Newswise — James F. Battey, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., Director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) at the National Institutes of Health, is the 2009 recipient of the Monell Center’s Kerry-Manheimer Award.
Informally begun in 1976 and officially instituted in 1989, the Kerry-Manheimer Award recognizes the career contributions of outstanding researchers in the chemosensory sciences. Selected by the Monell Center’s faculty, the Award honoree typically spends the Award day meeting with the Center’s scientists, then receives the Award and delivers a lecture at an evening banquet. This year, the Award will be presented on October 14.
“Dr. Battey is a seminal figure in the field of chemosensory science,” said Monell Director Gary K. Beauchamp, Ph.D. “At NIDCD, his leadership has established national research priorities that have led to a quantum leap in understanding the molecular and cellular biology, biophysics and biochemistry of taste and smell. Importantly, he also has been a prominent advocate for research on human and animal sensory behavioral biology. Together, these critical initiatives are translating into innovative new ways to prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease.”
In the laboratory, Dr. Battey’s influential contributions extend over several realms of molecular neurobiology. His current work focuses on the structure, function, and regulation of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), which significantly influence intercellular communication in many of the body’s systems, including taste and smell.
Appointed Director for NIDCD in 1998, Dr. Battey has been at the National Institutes of Health since 1983. He served as Chief of the Molecular Neuroscience Section and as Director of Intramural Research at NIDCD, and also has held leadership positions at the National Cancer Institute.
Author or co-author of over 150 scientific publications, Dr. Battey received a B.S. from the California Institute of Technology and his M.D. and Ph.D. in biophysics from Stanford University. He has received numerous honors and awards, including the Distinguished Service Award from the Association for Chemoreception Sciences (AChemS), the Public Health Service Outstanding Service Medal, and the NIH Director’s Award in recognition of his exemplary efforts in the management and oversight of the NIH’s stem cell initiatives.
The Monell Chemical Senses Center is an independent nonprofit basic research institute based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Monell advances scientific understanding of the mechanisms and functions of taste and smell to benefit human health and well-being. Using an interdisciplinary approach, scientists collaborate in the programmatic areas of sensation and perception; neuroscience and molecular biology; environmental and occupational health; nutrition and appetite; health and well-being; development, aging and regeneration; and chemical ecology and communication. For more information about Monell, visit www.monell.org.
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