Kansas City, Mo. (April 24, 2006) – The Stowers Institute’s Crossroads Postdoc and Student Association recently organized the first Young Investigator Research Day. The event, held at the Institute on Monday, April 17, gave research team members, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers an opportunity to showcase their research projects and interact with senior scientists. The young scientists presented the results of their research in poster sessions and podium talks throughout the day.

     “The Young Investigator Research Day was a great success,” said Robb Krumlauf, Ph.D., Scientific Director. “The event coordinators, Samantha Pattenden, Ph.D., and Kenny Lee, Ph.D., planned a day that gave participants an opportunity to report on their research projects while providing valuable insight into some of the elements of a successful scientific career.”

     The keynote address for the event was delivered by Kevin Eggan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard University and an Assistant Investigator with the Stowers Medical Institute, an independent Medical Research Organization also funded by Jim and Virginia Stowers. Dr. Eggan discussed his quest to understand the earliest steps in the development of neurodegenerative disease by studying neurons differentiated from early stem cells made by nuclear transfer using skin cells from patients.

     Bodo Stern, Ph.D., Senior Editor at Cell, offered insight into the peer-review publication process in his presentation, “Behind the Scenes at Cell.”

     Stowers Institute Investigator Scott Hawley, Ph.D., and Director of Public Affairs and Media Relations Marie Jennings joined Drs. Eggan and Stern for the final session, a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Krumlauf titled, “Communicating Science to the Public.”

     Throughout the day, the Institute’s young investigators participated in poster sessions and oral presentations judged by the Institute’s Principal Investigators. Winners in each category were awarded a $400 grant to attend the scientific meeting of their choice. Runners-Up received $200 grants to spend on scientific books, journals, or software for their use. Prize winners included:

• Lisa Sandell, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate — Winner, Best Oral Presentation by a Postdoctoral Researcher
• Erica White-Grindley, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate — Runner-Up, Best Oral Presentation by a Postdoctoral Researcher
• Ray Camahort, Predoctoral Researcher — Winner, Best Oral Presentation by a Graduate Student
• Mary-Lee Dequeant, Predoctoral Researcher — Runner-Up, Best Oral Presentation by a Graduate Student
• Manqi Deng, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate — Winner, Best Poster by a Postdoctoral Researcher or Research Team Member
• Jose “Leo” Gutierrez, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate — Runner-Up, Best Poster by a Postdoctoral Researcher or Research Team Member
• Alexander Aulehla, Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow — Honorable Mention, Best Poster by a Postdoctoral Researcher or Research Team Member
• Kelly Trujillo, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate — Honorable Mention, Best Poster by a Postdoctoral Researcher or Research Team Member
• Claude Shelton, Predoctoral Researcher — Winner, Best Poster by a Graduate Student or Research Team Member
• Matthew Goering, Predoctoral Researcher — Runner-Up, Best Poster by a Graduate Student or Research Team Member

About the Stowers Institute
     Housed in a 600,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility on a 10-acre campus in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri, the Stowers Institute for Medical Research conducts basic research on fundamental processes of cellular life. Through its commitment to collaborative research and the use of cutting-edge technology, the Institute seeks more effective means of preventing and curing disease. The Institute was founded by Jim and Virginia Stowers, two cancer survivors who have created combined endowments of $2 billion in support of basic research of the highest quality.