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UO biologist among 2008 Pew Scholars in the Biomedical Sciences
Hui Zong will use four-year award to study initial development of cancerous tumors with his own technique
EUGENE, Ore. -- (June 16, 2008) -- Hui Zong, a professor of biology and member of the University of Oregon's Institute of Molecular Biology, is one of 20 U.S. researchers selected as 2008 Pew Scholars in the Biomedical Sciences.
The announcement was made June 12 by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the University of California, San Francisco. The program, which began in 1985, is funded by Pew through a grant to UCSF. It has provided more than $100 million for fund some 400 scholars.
Zong will receive $240,000 over four years for his research that explores the very earliest stages of tumor formation, a period of cancer initiation that has been difficult to study. Zong -- the only award winner from the Northwest -- earned a doctorate in biochemistry and cell biology in 2001 from the Indiana University School of Medicine. He completed bachelor's and master's degrees at Fudan University in Shanghai. He joined the faculty of the UO College of Arts and Sciences in 2006.
During a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University, Zong developed a cutting-edge technique that sporadically shuts down tumor suppressor genes in the cells of live mice and labels the resulting mutant cells with a fluorescent marker protein that allows for tumor detection within hours of their formation. His work, according to the announcement, could lead to new strategies for early detection and treatment of cancerous tumors.
The full list of winners is available at the Pew Charitable Trust Web site. (See news release)
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of 62 of the leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. Membership in the AAU is by invitation only. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.
Media Contact: Jim Barlow, director of science and research communications, 541-346-3481, jebarlow@uoregon.edu
Link: Hui Zong's faculty Web site: http://www.molbio.uoregon.edu/facres/zong.php
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