Award presented annually to a Penn Vet researcher in recognition of outstanding effort, productivity and advancement of knowledge

[July 26, 2011; Philadelphia, PA] – University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s Kendra Bence, PhD has been named recipient of the 2011 Pfizer Award for Veterinary Research Excellence.

“I am honored to receive this recognition,” said Dr. Bence. “Because I was nominated by my colleagues at Penn Vet, I am humbled; there are so many great minds here and to be recognized with this honor is not taken lightly.”

“Dr. Bence has an impressive CV, but even more impressive is her passion for research, which has been ground-breaking. We are proud of her accomplishments and look forward to her future,” said Dr. Narayan G. Avadhani, chair, Department of Animal Biology at Penn Vet.

Dr. Bence is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Biology at Penn Vet. Her research expertise and areas of interest include mouse models of obesity/diabetes, neuronal control of energy balance, protein phosphatases and signal transduction. Dr. Bence earned her PhD from Cornell University Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Molecular Medicine, and did post-doctoral research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School.

About the Pfizer Animal Health Award for Research Excellence

The Pfizer Animal Health Award for Research Excellence is presented annually to one member of Penn Vet’s faculty. The award intends to foster innovative research, on which the scientific advancement of the profession depends, by recognizing outstanding research effort and productivity.