Christopher J. Lengner, PhD, was appointed Chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences and promoted to full professor effective July 1, 2023. Dr. Lengner is the Harriet Ellison Woodward Professor.
A graduate of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Lengner received his PhD from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and then went on to become a Ruth Kirschstein Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Whitehead Institute at MIT in the lab of Rudolf Jaenisch. As a postdoc, he made seminal contributions to the field of epigenetic reprogramming in the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells—knowledge that is now broadly applied in disease modeling and the development of cell-based therapies.
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Klaus Hopster, DVM, PhD, has been appointed the Marilyn M. Simpson Associate Professor of Large Animal Anesthesia, and Holly Stewart, VMD, PhD, has been appointed the Charles W. Raker Assistant Professor of Equine Orthopedic Surgery.
The Marilyn M. Simpson Professorships are awarded to outstanding faculty members at the School of Veterinary Medicine whose work is dedicated to equine medicine, and the Charles W. Raker Professorship is intended for a faculty member at the School of Veterinary Medicine engaged in orthopedic research, clinical service, and mentoring. This professorship is designated for exceptional, early-career faculty.
The awarding of a named professorship is the highest honor bestowed upon faculty at the University of Pennsylvania. Endowed professorships reflect excellence in scholarly achievement, clinical excellence, mentorship, and service.
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Two early-career scientists from the Department of Biomedical Sciences have been honored with awards from the Kinship Foundation, Arnold & Mabel Beckman Foundation, and the Endocrine Society.
Andrew Modzelewski, PhD, assistant professor of molecular biology, has been named a 2023 Searle Scholar. The $300,000 individual award supports the research of promising young faculty in the biomedical sciences who have recently been appointed as assistant professors on the tenure track. Dr. Modzelewski is recognized for his research investigating the role of retrotransposons in preimplantation development, reproduction, and disease progression.
Modzelewski has also been named a 2023 Beckman Young Investigator Awardee. He will receive $600,000 in funding over four years. Founded in 1977 by scientific instrumentation pioneer Dr. Arnold O. Beckman, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation supports young scientists whose creative, interdisciplinary research will lead to innovations and new tools and methods for scientific discovery.
Kotaro Sasaki, MD, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical sciences, has received the Endocrine Society's 2023 Early Investigator Award. The Early Investigator Awards support early-career scientists in endocrine-related research. Dr. Sasaki’s research explores the molecular basis of human infertility, reproduction, and endocrinology.
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Dr. Raimon Duran-Struuck Named Fellow of the American Society of Transplantation
Raimon Duran-Struuck, DVM, PhD, was named a Fellow of the American Society of Transplantation (FAST). The FAST designation recognizes those members who have demonstrated both an exceptional commitment to the field of transplantation, as well as outstanding service to the American Society of Transplantation.
Dr. Anna Kashina Named Fellow of the American Society for Cell Biology
Anna Kashina, PhD, was named a Fellow of the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB). Election as a Fellow of ASCB is an honor bestowed upon ASCB members by their peers. Fellows are recognized for their meritorious efforts to advance cell biology and/or its applications, and for their service to the Society. ASCB Fellows are scientists who have had a significant and sustained impact on one of the mission areas of ASCB: advancing scientific discovery, advocating sound research policies, improving education, promoting professional development, or increasing diversity in the scientific workforce.