Although the spotlight shone on Alexander “Sasha” Kabanov, Ph.D., D.Sc., UNMC’s newest Scientist Laureate quickly cast it on the faces of those who made him the outstanding researcher he is.
During a ceremony Tuesday, Dr. Kabanov, Parke-Davis Professor in Pharmaceutics and director of the Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, was honored with UNMC’s most prestigious research award along with 22 other researchers who were named 2009 UNMC Distinguished Scientists and New Investigator award winners.
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UNMC Scientist Laureate Alexander “Sasha” Kabanov, Ph.D., D.Sc., center, is joined by Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., right, and Vice Chancellor for Research Tom Rosenquist, Ph.D., during Tuesday’s 2009 Distinguished Scientist Ceremony in the Durham Research Center Auditorium. Dr. Kabanov is the fourth recipient of the Scientist Laureate Award. (Andrew E. Nelson, UNMC public relations) |
Through poignant photos, Dr. Kabanov paid tribute to his mother, a ballerina, and his late father, a prominent Russian chemist, who instilled his passion for the arts and science.
He acknowledge the three previous Scientist Laureates: Stephen Rennard, M.D., Irving Zucker, Ph.D., and Howard Gendelman, M.D. — two of whom he collaborates with and works to train junior faculty.
He described his early years in the Soviet Union, the American woman, “Granny Goldie,” who helped him learn English and his mentors at Moscow State University. He also acknowledged his wife, mother-in-law and three daughters.
“I couldn’t be really at home here if I didn’t have my research family,” he said, noting the richness of his laboratory where colleagues and students speak 14 languages “My life is a full cup.”
Sasha, congratulations on a well deserved honor!
Dr. Kabanov has been one of the most inspiring figures I have ever met and I am privileged to be trained under his guidance. Years spent under his tutelage will remain with me for the rest of my life. He is an outstanding mentor, supervisor and above all a friend. An unmatched environment is present in his lab filled with creativity, independence,resources, collaboration amongst lab mates, encouragement to ask tough questions and a very friendly lab atmosphere. I found him to be always available to give ideas to solve complex scientific problems. I was sent to meetings/conferences nationally as well as internationally and met scientists who were leaders in their respective fields (who of course knew him) and it instilled confidence in me that I can interact with scientific leaders and ask questions. He is without a doubt an excellent scientist whose "out of the box" thinking has changed the field of nanomedicine. My many congratulations to Sasha for this award and deepest regards.
Gaurav Sahay
Post Doctoral Associate
Langer Research Lab
Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research
M.I.T, Cambridge,MA