2014 Postdoctoral Fellowship Award Winners

The Lymphatic Education and Research Network (LE&RN) has announced that it is awarding two 2-year research grants to fellows who are at the cutting edge of the fight against lymphatic disease and lymphedema. The goal of the Lymphatic Education and Research Network Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards Program is to expand and strengthen the pool of outstanding junior investigators in the field of lymphatic research. The awards will support investigators who have recently received their doctorates, a critical point in career development when young scientists choose their lifelong research focus. We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2014 fellowships:

• Maike Frye, Ph.D., Uppsala University, Sweden, was awarded a two-year fellowship for her research into the functional characterization of primary lymphedema gene GATA2.

LE&RN Joins Top Lymphatic Researchers at the 2014 Gordon Research Conference (GRC): Molecular Mechanisms in Lymphatic Function and Disease, Lucca (Barga) Italy, March 9–14, 2014

William Repicci, LE&RN's Executive Director, attended this year's GRC, Molecular Mechanisms in Lymphatic Function and Disease. A diverse group of researchers from around the world and at the forefront of their respective fields as well as younger researchers and students gathered to review topics that are truly the state-of the-art in lymphatic research and biology.

Areas discussed included: Consequences of Lymphatic Dysfunction, Lymphatic Function and Homeostasis, Lymphatics in Metabolism and Lipid Regulation, Lymphatics in Inflammation, Lymphatics in Immunity, Mechanisms of Leukocyte and Pathogen Entry into Lymphatics, Lymphatics in Cancer, Molecular Regulators of Lymphangiogenesis and Lymphatic Vessel Morphogenesis. This biennial premier worldwide gathering of researchers focuses on lymphatic science and provides the unique opportunity for the exchange of ideas while helping to bridge lymphatic biology and physiology with a number of related fields.

Young Investigator Conference Scholarship Awards

The LE&RN provided ten $1,000 scholarships for young investigators (PhD students and postdocs) to defray registration and travel costs associated with attending a major international conference dedicated to lymphatic research in 2014. These young investigators, including researchers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland, Australia, and The Netherlands, took advantage of their awards to attend the GRC. This experience provided them the opportunity to meet key figures in the field, share their research experiences, and receive informative feedback.

2014 Wendy Chaite Leadership Awards

The LE&RN is pleased to announce that the 2014 Wendy Chaite Leadership Awards have been presented to H. Eser Tolunay, PhD, of the National Institutes of Health and Heather Ferguson of the Lymphedema Advocacy Group.

This year, the Leadership award was renamed the Wendy Chaite Leadership Award in recognition of our Founder's impact on the field. The award recognizes persons most deserving of acknowledgment for their considerable contribution in lymphatics. This year's winners were announced by LE&RN Executive Director, William Repicci, to LE&RN's Scientific Medical Advisory Council who were attending the Gordon Research Conference in Lucca, Italy on March 11.

H. Eser Tolunay, Ph.D., is the Deputy Chief of the Vascular Biology and Hypertension Branch, in the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She oversees programs on integrated basic, translational, and clinical research on etiology, pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of vascular diseases and hypertension. Her own portfolio focuses on basic, translational, and clinical research on aortic aneurysms, and the biology and diseases of the lymphatic system. She chairs the trans-NIH Coordinating Committee on Lymphatic Research. Dr. Tolunay began her research career at NHLBI as a Fogarty Fellow, and later as a Staff Fellow. In 1985, she joined the Monsanto Company in St. Louis to conduct pharmaceutical discovery research. Her research involved atherosclerosis, thrombosis and homeostasis, hypertension, and inflammation. She returned to NHLBI in 2001. Dr. Tolunay earned her Bachelor's degree in Chemistry at Robert College in Turkey, and her PhD in Biochemistry at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

Heather Ferguson is the Founder and Executive Director of the Lymphedema Advocacy Group. Her relationship with lymphedema began when her son Dylan was born with idiopathic congenital primary bilateral lower body lymphedema. Ms. Ferguson's desire to advocate on behalf of lymphedema patients took root when she learned of the deficiencies in insurance coverage for the medically necessary compression garments used daily in lymphedema treatment. Her background as a professional ballet dancer, teacher, and choreographer provided pertinent expertise and accomplishments in goal-setting and personal and professional discipline, which have contributed to her remarkable success as a leader in lymphedema advocacy in the area of health policy. In 2009, Ms. Ferguson worked with her State Representative to pass the North Carolina Lymphedema Diagnosis and Treatment Act. In 2010, she worked with her Congressman to introduce the Lymphedema Treatment Act, and founded the Lymphedema Advocacy Group in order to raise the awareness and support that would be necessary to move a bill through Congress.