Young Profs Net Two Presidential Awards

Two Harvard scientists were among the 57 recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) announced by the White House Tuesday.

Cabot Associate Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology John R. Wakeley and Associate Professor of Psychiatry Dr. William A. Carlezon received the high-profile award.

Since President Bush was unable to attend, the awards were handed out by John H. Marburger III, science adviser to the President and director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The PECASE awards were established in 1996 to honor up-and-coming young researchers who have demonstrated progressive work within their field of study.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) as well as several other independent agencies nominated over 400 scientists and researchers.

Although the PECASE award does not include any grant money, the presidential recognition can prove extremely valuable for junior faculty members.

“One thing that is emphasized within NSF [in the PECASE nomination process] is the educational aspect of the research,” said Wakeley, who is writing two textbooks that will incorporate his research. “This award will be extremely helpful in promoting my teaching and research efforts to a wider audience.”

Of the 57 recipients, 20 were nominated by the NSF, an independent federal agency that funds research in a broad spectrum of scientific and engineering fields.

Wakeley, who teaches the graduate seminar Organismic Evolutionary Biology 303, “Theoretical Population Genetics” was one of the 20 PECASE award winners that was nominated by the NSF.

He was recognized for his work on developing new methods for analyzing DNA-sequencing data. These methods will help scientists and mathematicians develop new theories about the genetic histories of populations.

“I am working on models that deal with geographically structured populations,” Wakeley said. “These models describe the ancestry or genealogy of a sample of DNA.”

Wakeley said that his research has found that the genealogies of more complex populations are mathematically similar to genealogies in unstructured populations.

Carlezon, who was nominated by the National Institute of Health’s Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, received the PECASE award for his work in behavior genetics.

Carlezon works at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., the largest psychiatric facility of Harvard Medical School.

Carlezon could not be reached for comment last night.

According to his website, Carlezon’s research involves using animal models to determine the genetic basis of complex motivated behaviors.

“We are particularly interested in how experiences such as drug exposure or stress affect gene expression within the mesolimbic system and cortical structures, and in turn how these molecular adaptations lead to alterations in behavior,” the website explains.

Recently, Carlezon has expanded his research to study the effects of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder stimulant medications on gene expression and behavior.

His research found that rats who were exposed to stimulants as juveniles showed a higher tendency to give up on stressful behavioral tasks as adults.