Newswise — PHILADELPHIA - Four Penn Medicine postdoctoral trainees have been awarded three-year fellowships through a newly established program, the Michael Brown Penn-GSK Postdoctoral Fellowship Award Program from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)The fellows were selected for their innovative approaches to salient scientific questions in their respective fields. Under the guidance of their principal investigators, the fellows and their mentors will partner with GSK scientists for part of their research.

The inaugural fellows are:

  • Deepti Abbey, PhD, who studies genetic variation in blood lipids with Daniel Rader, MD, chair of the Department of Genetics
  • Jie Chen, PhD, who studies breast cancer biology with Roger Greenberg, MD, PhD, a professor of Cancer Biology
  • Anumita Saha-Shah, PhD, who studies nanofluids and mass spectroscopy with Ben Garcia, PhD, Presidential Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics
  • Collin Stabler, PhD, who studies lung biology with Ed Morrisey, PhD, a professor of Medicine and Cell and Developmental Biology

The fellowship is a new initiative between Penn and GSK to promote basic research while introducing talented young scientists to key aspects of pharmaceutical research and development, including dedicated research time at the GSK facility in Collegeville, Penn. This collaboration aims to provide valuable training coupled with a unique opportunity to advance clinically related research.

In addition to having the opportunity to work closely with GSK scientists, the postdocs will also receive funding for salary and benefits, lab supplies, and indirect costs for three years to conduct research in the laboratories of their Penn principal investigators. Collaborations are planned to commence in August 2018.

Named in honor of alumnus Michael S. Brown (C’62, M’66, HON’86), who shared the 1985 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for identifying the low-density lipoprotein receptor, the program will support collaborative research projects in biomedical science to advance discovery, development, and delivery of novel therapies for human diseases. 

 

Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $7.8 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top medical schools in the United States for more than 20 years, according to U.S. News & World Report’s survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation’s top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $405 million awarded in the 2017 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System’s patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center — which are recognized as one of the nation’s top “Honor Roll” hospitals by U.S. News & World Report — Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Medicine Princeton Health; Penn Wissahickon Hospice; and Pennsylvania Hospital – the nation’s first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional affiliated inpatient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a partnership between Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Penn Medicine, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, a leading provider of highly skilled and compassionate behavioral healthcare.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2017, Penn Medicine provided $500 million to benefit our community.

Journal Link: Penn Medicine