This profile is part of a series to highlight the 16 researchers and one community member who will be honored at an April 21 ceremony. The recipients include the 2013 Scientist Laureate, six New Investigators, eight Distinguished Scientists, two Research Leadership awardees, and a Community Service to Research honoree.
- Name: Howard Fox, M.D., Ph.D.
- Title: Professor, department of pharmacology and experimental neuroscience; senior associate dean for research, College of Medicine
- Joined UNMC: 2008
- Hometown: Elk Grove Village, Ill.
Describe your research briefly in layman’s terms.
We examine how brain cells respond to disease and identify which responses are harmful and which are protective.
How does your research contribute to science and/or health care?
The basic mechanisms by which cells respond to stressors are important in the brain and all body systems. We focus on working to reduce the harmful responses and promote the protective ones so we can impact neurodegenerative diseases.
What is the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you, professional or personal?
Surround yourself with good people and try to remove any roadblocks to their success.
List three things few people know about you.
- I enjoy cooking, switching cuisines every few months resulting in a very full pantry of spices and other ingredients.
- I worked summers as a beer vendor for the Baltimore Orioles during college.
- I ran a children’s ballet in San Diego.