Women in Cell Biology Award Winners Announced at ASCB Meeting
Three exceptional women were given awards for their achievements and contributions to the scientific community at the 2014 ASCB (American Society for Cell Biology) meeting recently held in Philadelphia, Pa.
Valentina Greco, Ph.D. — WICB Junior Award for Excellence in Research
Greco, associate professor of genetics and dermatology at Yale University, is working to understand how disruption of growth signals leads to cancer, as well as how stem cells and their environment contribute to organ regeneration.
For the first time, her lab established the ability to visualize stem cells in vivo in an intact animal by two-photon microscopy. “We can follow the same cells over time, so we can really learn the true behavior rather than inferring it by static analysis,” said Greco in a Yale University news article.
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Greco’s group are also investigating how signaling pathways are controlling stem cells to turn on/off tissue growth (once stem cells are turned on, failure to turn them off leads to cancer).
”We still need to figure out how tissue regeneration signals interact with each other in the regeneration process, and in which behaviors they play roles,” said Greco. This knowledge would help scientists harness stem cells for therapeutic purposes.
Valerie M. Weaver, Ph.D. — WICB Mid-Career Award for Excellence in Research
Weaver, director of the Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration at The University of California, San Francisco, has more than 20 years of experience leading interdisciplinary research in oncology. Her research focuses on the contribution of force, cell-intrinsic as well as extracellular matrix, to oncogenesis and tumor development. Her lab employs 2- and 3-D in vitro cell culture techniques, clinical samples and animal models with force application techniques, and traction force and atomic force microscopy to assess the influence of the mechanical aspects of the cell environment on cell behavior and tumor progression.
Weaver has been awarded many distinctions for her work demonstrating the critical importance of tissue structure in the treatment response of tumors, and the effect of mechanical force on breast cancer progression and treatment response. Her findings, published online in March in Nature Medicine, may lead to new treatment focused not only on molecular targets within cancerous cells, but on mechanical properties of surrounding tissue.
“It’s a wonderful time to be in cell biology, be a part of this community,” said Weaver. “It’s really about team work and about working across disciplines. Work hard, but have fun also.”
Sandra L. Schmid, Ph.D. — WICB Senior Leadership Award
As chair of the Department of Cell Biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Schmid has mentored her share of young scientists. She is considered a leader in the scientific community, where she gives frequent career development and time management seminars to postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty throughout the U.S.
“I was fortunate my colleagues recognized me early on,” said Schmid after she was presented with an honorarium and a plaque. “I’m an extrovert, that’s pretty clear,” she said laughing. “But more scientists are often introverts — I just assumed they were all like me!” Her advice? “When you’re out there, just take a deep breath, maybe have two or three extra cups of coffee. But become visible.
“To be a good scientist is to be an expert at something. But you have to demonstrate that expertise. Educate, advocate and help others with their scientific paths.”
Schmid’s research — which is directed towards elucidating the molecular mechanisms and regulation of clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), and analyzing the structure and function of the GTPase, dynamin — has been published in more than 130 papers.
