophthalmic Pathology Service, and co-director of the Pathologist Investigator Residency-Research Training (PIRRT) program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Chu obtained her AB (Biology) from Harvard University, followed by MD, PhD (Pathology-Biochemistry) and postgraduate training (Anatomic Pathology, Neuropathology, Ophthalmic Pathology) at Duke University. Dr. Chu will present her award lecture on "Parkinson's Disease: Converging Insights from Toxin and Genetic Models" on Monday, April 26, 2010 at the ASIP Annual Meeting in Anaheim, CA and will receive the Outstanding Investigator Award later that day at the ASIP Awards and Business Meeting.

Liver Growth, Injury and Metabolism: Basic and Applied Biology

FASEB Summer Research Conference Sponsored by ASIP Snowmass, CO (USA) August 15 - 20, 2010
For the past 20 years, this meeting has been held biennially and is now recognized as the world's premier conference covering all aspects of basic and translational aspects of liver research. This year the organizers of the conference are Satdarshan (Paul) Singh Monga, MD and Frederic Lemaigre, MD, PhD. The program is composed of nine major sessions, which includes presentations from several invited speakers and abstract-driven talks and two poster sessions. The venue for the meeting is exciting, invigorating and promotes many opportunities for intimate scientific exchange among speakers and attendees. A detailed program is now available at https://secure.faseb.org/faseb/meetings/ Summrconf/Programs/11738.pdf. ASIP is a proud sponsor of this meeting and we hope to see many ASIP Hepatomaniacs at this meeting. Direct inquiries to Paul Monga at smonga@pitt.edu.

BASIC RESEARCH - TRANSLATIONAL DISCOVERY - CLINICAL APPLICATIONS