Jeff Varner has received a 2009 NSF CAREER award.
May 22, 2009Assistant Professor Jeff Varner has received a 2009 NSF CAREER award. CAREER funding represents NSF's most prestigious award in support of the early career-development activities of teacher-scholars who "most effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their organization."
His project centers around understanding the molecular basis of adult stem cell proliferation and differentiation; one of the greatest unmet challenges facing molecular cell biology. His program will use experimental and computational approaches to unravel the response of HL-60 (human myeloblastic leukemia) cells to agents such as Vitamin A, as a model for the study of proliferation and differentiation. His educational component and outreach program will improve awareness of the role of chemical engineering in emerging areas of molecular and cell biology, particularly stem cell biology, introducing undergraduates and high-school students to a variety of experimental and computational tools to better understand the complexities of stem cell and cancer biology. His program could result in advanced stem cell therapies for the treatment of a spectrum of human cancers, spinal cord injuries and neurodegenerative disorders.