Dr. Plewes is Pathway to Independence Awardee

Post-doctoral research associate Michele Plewes, PhD, is the 2020 UNMC Pathway to Independence Awardee.

The UNMC Pathway to Independence Award recognizes promising postdocs at early stages in their career for their contributions to research. A highly prestigious and coveted award, the Pathway to Independence is not awarded every year. The last one was given out in 2015.

“I am incredibly honored, yet, pleasantly surprised to receive the award. Because the award is not given every year, it holds great merit not only for our research team and the department of OB/GYN, but also the UNMC research community,” Dr. Plewes said.

Dr. Plewes’ research focuses on understanding the molecular role of mitochondria in the regulation of ovarian function and how that ultimately impacts fertility and women’s overall reproductive health.

Her research also focuses on understanding how hormones induce changes in mitochondria and cholesterol mobilization for testosterone biosynthesis in males.

“My passion for biomedical research stems from the love of the scientific process — innovating, experimenting, testing, developing and designing new approaches for improving women’s reproductive health,” Dr. Plewes said.

“Mitochondrial research is on the rise across the biomedical sciences, impacting nearly all areas of cell biology and medicine. Mitochondria influence cellular physiology by undergoing functional and morphological changes in response to genetic, metabolic, endocrine and paracrine signals, all of which contribute to disease complexity. This uniquely placed mitochondria is the key cellular gateway to the intersection of the cell and its environment,” she said.

In receiving this award, Dr. Plewes is recognized as an individual who demonstrates early preparation, defining career objectives, an understanding of her chosen area of research, productivity in terms of manuscripts and independence.

Dr. Plewes and her mentor John Davis, PhD, professor and director of research and development with the Olson Center for Women’s Health at UNMC, were recognized during the annual postdoctoral seminar held on Nov. 13. At that time, she received a certificate of excellence in postdoctoral scholarship and a $1,500 check and Dr. Davis was recognized with a Certificate of Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring.

“Michele is bright, focused, well organized and works efficiently,” Dr. Davis said. “She is always looking forward to answering the next question, to figuring out what else she can do to further a line of inquiry and to better understand how mitochondria function in ovarian cells.”

A Boulder, Colorado native, Dr. Plewes came to UNMC in 2018 in large part because of the research being done by Dr. Davis.

“In this field of research, Dr. Davis is world renowned as an endocrinologist and biochemist,” Dr. Plewes said. “He is someone you want to learn from and while his research drew me, the idea of being able to work with him, as a mentor and collaborator was one of the biggest reasons I came to UNMC.”