June 24, 2013

It was a stimulating week of scientific discovery at Drexel University College of Medicine's second International Symposium on Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease. Three Drexel Prizes were awarded to eminent research scientists, including Nobel Laureate Craig Mello, PhD.

Presentations throughout the week highlighted ongoing investigations in the areas of cancer biology, malaria vaccine development, bacterial pathogenesis, HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B/C, among other topics.

Drexel Prizes were awarded for scientific excellence in immunology, translational research, and infectious disease to the following scientists who presented their investigations:

• Drexel Prize in Immunology:
  Rafi Ahmed, PhD, professor and director, Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University: "T Cell Memory and Exhaustion"
• Drexel Prize in Translational Research:
  Ian Lipkin, MD, John Snow Professor and director, Center for Infection and Immunity, Columbia University: "Small Game Hunting"
• Drexel Prize in Infectious Disease:
  Craig Mello, PhD, Nobel Laureate (2006 prize winner in Physiology or Medicine), Distinguished Professor and HHMI Investigator, University of Massachusetts Medical School: "A Worm's Tale: RNA Memories and Secrets of Inheritance and Immortality"

This is the second year for the symposium, which is spearheaded by Brian Wigdahl, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology and director of Drexel University College of Medicine's Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease.

In addition, Drexel University College of Medicine sponsored two workshops in molecular medicine – the first on cancer biology; the second on NeuroAIDS, which was co-sponsored by the Temple/Drexel Comprehensive NeuroAIDS Center and the Temple/Penn/Drexel T32 Interdisciplinary and Translational Research Training Program in NeuroAIDS. Both the NeuroAIDS Center and Training Program are funded by the National Institute for Mental Health.

 
 Back to Top