César de la Fuente, PhD, presidential assistant professor in psychiatry, microbiology, chemical and biomolecular engineering and bioengineering, received in 2021 an IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society (EMBS) Early Career Academic Excellence Award. De la Fuente was selected for his pioneering work in creating new antibiotics using principles of calculation, engineering and biology. This award is given annually to an individual for significant contributions to the field of biomedical engineering who is within 10 years of obtaining their highest degree at the time of nomination.
Mayan sample, Doctorate, assistant professor of microbiology, received a new award from Scialog: Microbiome, Neurobiology and Disease, a Research Society for the Advancement of Science initiative designed to advance understanding of the gut-brain axis and the role of the microbiota in neurodegenerative disorders. Levy is one of 14 early career researchers to receive the award. The winners are drawn from six multidisciplinary teams of researchers from colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. At Penn Medicine, the Sampling laboratorystudies the interface between the host and its microbiome in the gastrointestinal tract, with a focus on metabolites derived from the microbiome.
Flavia Vitale, PhD, an assistant professor of neurology and researchers from Vitale Laboratory received two grants totaling $ 4.5 million from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The first grant is intended for the development of a new surgical device to deliver gene-based therapies to the brain. The second is for the optimization and preclinical validation of a new EEG electrode technology, which uses a conductive nanomaterial rather than metal and gels. The projects will last three and five years respectively.
Max M. Wattenberg, MD, professor of medicine in the division of hematology-oncology, has been appointed 2021 Physician Scientist Training Award recipient of the Damon Runyon Foundation for Cancer Research. The award offers physician-researchers the opportunity to acquire the skills and experience necessary to become leaders in translational and clinical research. Wattenberg’s research focuses on the mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy, with the aim of identifying new treatment strategies for cancer patients. Damon Runyon seeks to combat the financial disincentives that often deter physicians from pursuing research careers by providing funding of $ 460,000 over four years. He is one of the five laureates.
Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the country’s first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form an $ 8.9 billion company.
The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top medical schools in the United States for more than 20 years, according to the US News & World Report survey of research-driven medical schools. The school is consistently among the top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $ 496 million awarded in fiscal 2020.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System patient care facilities include: University of Pennsylvania Hospital and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, which is recognized as one of the nation’s top hospitals by US News & World Report: Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Medicine Princeton Health; and Pennsylvania Hospital, the country’s first hospital, founded in 1751. Other facilities and businesses include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, Penn Medicine at Home, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, among others.
Penn Medicine is backed by a talented and dedicated workforce of more than 44,000 people. The organization has also forged alliances with top community health systems in southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey, creating more options for patients no matter where they live.
Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community programs and activities. In fiscal 2020, Penn Medicine provided over $ 563 million to benefit our community.
