Two UT Southwestern Scientists have been identified as up and comers by The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas. Dr. Ralph DeBerardinis, Professor at the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Genetics and Metabolism at UT Southwestern, and Dr. Julie Pfeiffer, Professor of Microbiology at UT Southwestern will both receive the 2019 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award.
The award honors early career researchers for their work in science, medicine, engineering, and technology innovation, and includes a $25,000 prize and an invitation to speak at their conference in January, where they will receive the award and a trophy.
DeBerardinis, who is an attending physician at Children’s Health, received the award for his work in studying how altering metabolism is impacted in cancer and childhood conditions by mutations in genes encoding metabolic enzymes.
Pfeiffer is a virologist whose work illuminated the relationship between the viruses and bacteria that live in the intestinal tract and disease, showing that some viruses use the bacteria to grow and increase infection.
“Teamwork is key to our research, so I’m grateful to my clinical and scientific colleagues at UT Southwestern and CRI,” said Dr. DeBerardinis via release. “I’m also grateful to our most important partners: the patients and families who participate in these studies.”
“I am surprised and thrilled to receive the O’Donnell Award. Many of my role models at UT Southwestern have received this award, and I hope to follow in their footsteps,” said Pfeiffer via release.
Learn about DeBerardinis research and hope for the future below (videos courtesy of UTSW).
Check out a video describing Pfeiffer’s research process and findings below.
