The 2024 Michael E. DeBakey Excellence in Research Awards were presented to six faculty members at Baylor College of Medicine, recognizing their notable scientific contributions to clinical and basic science research over the past three years. The recipients are Dr. Bing Zhang, Dr. Leonid Metelitsa, Dr. Maksim Mamonkin, Dr. Robert Atmar, Dr. Jeffrey C. Magee, and Dr. Christine Beeton.
In a recorded message during the award ceremony, Baylor President, CEO, and Executive Dean Dr. Paul Klotman congratulated the group, stating that their accomplishments exemplify the outstanding work across all missions of Baylor College of Medicine.
Each awardee gave a presentation on their recent work and was introduced by Dr. Carolyn Smith, professor and dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences as well as interim senior vice president and dean of research at Baylor.
The awards honor pioneering heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey and are sponsored by the DeBakey Medical Foundation.
Dr. Bing Zhang is a professor in the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics who has advanced cancer biology understanding through comprehensive proteogenomic characterization studies in various cancers including pancreatic cancer and lung squamous cell carcinoma.
Dr. Leonid Metelitsa is a professor of pediatrics specializing in hematology and oncology known for his research on natural killer T cells (NKTs) in pediatric cancer immunotherapy.
Dr. Maksim Mamonkin is an associate professor in pathology & immunology focusing on engineering cellular therapies for hematologic malignancies with ongoing clinical trials evaluating chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies.
Dr. Robert Atmar is a professor specializing in infectious diseases whose recent work has been pivotal in COVID-19 vaccine booster strategies.
Dr. Jeffrey C. Magee is a neuroscientist recognized for his discoveries related to hippocampal mechanisms involved in learning and memory through synaptic plasticity studies.
Dr. Christine Beeton is known for her work on therapeutic targets for rheumatoid arthritis using recombinant analogs from sea anemone and scorpion venom toxins to block specific potassium channels involved in autoimmune diseases.
The awards highlight these researchers' significant contributions toward improving human health through innovative scientific discoveries.
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