Awards and Recognition

Christina Pacak, assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Minnesota Medical School, received a $1.8M grant to develop efficient manufacturing of a gene therapy for Cockayne Syndrome. Pacak is a primary investigator of the study along with George Aslanidi of the Hormel Institute - University of Minnesota, Medical Research Center. The three-year grant was awarded to the team in September by the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research of the FDA. Cockayne Syndrome is a rare accelerated aging disorder that has no disease- altering treatments available at this time.

The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education has named Christine Arenson, professor, Family Medicine and Community Health, as director. For the past 18 months, Arenson has served as co-director of the National Center with Barbara Brandt, the National Center’s founding director. In her role as director, Arenson will lead the strategic direction of the center, with a focus on cultivating partnerships to advance initiatives and grow the center’s commitment to generating new knowledge to advance the field. 

The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges has awarded Erin Malone its most prestigious teaching award: the 2021 Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award, presented by Zoetis. The annual award recognizes a sustained record of teaching excellence and ability, dedication, character, and leadership in contributing significantly to the advancement of the profession. Malone is a professor in the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine and serves as interim associate dean for curriculum. A board-certified large animal surgeon and researcher, Malone has taught at the College since the 1990s, where she champions interactive, team-based learning to better equip students to transition from the classroom to clinical practice.

Professor Sang-Hyun Oh was recently elevated to fellow status by Optica, formerly The Optical Society. The recognition is for his “outstanding contributions to the development of fabrication techniques for nanophotonics, of nanophotonic biosensors, and of ultrastrong light-matter interactions.” Professor Steven Koester was also recently named an Optica Fellow. He is being honored for his "technical innovations in optoelectronic devices, particularly those involving group-IV and 2D-material-based photodetectors and optical modulators."

Tanya Bailey is interviewed at KARE 11 about more people turning to animals for comfort and better mental health; Ken Doyle is featured in WalletHub’s best states to retire in 2022; Steve Harris is interviewed in the MPR story, “How to strengthen your relationship during the pandemic”; Lisa Chow is quoted in the New York Times story, “Is It Better to Exercise in the Morning or Evening?”; Michelle Phelps is quoted in an AP News article about whether it’s becoming easier to convict police officers of wrongdoing; Michael Osterholm is quoted in Time Magazine about China’s zero-COVID policy and the upcoming Olympics; Marc Jenkins is interviewed in the Star Tribune story about the debate over natural immunity and vaccine mandates; David Boulware is quoted in a Scientific American story about the latest COVID treatments; Susan Wolf is quoted in the New York Times story, “Their DNA Hides a Warning, but They Don't Want to Know What It Says”; Andrew Grande is interviewed in a KARE 11 story about the signs of stroke. 

The Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics has announced its 2022 grant awardees—five collaborative research teams made up of Mayo Clinic and University of Minnesota researchers. This marks the partnership's 18th year. This year the awards fund innovative projects on heart and liver disease, mapping diseases of the brain, congenital genetic disease, and pancreatic cancer.  The state-funded grants for these team science proposals total nearly $5 million. The Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics is a collaboration among the University of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic and the state of Minnesota.

Explore the award-winning projects and awardees.

Professor of Mechanical Engineering Rajesh Rajamani has been named a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for contributions to vehicle control in intelligent transportation systems. The IEEE Fellow distinction is reserved for select IEEE members (0.1% of voting members are selected annually) for extraordinary accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest.

Professor Frances Vavrus, Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development, has been named to the Working Group on Academic Freedom, coordinated by the Open Society Foundations and Scholars at Risk. This group of legal scholars, human rights activists, and education leaders seeks to strengthen the protection of academic freedom, particularly at the level of the United Nations and among its member states, by developing guidelines for assessing academic freedom and recommendations for stronger monitoring with the UN system.

Each year, OACA Faculty Research Development grants are awarded to support new or expanding interdisciplinary research that addresses significant clinical issues, is innovative, and has a high potential for return on investment. In 2021, the grant program awarded up to $200,000 in funds. See the 2021 recipients.

August Nimtz is interviewed at Fox 9 about the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Minneapolis; Elizabeth Wrigley-Field is mentioned in the Sahan Journal story, “COVID kills Minnesota immigrants at higher rates, younger ages”; JP Leider is quoted in the Star Tribune story, “Minnesota removes race as factor in rationing COVID-19 antibodies”; Alan Rozenshtein is quoted in a Thomson Reuters story on sedition charges for the attack on the U.S. Capitol; Matt Hanson is interviewed in an MPR story about COVID’s toll on college students; Claudia Cohn is interviewed for a CBS 4 Minnesota story on the need for blood donations amid a national supply crisis; Sarah Cross is quoted in the Newsweek story, “Doctors Urge Pregnant Women to Get Vaccinated Amid Omicron Surge"; Mark Schleiss is quoted in the Poynter story, "How will we know when the COVID-19 pandemic is over?"