……………
The Young Investigator Award recognizes the outstanding achievements and contributions by a professional scientist in the field of oligonucleotide therapeutics who has received his or her doctoral degree within the previous ten years.
Application Deadline Has Passed
The recipient receives:
- $2,000 award
- Complimentary registration to the OTS Annual Meeting
- Formal presentation of the award at the OTS Annual Meeting
- Short talk speaking slot at the OTS Annual Meeting
Application:
Required materials include:
-Applicant’s current contact information and affiliation
-Summary of accomplishments (one page or less)
-Current CV (date on which the doctoral degree was awarded must be provided)
Optional Materials:
-A letter of recommendation, which may be from the nominee’s current colleague(s) or previous mentor(s).
Eligibility Requirements:
- Be a current member of OTS
- Have received a PhD or MD (or equivalent) within 10 years
- Be an independent academic scientist (rank of at least assistant professor) or a professional industrial scientist
- Be active in research at the time the award is given
- Attend the current year’s Annual Meeting and present a 15 minute short talk on his or her research
- Prior winners are not eligible
To apply, ensure your OTS membership is up to date and forward the above-listed materials to awards@oligotherapeutics.org.
If you have questions, please e-mail awards@oligotherapeutics.org.
2017 Mary Ann Liebert Publishers, Inc. Young Investigator Award Winner:
Keith Gagnon, PhD.
Southern Illinois University
Talk Title: A ‘Guided’ Tour of an Early Career in RNA and Nucleic Acid Therapeutics
Biography: Dr. Keith T. Gagnon earned his Ph.D. from NC State University under the direction of Dr. E. Stuart Maxwell. His thesis investigated the structure-function relationship of archaeal box C/D small RNA-guided enzymes. Keith then joined Dr. David R. Corey’s research group at UT Southwestern Medical center for a postdoctoral fellowship. While in the Corey laboratory, Keith investigated ASO-based and RNAi-based therapeutics for Huntington’s disease, with an emphasis on molecular mechanisms. He also investigated the activity of RNAi in the human cell nucleus for expanding the application of siRNAs to nuclear targets. Keith moved to Southern Illinois University in 2014 to start an independent laboratory. His research focuses on molecular disease mechanisms and therapeutics for C9FTD/ALS and other repeat expansion disorders as well as mechanisms of RNA-guided enzymes and their applications for biotechnology and therapeutics.
Past Award Recipients:
- 2016: Aurélie Goyenvalle, PhD, University of Versailles Saint Quentin
- 2015: Frank Rigo, PhD, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- 2014: Michael Gantier, PhD, Monash Institute of Medical Research
- 2013: Jonathan K. Watts, PhD, University of Southampton
- 2012: Xianbin Yang, PhD, AM Biotechnologies