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MICROBIOLOGY AWARDS - NEWS - EVENTS 2009
	The University of Virginia presented two Thomas Jefferson Awards on October 16, 2009, one recognizing excellence in service and the other recognizing excellence in scholarship. They are the highest honors that the University bestows.The 2009 Jefferon award for scholarship went to J. Thomas Parsons, chairman of the Department of Microbiology and F. Palmer Weber Professor of Medical Research. Parsons, who joined the School of Medicine faculty in 1974, is widely recognized as a leading researcher in the field of cell signaling, an important avenue of cancer research. "Tom is among the top couple percent in total citations among biochemists and cell biologists," he wrote. "Many researchers at U.Va. and around the world owe their careers to FAK and Tom's discovery." (Rick Horwitz, PhD) [read the Complete News Release]
	Sept 09: Academy of Distinguished Educators Amy H. Bouton, PhD, Professor of Microbiology receives the Robert J. Kadner Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching
	Third Annual Robert J. Kadner Distinguished Lecture in Microbiology Susan Gottesman, PhD NIH, Center for Cancer Research Laboratory of Molecular Biology Head, Biochemical Genetics Section Laboratory Co-Chief Beyond Transcription: Regulatory Networks with Small RNA Regulators 9/22/2009 Jordan Hall Conference Center Auditorium
Two Distinguished Scientist Awards to Professors of Microbiology J.T. Parsons', PhD and M. Weber's, PhD leadership in their research is recognized both at UVa and by peers nationally and internationally as having made a major impact on their field of study:
	J.T. Parsons, PhD Professor of Microbiology and Chair, receives the 2009 University of Virginia Distinguished Scientist Award for his research contributions to Rous sarcoma virus mediated transformation (viral mediated cancer), identification of tyrosine phosphorylated substrates by the Src gene using monoclonal antibodies, identification of several important, novel proteins, especially focal adhesion kinase (FAK), solidified the emerging notion that adhesion receptors mediate signaling and linked FAK-mediated signaling to proliferation, programmed cell death, gene expression, migration and synaptic function in normal cells and implicated it in many diseases, particularly cancer, leading to drugs now in human trials againt metastatic cancer that inhibit the kinase activity of FAK.
	M. Weber, PhD, Director, Cancer Center, receives the 2009 University of Virginia Distinguished Scientist Award for his research contributions. His early research on the Src oncogene established the importance of multiple tyrosine phosphorylations in causing malignant cell behavior. Further research has profoundly influenced cell regulation research not only in cancer, but in inflammation, diabetes, infectious diseases, and normal development. Weber also was the first to identify a mammalian scaffold protein for MAP Kinases, which regulates and channels the signals. The use of the phosphospecific antibodies revealed that MAP Kinase activation characterized the progression of prostate cancer to hormone independence, opening up new therapeutic possibilities in that disease. In more recent years, his research has become more oriented toward translational goals, and Weber has developed new ways of looking for combinatorial therapies for a variety of cancers, including prostate, melanoma, bladder and head and neck cancers, each of which provides unique opportunities to match knowledge about signaling with potential therapeutic interventions.

Microbiology Faculty Deborah Lannigan, Ian Macara, J.Thomas Parsons and Vic Engelhard Featured in the UVA Alumni Magazine:	Different Skills, Common Goal Teamwork yielding results in cancer research Text and Images from UVA Magazine
	TARGET: BREAST CANCER Team: Deborah Lannigan (cell and molecular biologist), Ian Macara (cell biologist), David Brenin (surgeon) Research: They are growing "organoids" from human tissue to track cancer growth at the cellular level and synthesizing a compound derived from the Amazon jungle plant Fosteronica Refracta to stop the growth of breast cancer cells. In layman's terms: U.Va. is pioneering a process to "grow" live, healthy breast tissue in the lab. By adding cancer cells to the tissue, they can see how cancer develops in human tissue rather than in mice. This breakthrough will be used to test the effectiveness of several therapies, including a compound discovered at U.Va. that inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells without harming healthy cells.
	TARGET: PANCREATIC CANCER Team: Kim Kelly (biomedical engineer), J. Thomas Parsons (cancer biologist), Todd Bauer (surgeon-scientist) Research: They are exploring the basic biology of pancreatic cancer, including identifying a protein (uPAR) that, when blocked, decreases the growth and metastasis of human pancreatic cancers in mice. They are evaluating signaling pathways in individual tumors to develop patient-specific targeted therapies and identifying early biomarkers that could make precancerous cells visible via MRI and PET scans. In layman's terms: The five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer patients is only 5 percent. Diagnosing pancreatic cancer early, preventing its spread and understanding the genetic profile of each patient's individual tumor can greatly improve treatment options and outcomes.
	TARGET: DEVELOPING CANCER VACCINES Team: Craig Slingluff (surgeon-scientist), Don Hunt (chemist), Vic Engelhard (microbiologist and immunologist) Research: The group has pioneered the development of vaccines that fight melanoma and other cancers. They were the first group to identify a peptide antigen in melanoma that can be targeted by T-lymphocytes, the cells capable of directly killing cancer cells. In layman's terms: By identifying molecular targets on cancer cells, the team can use vaccines to muster the body's immune system in a "nontoxic war on cancer." Result: killing cancer cells without killing healthy tissue. Since 1996, the Human Immune Therapy Center has enrolled more than 500 patients in anti-cancer vaccine clinical trials.

	Nicholas Sherman, PhD receives award for Thermo Electron Orbitrap XL & ETD Mass Spectrometer The new instrument will be the foundation of high resolution/mass accuracy HRMA) experiments in complex immunoprecipitations (IPs), biomarkers and post-translational modifications (PTMs) - allowing for more complex and in-depth experiments to be performed at UVA.
	""The Art of Diagnosis" is a project still in its "embryogenesis stage," according to Ragan and Turner. In March, they held a public talk to explain the concept and brainstorm about research possibilities with the audience, which included art therapists, neuroscientists, infectious disease specialists and community members simply piqued by the hypothesis." Find out more
	Sandy Weirich, graduate program coordinator in the Department of Microbiology, was named Employee of the Month for January 2009. As one nominator wrote: "She is simply a wonderful person who is an absolute joy to work with. In short, Sandy represents the ideal employee - one who is fully skilled, motivated, hard working, and enjoys what they do." Department Chair Tom Parsons says they could not function without her.
	2009 Peach Hungerford Award Recipient Karin Eisinger is the MII's 2009 recipient for the Peach/Hungerford Award. Karin is a student in Deb Lannigan's laboratory in the Center for Cell Signaling. Karin was chosen by a selection committee comprised of six MII and Microbiology faculty members and chaired by David Benjamin, Professor Emeritus of Microbiology. Congratulations to Karin as this year's recipient.
	2009 Wagner Prize The 7th annual Robert R. Wagner Prize for Outstanding Research in Microbiology was awarded to Anna Maria Copeland. Anna Maria is a doctoral Student in Dr. Jay Browns's lab. Congratulations, Anna Maria! Find more details on the Wagner Awards web site.

MICROBIOLOGY AWARDS - NEWS - EVENTS 2008
	Dan Gioeli, Ph.D. gets Grant for Prostate Cancer Research from the National Cancer Institute "For me the most exciting thing is now we have some of the resources to address what I think is a very interesting and important question.[...] now we can start to answer a piece of the puzzle." Daniel Gioli, Ph.D." read excerpt from news show on NBC29
Microbiology Retreat October 14, 8am-6pm Stonefire Station, Barboursville (click on image to see complete group picture)
	Sept 08: Academy of Distinguished Educators Victor H. Engelhard (Robert J. Kadner Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching)
	2008 Gina Finzi Summer Fellowship Award from the Lupus Foundation of America Chao Jiang in Dr. Loren Erickson's lab The purpose of this award is to foster an interest among young researchers in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) through support of basic, clinical, or psychosocial research under the supervision of an established investigator. Project: "The Role of BCMA for Plasma Cell Survival in Murine SLE". Mentor: Dr. Loren Erickson
	Dr. John Roth with Kadner Family and Dr. J.Thomas Parsons after the lecture.
	Second Annual Robert J. Kadner Distinguished Lecture in Microbiology John Roth, Ph.D. Distinguished Professor College of Biological Sciences UC Davis "Origins of Mutations under Selection" September 22, 2008 12:30pm Jordan Hall Conference Center Auditorium
	The Robert Bennett Bean Award: Established by the Class of 1966 in honor of Dr. Robert Bennett Bean, anatomist, anthropologist, and chair of the Department of Anatomy from 1916 to 1942. This yearly award is presented by the second year class to one member of the faculty for excellence in teaching the basic medical sciences. Julie Davis Turner, PhD Professor Turner received this award for the second year in a row.
	2008 Biomedical Sciences Outstanding Graduate Student Award Michelle Lynn Demory in Dr. Sarah Parsons' Lab
	Eighth Annual Robert J. Huskey Graduate Research Exhibition - first place for oral presentation: Anna Maria Copeland in Dr. Jay Brown's lab "Herpes simplex virus replication: Roles of viral proteins and nucleoporins in capsid-nucleus attachment"
	Eighth Annual Robert J. Huskey Graduate Research Exhibition - first place for oral presentation: Katie Hulse in Dr. Judith Woodfolk's lab "Targeting Fel d 1 to FcgammaRI: Single Cell Analysis reveals a novel variation of the Th2 response in cat-allergic subjects."
	Graduate Biosciences Society Student Symposium - second place for poster presentation Colin Brinkman in Dr. Victor Engelhard's lab "Activated CD8 T cells Redistribute to Antigen Free Lymph Nodes and Exhibit Effector and Memory Cell Characteristics"
	2008 Jill E. Hungerford Award Daeho Park in Dr. Kodi Ravichandran's lab Thesis Project: BAI1 is an Engulfment Receptor for Apoptotic Cells Upstream of ELMO1/Dock180/Rac Signal Module Mentor: Dr. Kodi Ravichandran
pic. not available	2008 Michael J. Peach Award Edward Stites in Dr. Kodi Ravichandran's lab Project: Theoretical and Experimental Analysis of Oncogenic Ras Signaling Mentor: Dr. Kodi Ravichandran
	AACR-AstraZeneca Scholar-in-Training Award Sergio Sanchez in Dr. Sarah J. Parsons' lab has been selected to receive this award to support his attendance to the AACR Annual Meeting 2008 in San Diego, CA, USA, April 12th - 16th, 2008. "AstraZeneca has graciously donated funds to the AACR to support young investigators who will be presenting meritorious proffered papers. With Scholar-in-Training Awards presented to fewer than 10% of applicants, overall the process is highly competitive. Congratulations on being selected!"
	Deborah Lannigan, PhD in the news
	Microbiology and Global Health Lecture "Polio Eradication: A Global Case Study" Neal Nathanson, M.D. Associate Dean Global Health Programs University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine J. Thomas Parsons, PhD, Dick Guerrant, PhD, Becca Dillingham, PhD and Neal Nathanson, PhD
	Glomski Lab Warming: Ian Glomski joined the Microbiology faculty in August 2007. Ian J. Glomski Degree(s): Ph.D. Graduate School: University of California, Berkeley Primary Appointment: Assistant Professor of Microbiology Research Interests: Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of B. anthracis pathogenesis; detection and prevention of anthrax. Email Address: ijg2b@virginia.edu Ian Glomski, PhD and Ann Beyer, PhD at the lab warming

	2008 Wagner Prize The 6th annual Robert R. Wagner Prize for Outstanding Research in Microbiology was awarded to Michelle L. Demory, Ph.D. Michelle is in Dr. Sarah J. Parsons' lab. Congratulations, Michelle! Find more details on the Wagner Awards web site.
	Ian Macara, PhD receives Distinguished Scientist Award "Macara is recognized as a scientific leader, both at U.Va. and beyond. He has been instrumental in acquiring state-of-the-art cellular imaging equipment for the Advanced Microscopy Facility, creating an invaluable resource for U.Va.'s scientists. In addition, he has over 165 publications, many of which appear in prestigious journals such as Cell, Science, and Nature. His citation index of 58 is extremely high, indicating the importance and regard his research has generated." "Ian Macara's research on nuclear protein transport and cellular polarity has shown how cells such as neurons or mammary cells organize information to form specific structures, and to orient within tissues," said Dr. Sharon L. Hostler, interim vice president and dean of the School of Medicine. "This has significant impact in understanding tissue development, and dysregulation of cell function in early tumor progression."

	In 2007:
	Dec. 07: Microbiology/Global Health Seminar: Dr. Tiffany Hamm, PhD Director for HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care and Treatment Program, Division of Retrovirology - US Military Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute for Research "Supporting HIV Care and Treatment in Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda"
	Oct 07: Microbiology/Global Health Seminar: Dr. Siddhartha Mahanty, M.D., M.P.H. Staff Physician Helminth Immunology Section Laboratory of Parasitic Disease NIAID, NIH "Translational research in the developing world: Collaborative studies on malaria and helminth infections in West Africa" Inaugural Global Health Seminar with Dick Guerrant, Siddhartha Ma, and Tom Parsons (10-17-2007)
	Sept 07: Academy of Distinguished Educators Distinguished Educators, Robert J. Kader Award for Outstanding Graduate Teaching : Kodi S. "Ravi" Ravichandran (Robert J. Kadner Award for outstanding graduate student teaching) and J. Thomas Parsons (Chair).
	First Annual Robert J. Kadner Distinguished Lecture in Microbiology Thomas J. Silhavy, Ph.D. Warner-Lambert Parke-Davis Professor of Molecular Biology, Princeton University "Outer Membrane Biogenesis in Gram-Negative Bacteria" Monday, September 17, 2007 at 4pm Jordan Hall Conference Center Auditorium Reception to follow For any information please contact Lynn McCutcheon.
	Congratulations to the following MII students: Anna Maria Copeland, Ph.D. candidate, in Dr. Jay Brown's lab has received a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) for Individual Predoctoral Fellows through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS); Rebecca Obeng, MSTP student, in Dr. Vic Engelhard's lab has received a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) from the National Cancer Institute with up to a 5 year renewal. Teresa Bernaciak, Ph.D. candidate, in Dr. Corinne Silva's lab received funding on a DOD Breast Cancer Research proposal with up to a 3 year renewal for the research on "Role of STAT5b in Breast Cancer Progression and Metastasis."
	In 2006: Martha W. Campbell Retires Read about Martha W. Campbell's achievements in the department and look at pictures of the retirement party. 2006 Wagner Prize Awarded The 4th annual Robert R. Wagner Prize for Outstanding Research in Microbiology was awarded to Michael W. Cruise on March 29, 2006. Michael is in Dr. Young Hahn's lab. Congratulations, Michael!
	2006 Kadner Symposium : The first annual Kadner Symposium took place on September 12, 2006 in honor and memory of: Robert J. Kadner, Ph.D. We mourn the loss of our friend and collegue Robert J. Kadner, Ph.D. Professor and Vice Chair of Microbiology. Read the obituary.
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University of Virginia Health System

2008 Wagner Prize

First Annual Robert J. Kadner Distinguished Lecture in Microbiology

In 2006: