Kansas City, Mo. (June 19, 2006) – Matt Gibson, Ph.D. — a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Norbert Perrimon, Ph.D., a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator at Harvard Medical School in Boston — has accepted an appointment to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research as an Assistant Investigator. Dr. Gibson will establish his laboratory at the Institute later this summer.

     This appointment brings the Stowers Institute to a total of 19 independent research programs in cellular and molecular biology complemented by three technology centers devoted to bioinformatics, imaging, and proteomics.

     Dr. Gibson’s research uses the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that sculpt epithelial tissues to precise parameters of size and shape. He brings to the Institute a Burroughs Wellcome Career Award in the Biomedical Sciences, an honor carrying $500,000 over five years to bridge advanced postdoctoral training and the early years of faculty service.

     “The recognition of Dr. Gibson’s work by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund is a great honor for him and the Institute,” said William B. Neaves, Ph.D., President and CEO. “Dr. Gibson will pursue new ideas about how cells organize into epithelia and how epithelial integrity is maintained during cell division. His work provides insight into normal development while clarifying abnormal processes that lead to diseases such as cancer.”

     Dr. Gibson’s research will focus on fundamental aspects of epithelial cell biology. From the most primitive animals to humans, the organization of cells into epithelial sheets is essential for the development of normally functioning tissues and organs.

     “Dr. Gibson’s work in epithelial cell biology is an exciting area of study,” said Robb Krumlauf, Ph.D., Scientific Director. “We are eager for him to join us at the Stowers Institute, and we expect his research to yield important results in the coming years.”

     Dr. Gibson earned a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Washington, and a B.S. in Biology from Yale University. He held a Fellowship awarded by the Jane Coffin Childs Foundation for Medical Research while completing postdoctoral research in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School.

About the Burroughs Wellcome Fund
     The Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Research Triangle Park, N.C., is an independent, private foundation dedicated to advancing the medical sciences by supporting research and other scientific and educational activities. It conducts the majority of its grantmaking through competitive programs designed to support the career development of young scientists and to build capacity in research areas BWF believes to be undervalued or in need of targeted support. The Fund’s current assets are in excess of $700 million and average annual grants are approximately $25 million. For more information about the Fund, contact Russ Campbell, Communications Director, at 919-991-5119 or visit our web site at www.bwfund.org

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.