AGA Legacy Society – Dedicated Volunteers Give Valuable Time and Effort
The hundreds of productive scientists who have received AGA awards over the years are a tribute to the research agenda of the AGA. Several, such as Dr. Jean-Marie Houghton, MD, PhD of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, have gone on to receive national recognition for their work.
Recipient of the 2005 AGA Funderburg Research Award, Dr. Houghton received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE Award) in 2006. The PECASE Award is the highest honor awarded by the U.S. government to outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers.
Dr. Houghton received the award for her work with colleagues including Dr. Timothy Wang of Columbia University – the 1994 AGA Funderburg Award recipient. Their team showed that Helicobacter pylori infection leads to a vast influx of bone marrow-derived stem cells as the body tries to repair the damage caused by the infection. This flood of bone marrow-derived stem cells can initiate stomach cancer.
Shrikant Anant, PhD, DVM of the University of Kansas Medical Center received an AGA Research Scholar Award in 2001. He was the principal investigator on a project identifying a new gene that is implicated in turning normal cells into cancerous cells in solid tumors. “I have been really blessed by receiving an AGA Research Foundation Research Scholar Award,” noted Dr. Anant. “It was a validation that my research was considered important to understanding GI-related diseases. It served as a springboard to my subsequently competing and receiving multiple investigator-initiated research grants from the NIH, including the grant that allowed discovery of this new gene.”
The 2007 AGA Fellowship to Faculty Transition Award (FFTA) was presented to John Chang, MD of the University of California, San Diego. He credits the AGA award for allowing him to generate the preliminary data and publications necessary to successfully apply for a Career Development Award (K08) from NIH/NIDDK as well as a Physician Scientist Early Award from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
“The AGA FFTA allowed me to acquire the research skills and knowledge in molecular and cellular immunology needed for my learning and growth as a scientist. My research is focused on investigating adaptive immunity. It is my hope that understanding fundamental principles in mucosal immunity will yield valuable insights in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease that will ultimately benefit our patients. I am grateful to the AGA for providing this critically important support that has had such a tremendous impact on my career.”
For more than 25 years, the AGA and its foundation have raised and distributed $40 million to more than 600 researchers in gastroenterology and hepatology. It is a proud tradition that continues today with the generous support of Legacy Society members as well as others.
Donors who make gifts at the Legacy Society level anytime before DDW will receive an invitation to the annual Benefactor’s Dinner. Individuals interested in learning more about Legacy Society membership may contact Stacey Hinton at shinton@gastro.org or by phone (301) 222-4005, or contact Rick Podgorski at rpodgorski@gastro.org or by phone (760) 635-0451. Legacy Society information and acceptance forms are also available on the foundation’s Web site at www.gastro.org/legacysociety.
