LRF-Lymphatic Research Leadership Award for 2012

Kari Alitalo, MD, PhD (Fig. 1) of the Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki is the recipient of this year's LRF-Lymphatic Research Leadership Award. Dr. Alitalo is Director, Academy of Finland Center of Excellence in Cancer Biology, University of Helsinki and Academy Professor, Research Council for Health, Academy of Finland.

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FIG. 1.

Kari Alitalo, MD, PhD.

Dr. Alitalo is credited with being the first to isolate and characterize lymphangiogenic growth factor (VEGF-C), its receptor (VEGFR-3) and to isolate lymphatic endothelial cells for molecular analysis. He has devised molecular therapies that hold promise for new treatments of lymphedema and lymphatic metastasis. His lab is responsible for the discovery of growth factor VEGF-C regulating the growth and development of the lymphatic system in humans and other mammals. His work is widely cited, including in these pages of Lymphatic Research and Biology.

“Dr. Alitalo's research continues to have significant impact on advancing lymphatic science and of helping to put the lymphatic system ‘on the map’ of biomedical research worldwide," said Wendy Chaite, Founder, Lymphatic Research Foundation, in presenting the award (Fig. 2). LRF is enormously proud to include Dr. Alitalo among the distinguished list of award winners, including Stephen Goldman, PhD and Henry Chang, MD (2002); Stanley Rockson, MD (2004), Waldemar Olszewski, MD (2006); Guillermo Oliver, PhD (2008); and David Zawieja, PhD (2010).

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FIG. 2.

Kari Alitalo accepting award from LRF Executive Director, William Repicci and Founder, Wendy Chaite.

Initiated in 2002, the LRF-Lymphatic Research Leadership Award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution toward promoting and supporting the growing field of lymphatic research and/or finding improved treatments and cures for lymphatic disease, lymphedema and related disorders.

LRF Joins Top Lymphatic Researchers at the 2012 Gordon Research Conference (GRC): Molecular Mechanisms in Lymphatic Function and Disease, Ventura CA, March 4–8, 2012.

LRF Executive Director William Repicci and Founder Wendy Chaite attended this year's GRC, the premier biennial worldwide gathering of researchers focusing on lymphatic science. Providing a forum for the exchange of cutting-edge ideas and developments in lymphatic science, the GRC offers attendees a unique opportunity to consult and collaborate with their peers. LRF was honored to provide the LRF-Andrew Moisoff Young Investigator Poster Awards to Witold Kilarski, PhD and Steven Proulx, PhD (Fig. 3). This competitive award recognizes the top two young investigators who presented their work at the Conference and were selected by the Gordon Research Conference Committee to receive the LRF awards. Each award consists of a commemorative plaque and a cash award of $1,000 US. Congratulations to our 2012 Moisoff Awardees:

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FIG. 3.

LRF's 2012 Andrew Moisoff Young Investigator Awardees: Witold Kilarski, PhD (left) and Steven Proulx PhD (right).

Witold Kilarski, PhD

Poster Presentation: A novel intravital imaging method of dermal lymphatic function reveals differential regulation of fluid vs. cell transport in acute inflammation.

Dr. Kilarski is from Poland and received a Masters degree in Molecular Biology from the Jagiellonian University in Krakow in 1999 and continued his scientific career in the Pär Gerwins and Lena Claesson-Welsh group at Uppsala University. He defended his PhD in 2005 at Uppsala University in Sweden, and in 2007 completed postdoctoral research at the Andreas Bikfalvi's Molecular Angiogenesis Laboratory, University of Bordeaux, France. Since 2008, he has pursued research as a postdoctoral fellow under the supervision of Melody Swartz at the Laboratory of Lymphatic and Cancer Bioengineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland. He is co-author of 15 accepted publications.

Steven Proulx, PhD

Poster Presentation: Non-invasive longitudinal imaging of collecting lymphatic vessel function and metastatic spread of murine melanoma.

A native of Syracuse, NY and graduate of State University of New York-Binghamton University, Steven Proulx holds a Master of Science in Biomechanical Engineering from Stanford University and was the recipient of a Sproull Fellowship (2003–05). He received a PhD from the University of Rochester Center for Musculoskeletal Research, studying with Dr. Edward Schwarz. Since 2008, he has been a postdoctoral research fellow in the lab of Dr. Michael Detmar at ETH Zurich, where he was awarded a Whitaker Foundation International Scholar grant to perform research on developing methods for in vivo lymphatic vessel imaging. He has made numerous oral presentations at international conferences and is co-author of 16 accepted publications.

LRF Welcomes New Executive Director

William Repicci is a senior management executive with over 25 years of experience leading nonprofit organizations and commercial businesses (Fig. 4). Most recently he was the Executive Director of the Pasos Peace Museum dedicated to peace building through the arts and education. His previous leadership positions include being CEO of a NYC dramatic publishing and licensing company, directing humanitarian programs in Kenya, field work in Cambodia, managing director of the National Theatre of the Deaf, and CEO of the Fairbanks Resource Agency serving persons with developmental disabilities in Interior and Northern Alaska. He is the owner of William Repicci Management/Productions, and has produced and/or managed over 35 plays/musicals to include Broadway, Off Broadway, London and national tours. Early in his career, he was the head of English and History Departments at Mandera Secondary School in Kenya's Northeast Province. He has graduate degrees in Global Affairs (New York University); Behavioral Psychology (University of Wisconsin–Madison); Administration (Seattle University); Psychology (Catholic University of America); and a BA in Philosophy (Le Moyne College). The Board and staff of LRF are delighted to welcome Bill to our team!

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FIG. 4.

William Repicci

2012 National Walk for Lymphedema and Lymphatic Diseases

This year's National Walk for Lymphedema and Lymphatic Diseases will be held in East Meadow, New York on Saturday, September 15, 2012. We invite all our research and clinical partners to join us in raising awareness and raising funds for lymphatic disease research. Please consider becoming a sponsor for the National Walk or forming a Walk Team from your organization. If you are not in the tri-state area, consider joining with your colleagues to form a Virtual Walk Team…or join the LRF team to support our efforts. Please contact LRF's Colleen McGuire at (516) 625-9675 or via email at cmcguire@lymphaticresearch.org for more information and check the LRF website—lymphaticresearch.org—for updates.