July 23, 2012
President Obama honors UW biologist
Jay Z. Parrish, University of Washington assistant professor of biology, has been named a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. This is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government for science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their research careers, according to a press release issued today, July 23, from the White House.
Jay ParrishU of Washington
The shape of a neuron is important for its function, and Parrish’s laboratory studies how neurons maintain their characteristic shape. Recent investigations include how environmental cues influence the maintenance of dendrites, the branched structures that extend from a neuron’s cell body to receive inputs from other neurons.
Many diseases of cognition, such as Down syndrome, are associated with progressive defects in dendrites. Parrish’s team investigates the phenomenon of dendrite maintenance in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Many fundamental aspects of neuron development are shared by fruit flies and humans, therefore the studies could contribute to a better understanding of what happens in diseases of cognition.
A total of 96 researchers received this year’s awards and are employed or funded by 11 federal departments and agencies such as the Department of Human Health and Human Services, agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency and National Science Foundation. Awardees are selected for their pursuit of innovative research and their commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education or community outreach, the press release said.
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For more information:
Parrish, 206-685-1203, jzp2@u.washington.edu
