Weidong Wang Receives
Presidential Award |
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| Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers |
| Weidong Wang, Ph.D. was honored with the prestigeous Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). He was cited "for innovative analysis of protein complexes and genes that regulate development and aging." |
| During human development and differentiation, many gene regions are turned on and off by complexes of proteins in the cell nucleus. In the Unit on Transcription Remodeling and Regulation, Laboratory of Genetics, Dr. Wang and his colleagues developed rapid purification techniques to isolate these large protein particles. They subsequently dissected these particles, cloned the genes that encode each component, and analyzed how each component and the entire protein machine operate. |
| Dr. Wang and his colleagues recently applied their technique to the study of an age-related disease, Werner syndrome. This is a "premature aging" disease in which patients display many conditions associated with aging - such as hair graying and loss - occuring at a very young age. The patients also develop multiple age-related diseases, such as atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, diabetes and cancer. Dr. Wang’s team isolated a protein complex defective in these patients. They have identified all the components within this complex, and their study linked human premature aging to a specific cellular process.The complex that they isolated may provide some important answers to the question of how humans age. |
| The PECASE is the highest honor bestowed by the federal government on young professionals at the outset of their independent research careers. Eight Federal departments and agencies join together annually to nominate the most meritorious young scientists and engineers who will broadly advance the science and technology that will benefit the agencies' missions. |
| These awards, established by President Clinton in February 1996, embody the high priority placed by the government on producing outstanding scientists and engineers and nuturing their continued development. "We honor these outstanding young scientists and engineers for their research contributions, for their promise, and for their commitment to broader societal goals," President Clinton said. "They will do much to shape our society and advance our national interests in the 21st century." |
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