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Penn Genetics Symposium
The Department of Genetics hosted the 4th Annual Penn Genetics
Symposium on November 28, 2012. Focussing on Advances through high throughput sequencing,
goals were two-fold, exposing the Penn scientific community to the
outstanding work going on in Penn laboratories and facilitating a sense
of community among investigators who share an interest in the field of
genetics.
This year's keynote address was presented by Frank Pugh, Willaman Chair in Molecular Biology and Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Penn State University.
Kadesch Prize in Genetic Research Awarded to Ishmail Abdus-Saboor |
In 2011, the Department of Genetics established the "Tom Kadesch Prize in Genetic Research" to honor the legacy of our friend and colleague, Dr. Tom Kadesch. Dr. Kadesch was a member of the Genetics department from 1984 until his death in 2011, and served as Interim Chairman for his final 4 years. He was not only an excellent scientist, but also a tremendously dedicated mentor, teacher and University citizen, whose contributions inspired those around him. In his memory, with the help of many generous donors, we were able to set up an endowed fund that will support in perpetuity an annual award to "a graduate student demonstrating excellence in research achievement and citizenship." We are pleased to announce that this year's Tom Kadesch Prize in Genetic Research was awarded to Ishmail Abdus-Saboor, Ph.D. Ishmail was a student in the Genetics and Gene Regulation (GGR) program of the Cell and Molecular Biology (CAMB) graduate group, and received his Ph.D. in 2012. His thesis work, performed in the lab of Dr. Meera Sundaram, used a simple model system, the nematode C. elegans, to define multiple genetically-separable roles for Ras signaling in tubular organ development. Ishmail also identified a conserved Nkx5-family transcription factor that cooperates with Ras signaling to control tube morphology. These projects resulted in first-author publications in Development and Developmental Biology. In addition to his research accomplishments, Ishmail is a deeply community-minded person and was involved in many mentoring and scientific outreach programs during his graduate career. For example, as Outreach Coordinator for the E.E. Just Biomedical Society, Ishmail organized events to expose inner city high school students and military veterans to the possibilities of a career in science. Ishmail also served as a highly dedicated teaching assistant for two large undergraduate molecular genetics courses. The Kadesch Prize Selection Committee |
