First awarded in 2016, the International Biomedical Research Alliance’s Innovation Award recognizes novel solutions in biology or medicine and acknowledges discoveries of unusual importance, application, or magnitude that make use of new or unusual methods, paradigms, or approaches to solve important problems in biology or medicine. This year, the Innovation Award was graciously sponsored by BioHealth Innovation Inc. and presented to Michael Metrick. A graduate of James Madison University, Michael is working toward completion of his PhD in the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program. The Scholars Program is a novel, dual-mentored, and international collaboration between the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland and the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, respectively, in the United Kingdom. The Scholars Program’s elite students conduct their own biomedical research project in an average completion time of 4.2 years. Michael is in the MD/PhD track and his MD is in progress at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Michael is mentored by Prof. Byron Caughey at the NIH’s National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton, Montana and Prof. Michele Vendruscolo at the University of Cambridge.
“I couldn’t believe it when I heard my name announced at the 2020 NIH Global Doctoral Partnerships Research Workshop Awards Ceremony,” Michael stated. “It wasn’t until I received messages from my peers congratulating me that it sunk in! My thesis project is basic science oriented and draws on many fundamental chemical and physical principles to better understand biology. It means a lot to me to have this sort of basic science work recognized. I hope it also encourages others who might feel overshadowed by the more abundant biological and translational type of work. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to conduct this work in labs that allowed me to freely pursue my ideas, which I recognize as a rare privilege that I’m trying to make the most of. Thank you, BioHealth Innovation, for sponsoring this award.”
Recently, the self-propagating nature of prions has been leveraged to develop ultrasensitive biomarker assays (called RT-QuIC) that allow accurate antemortem diagnosis of prion diseases. By exploiting these advances, Michael has adapted the RT-QuIC to study tauopathies and synucleinopathies. He proposed and executed systematic analyses of multiple factors that control the performance of multiple types of RT-QuIC assays for pathological aggregates of tau and α-synuclein in biospecimens. This work markedly improved the analytical sensitivities and specificities of key assays, including those for Alzheimer’s, Pick’s, progressive supranuclear palsy, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, and chronic wasting disease in cervids. Michael innovated the use of FTIR spectroscopy of tau RT-QuIC products to differentiate distinct disease-associated conformers, or strains, of tau aggregates. As a result of this work, Michael has developed an additional project, which is focused on dissecting the physical underpinnings of how amyloid proteins aggregate to form distinct conformations that give rise to different diseases. “We’re hoping that this methodology can accelerate this analysis by several months’ time, which can allow us to more quickly identify and analyze different small molecule inhibitors of the tau amyloid aggregation process in vitro,” said Michael.
Richard Bendis, BioHealth Innovation Inc.’s Founder, President and CEO stated “Michael is the type of talented early career scientist that our regional ecosystem needs. We were proud to sponsor this year’s Innovation Award for a deserving student in the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program.”
About BioHealth Innovation, Inc.
BioHealth Innovation, Inc., is a regional innovation intermediary which supports the transformation of research projects into new business opportunities in partnership with the region’s rich assets, institutions, and entrepreneurial community. BHI achieves this goal by being a catalytic partner in the economic development ecosystem. Learn more at www.biohealthinnovation.org.
About NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program
Created in 2001, the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program is a collaboration between the NIH and the universities of Oxford and Cambridge to revolutionize the way in which the most talented biomedical PhD and MD/PhD students are trained. Participants in the program receive accelerated training and work on their own collaborative research project to address critical biomedical research problems. Trainees graduate in an average of 4.2 years with a PhD degree. To learn more visit www.oxcam.gpp.nih.go
About the International Biomedical Research Alliance
Founded in 2005, The Alliance’s mission is to support the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program and associated global PhD and MD/PhD training programs based in the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, America’s largest biomedical research organization. Our goal is to assure the financial viability and scientific excellence of the Scholars Program by supplementing government funding. The Alliance supports events, awards, and career developed initiatives designed to enrich the Scholars Program and broaden the perspectives of its students as they train to become the next leaders in biomedical research. For more information, please visit www.biomedalliance.org.
The Dr. Richard and Vera Siegel Translational Award was generously endowed by NIH MD/PhD Partnership Program co-founder, Dr. Richard Siegel and his wife, Vera. First awarded in 2016, this annual award recognizes advances in the field of medical science that move fundamental discoveries from the bench to the bedside. The recipient of the Translational Award in 2020 was NIH-Cambridge Scholar Maggie Westwater. Maggie is mentored by Prof. Paul Fletcher at the University of Cambridge and Drs. Christian Grillon and Monique Ernst at the NIH’s National Institute for Mental Health.
Maggie has achieved an extraordinary feat in carrying out a unique and very challenging study examining how cognitive, neural, metabolic and endocrine factors come together to shape eating patterns and psychopathology in the most serious eating disorders: Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN). She conceived and conducted one of the largest studies of this kind in this field. The primary findings from this work, identifying distinct hormonal responses to stress in AN and BN, have just been accepted for publication in one of the major international psychiatry journals, and her complementary neuroimaging work, which examined a prominent theory that psychological stress reduces our capacity for self-control, is currently under review. The successful completion of this work represents an outstanding accomplishment of clinical research and the insights emerging from the analysis will have important and far-reaching consequences. Here is the link to Maggie’s publication.
“I was very touched and honored to have been awarded the Dr. Richard and Vera Siegel Translational Award at the 2020 NIH Global Doctoral Partnerships Annual Workshop Awards Ceremony. My doctoral work has been driven by a desire to develop clinically-translational insights into the mechanisms of severe eating disorders, which have one of the highest mortality rates of all mental illnesses. I am beyond grateful to the program, my mentors, and my colleagues for their support of this work, as well as to Dr. Richard and Vera Siegal for generously supporting this prize.”
Maggie will be completing her PhD viva this Autumn, and following this, she plans to apply for independent funding for her postdoctoral research, which will use high-field, 7 Tesla neuroimaging to characterize homeostatic influences on decision-making processes in anorexia nervosa.
The Gregory Paul Lenardo Basic Science Award was graciously endowed by NIH OxCam Scholars Program co-founder, Dr. Michael Lenardo, in loving memory of his brother. First awarded in 2016, this annual award recognizes discoveries of fundamental cellular, molecular, or genetic processes using model systems that advance scientific understanding of biological processes in higher organisms. This year at the virtual Annual Research Workshop, the recipient of the Gregory Paul Lenardo Basic Science Award was NIH-John Innes Centre/WT Scholar Shannon McKie. Shannon is mentored by Prof. Tony Maxwell at the John Innes Centre and Dr. Keir Neuman of the NIH’s National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
Shannon characterized DNA topoisomerase VI (topo VI), a recently-discovered topoisomerase of archaeal origin that has vital, largely-unknown roles in plants and plasmodial parasites. She purified topo VI and revealed new aspects of this enzyme through biochemical experiments. Shannon mastered single-molecule approaches, applying them for the first time to study topo VI. Her discovery elucidated the mechanism underpinning, that topo VI is a preferential decatenase, supporting its proposed role in endoreduplication in plants and suggesting possible functions in plasmodial parasites. Shannon also developed a novel method for mapping/sequencing topoisomerase cleavage sites, and how they are altered by DNA topology and clinically-important topoisomerase inhibitors.
“When I heard my name announced at the 2020 Workshop Awards Ceremony, I was in shock. Seeing my doctoral work recognized by not only my supervisors, but also by one of the founders of the NIH OxCam Scholars Program, Dr. Lenardo, was incredible. My statuette has already been placed in a special location, and I’m very proud to have been a part of this excellent PhD scholarship program. I am grateful for my mentors, friends, and family who have supported me through this journey and am honored to be named the Gregory Paul Lenardo Basic Science Award recipient of 2020,” stated Shannon.
Having just passed her viva (August 13th 2020), Shannon is currently involved in a short-term postdoc project characterizing protein that interact with DNA gyrase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, such Mfpa and MurI. Her hope is to progress to long-term molecular biology postdoc where she will continue to refine her skills and knowledge in the characterization of proteins, hopefully ones of eukaryotic origin.
Beginning his journey in biomedical research as a high school student, Nick Pasternack secured a summer research internship position at the University of Wisconsin Department of Chemistry with Prof. Robert Hamers. He learned laboratory basics, igniting a passion for using science to better people’s lives. After high school, Nick attended the University of Florida (UF) for his undergraduate degree majoring in psychology and continued developing his research skills as a research assistant in the laboratory of Dr. Dennis Steindler (now of Tufts University) where he worked closely with Dr. Florian Siebzehnrubl (now of Cardiff University) and Dr. Loic Deleyrolle. The subject of his undergraduate project was utilizing cellular models of glioblastoma, the most common and lethal form of brain cancer, to determine potential treatments for the disease.
After graduating from UF, Nick was awarded a Frost Scholarship to complete an MSc in neuroscience at Exeter College, University of Oxford. Over the course of the MSc, Nick completed two research projects. Nick worked with Dr. Tommas Ellender and utilized light-based techniques (i.e. optogenetics) to determine properties of specific brain networks. For the second project, he worked with Prof. Stephanie Cragg and studied a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. Based on his experiences during the MSc, Nick decided to embark on the physician-scientist pathway by pursuing his MD/PhD. After completing his first two years of medical school at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Nick started his PhD as an NIH-Cambridge Scholar in the Class of 2019. He identified Prof. Ole Paulsen of Cambridge University and Dr. Avindra Nath of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) as his co-supervisors. The goal of Nick’s thesis project is to utilize RNA sequencing technologies to identify specific, druggable targets in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patient samples and then test these functionally in a mouse model of ALS. Nick’s future career goal is to become a physician-scientist specializing in caring for and developing treatments for patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
Concomitant with his research training, Nick developed his skills and passion for the performance of magic. Nick began pursuing magic in high school while he was recovering from a sports injury and preparing for a school presentation. He included some magic effects in his presentation and has been hooked ever since. When Nick moved to UF, he was surprised to learn that there was no magic club, so he started one. Nick founded UF’s Student Magicians Club (SMC) with the goal of improving the lives of the local community through magic performance. He led and organized two important events towards this goal: biweekly magic performances at the local children’s hospital and the Annual Magic Extravaganza event. The biweekly performances gave SMC members the opportunity to hone their performance skills and provided much needed joy and hope to patients in stressful medical situations. The Magic Extravaganza Event also raised money for pediatric cancer research. Given the importance of these events to UF and the community, the SMC was awarded the 2015 Outstanding Performance Organization of the Year Award by UF. Since graduating from UF, Nick has performed for patients at hospitals around the US and UK and is an active member of the Cambridge University Magic Society. In addition to performing, Nick has also created over 100 original magical effects and routines.
Nick believes that creating magic shares many similarities with scientific research. For example, when a magician is creating a particular effect, they often look at similar effects other magicians have done previously. Likewise, when developing a hypothesis, scientists first look at previously published research to refine their research question. Additionally, when performing magic, many magicians become so focused on performing technically challenging or methodologically interesting effects that they fail to present the effect in an engaging manner for their audience. Similarly, with the new technologies and vast scientific literature available now, it is easy for scientists to design overly complicated experiments utilizing the latest technologies without sufficient consideration as to how the experiment relates to the advancement of patient care or scientific knowledge.
In science, like in magic, Nick believes it is important to avoid “the dark arts” by ensuring your work is always motivated by your audience/patients. Nick believes magic is not only a great way to connect with patients, but also provides key insight into practicing good science and patient care.
In the midst of a global pandemic, the NIH Oxford-Cambridge (OxCam)/Wellcome Trust (WT) Scholars rallied together to execute the Annual NIH Global Doctoral Partnerships Research Workshop (Workshop). The student-led Workshop Planning Committee (Committee) researched venues, engaged keynote speakers, invited guests, and arranged student talks and team competitions intended to be hosted at American University. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, the Committee had to quickly pivot from an in-person event to hosting on a virtual platform. While months of planning went into the in-person Workshop, the Committee took on the challenges of creating not only the first student-run event, but also the first virtual event, finding creative ways to engage the student body and allowing Scholars to present their research.
Opening the 2020 Workshop, Committee Chair and ’19 NIH-Oxford Scholar, Marya Sabir, introduced NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins and welcomed the Scholars and participants. Dr. Collins addressed global cooperation in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and importance of global collaboration. “Science is necessary for the future of the world,” stated Dr. Collins.
Following Dr. Collins’ welcome address, Keynote Speaker Madhukar Pai discussed “Reimagining Global Health in the Post-Pandemic World.” Key take-aways included the ability to “reflect on our privilege and spend the privilege to serve as allies in the quest for a more diverse and equitable global health.” He also stated, “we need to address health inequities within high-income countries. GLOBAL health is also and just as much LOCAL health.” This discussion prompted the audience to zoom out and discuss diversity and inclusion within their institutions and research partnerships.
Scholars Lynda Truong, Hannah Mason, and Marya Sabir served as moderators for concurrent sessions featuring Scholar oral presentations spanning Cellular and Molecular Biology, Immunology and Neuroscience respectively. For the first- and second-year Scholars, the Workshop Planning Committee took a unique spin on traditional “elevator pitches” and created a team competition. Four teams, consisting of 6-7 students and led by a Scholar and an OxCam Executive Committee Captains, battled for bragging rights in executing condensed research talks. The much-anticipated team competition yielded spirited research presentations, woven into creative formats, geared toward engaging the audience – all in an effort to hone science communication skills.
On day two of the Workshop, ’18 NIH-Oxford Scholar Lauren Wedekind welcomed back Workshop attendees and introduced Keynote Speaker Ms. Krystal Tsosie. Ms. Tsosie, a PhD Candidate at Vanderbilt University, presented “Our Genomes, Our Health: Empowering Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Precision Medicine for US Tribes.” In her talk, she surveyed her work in bioethics as an Indigenous scientist, training of young Indigenous scientists with the Summer internship for Indigenous peoples in Genomics (SING) Consortium and discussed the problems of institutions’ engagement with tribal communities. Ms. Tsosie recommended the audience to read a perspective published in Nature called “A framework for enhancing ethical genomic research with Indigenous communities.”
Scholars Audrey Winkelsas, Lauren Wedekind and Katherine Masih served as moderators for consecutive Scholar oral presentations around Neuroscience and Neuroimmunology, Cancer and Genetics, and Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research.
To welcome the Class of 2020, Student Leadership Board member Boya Wang stitched together a video of the new Scholars introducing themselves and sharing fun facts. We learned that there are three sets of twins among the new class and heard that a newly married Scholar is hiking thousands of miles across the US prior to orientation week!
Due to time constraints in transitioning from an in person event to a virtual event, the Committee decided to reorganize alumni presentations via a bi-monthly Alumni Social Hour as part of a new initiative called the Career Development Seminar Series. They designed these webinars to engage with alumni of the NIH OxCam/WT Program. Hosted on the Alliance’s Zoom Platform, the Committee invited Program Alumni to talk about their careers in industry, consulting, academia, medicine, start-ups, and more and “met” alumni from around the world. The Committee has scheduled these webinars until mid-September and are looking forward to continuing this series.
Keynote Speaker Drs. L. Michelle Bennett and Michele Hu graciously agreed to serve as presenters for the Zoom Career Development Seminar Series. Dr. Bennett presented “Collaboration and Team Science for Research Success” on July 13, 2020 and shared insights on Disciplinary Continuum, the Three Pillars (Trust, Vision and Setting Expectations) and Stages of Team Development. Dr. Michele Hu, a Professor of Clinical Neuroscience and Honorary Consultant Neurologist at the University of Oxford, will present on July 29, 2020. Dr. Hu leads the clinical research program on the Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre Discovery cohort and her team facilitates translational research in the field of longitudinal cohort studies and biomarkers for early and prodromal Parkinson’s disease, with particular focus on REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), and how sleep affects neurodegeneration.
Dr. L. Michelle BennettDr. Michele Hu
To conclude the Workshop, the Annual Research Awards Ceremony announced eight Alliance Sponsored Awards, along with, Outstanding Speaker Presentation Awards and Honorable Mentions for each class year, and winning team for the Elevator Pitch Competition. Details on the winners can be found in a separate article on this page. To learn more about the Workshop, the Program Agenda can be found here.
The Board of Directors of the International Biomedical Alliance would like to acknowledge the following individuals and organizations whose steadfast support makes a meaningful difference for the next generation of scientists: Arsenal Capital Partners, AuerbachSchrot, LLC, BioHealth Innovation, Certara, Cozzi Family Clinical Case Conferences/Mrs. Margaret Cozzi-Hamilton, Emergent BioSolutions, Institute for the Future of Medical Education, Lasker Foundation, MacroGenics, Margaret Bearn, Michael Lenardo, M.D., National Institutes of Health, NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars/Wellcome Trust Alumni, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Richard Siegel, M.D. and Vera Siegel, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford and WCG.
