Scientists work for years, even decades, to answer the question, or hypothesis that initially put them on their research path.
Of course, answers lead to more questions. UNMC's 2013 Scientist Laureate, Howard Fox, M.D., Ph.D., said it best: "There are always things we don't know."
Dr. Fox, professor of pharmacology and experimental neuroscience and senior associate dean for research in the College of Medicine, was honored with the top prize, along with 15 other researchers who were named UNMC Distinguished Scientist, New Investigator and Research Leadership Award winners for 2013.
A Distinguished Scientist in 2010, Dr. Fox's research deals with disease pathogenesis. His primary focus has been with HIV/AIDS research. "Howard Fox is not only an internationally recognized investigator in HIV, but since he joined the faculty, he has been a campus thought leader, significantly contributing to discussions of research infrastructure, training, and novel approaches to incentivizing new research teams and collaborations," said Jennifer Larsen, M.D., vice chancellor for research.
Discovering the unknown is what drives scientists to dedicate thousands of hours in the lab. Those who received the Distinguished Scientist Award are researchers who have been among the most productive scientists in the country during the past five years.
A Scientist Laureate must meet all the criteria for Distinguished Scientist and conduct research at UNMC for a minimum of five years prior to the award year.
New Investigator Awards go to outstanding UNMC scientists who, in the past two years, have secured their first funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense or other national sources. New Investigators also had to demonstrate scholarly activity such as publishing their research and/or presenting their findings at national conventions.
This year, two new awards were presented – Research Leadership and Community Service to Research (read more about this award and its inaugural recipient on page 23).
The Research Leadership Award honors scientists previously recognized as Distinguished Scientists who have a longstanding research funding history, and also serve as research leaders and mentors on campus.
The inaugural leadership award was given to 2007 Distinguished Scientist Kaushik Patel, Ph.D., who studies heart failure and exercise, and 2006 Distinguished Scientist Wallace Thoreson, Ph.D., a visual neuroscientist.
Said Dr. Larsen: "As always, it is the researchers that lead us forward. and it is their work and their achievements we celebrate."
View photos from the Distinguished Scientists Aware Ceremony.
2013 Scientist Laureate
Howard Fox, M.D., Ph.D.*
College of Medicine
Pharmacology and experimental neuroscience
2013 Research Leadership Award Winners
Kaushik Patel, Ph.D.*
College of Medicine
Heart failure and exercise
Wallace Thoreson, Ph.D.*
College of Medicine
Visual neuroscience
2013 Distinguished Scientist Award Winners
Harold Schultz, Ph.D.
College of Medicine
Heart failure
Andre Kalil, M.D.
College of Medicine
Transplant infections, sepsis and pneumonia
Kusum Kharbanda, Ph.D.
College of Medicine
Alcoholic liver disease
William Rizzo, M.D.
College of Medicine
Inherited metabolic diseases
Karen Schumacher, Ph.D.
College of Nursing
Family caregiving
Fang Yu, M.D., Ph.D.
College of Public Health
Biostatistics
Amr Soliman, MPH
College of Public Health
International cancer epidemiology
Adam Karpf, Ph.D.
Eppley Institute
Cancer epigenics
2013 New Investigator Award Winners
Aimin Peng, Ph.D.
College of Dentistry
Cancer
Cheng Wang, Ph.D.
College of Medicine
Ovarian physiology and pathology
Stephen Obaro, Ph.D.
College of Medicine
Bacteremic syndromes in children
Katherine Jones, Ph.D.
School of Allied Health Professions
Implementation, safety, quality
Pankaj Singh, Ph.D.
Eppley Institute
Pancreatic cancer metabolism
* Denotes previous Distinguished Scientist awardee