AAA award winners

The Harland Winfield Mossman Award recognizes a young investigator who has made important contributions to the field of developmental biology and has demonstrated a remarkable promise of future accomplishments. The Award is named in honor of H.W. Mossman, the well-known and highly regarded American embryologist and long-time member of the American Association of Anatomists. The Mossman Award recipient for 2006 is Alexander F. Schier. Dr. Schier presented a talk entitled “The Molecular Genetics of Zebrafish Embryogenesis: From Nodal Signals to Micro-RNAs” at the annual meeting of the American Association of Anatomists (AAA) at Experimental Biology 2006. Alexander F. Schier Dr. Schier received a BS in cell biology from the University of Basel, Switzerland, in 1988. He pursued his graduate studies at the same institute and received his PhD, also in cell biology, in 1992. During his undergraduate years, and for his doctoral research, Dr. Schier worked in the laboratory of Walter J. Gehring of the University of Basel. His research during these periods of time was on nuclear proteins in Drosophila and his doctoral research was also on Drosophila as an experimental model to study gene function. In 1992, he joined the laboratory of Wolfgang Driever of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University to study genetic analysis of zebrafish development. He remained in that position until 1996. Dr. Schier became an assistant professor in the Developmental Genetics Program at Skirball Institute and the Department of Cell Biology at New York University (NYU) School of Medicine in 1996. He was promoted to the rank of associate professor in 1999 at the same institute, department, and medical school and went on to become an associate professor with tenure in 2001. He continues to hold the position at Skirball Institute and NYU School of Medicine. Dr. Schier's research efforts have focused on early patterning of the fish embryo, using the zebrafish as his model. His work has centered on developmental genetics and cell-to-cell signaling, especially as regards the regulation of Nodal signaling during development. To paraphrase one of his nominators, Dr. Schier's studies have suggested a model for how the interactions between agonists (TGFβ signals of the Nodal family), antagonists (TGFβ signals of the Lefty family), and coreceptors (ECF-CFC proteins) pattern the vertebrate embryo. Nodal signals are generated locally and specify cell fates in neighboring and distant cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Lefty signals dampen the response of cells to Nodal signals by blocking EGF-CFC coreceptors. Consequently, the size of a field of cells and the pattern within it are determined by the regulatory interactions between these various proteins. These studies have provided the first molecular proof for the classic reaction-diffusion model proposed in the early 1950s. Dr. Schier has published over 55 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 13 reviews on topics of his particular scientific interests, and 4 book chapters. His publications have appeared in well-known and highly respected journals such as Nature, Development, Cell, Molecular Cell, Genes and Development, Neuron, Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, and Current Biology. Dr. Schier's research program has been, and is presently, supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These grants have focused on mechanisms of development in vertebrates, developmental studies on zebrafish genes, mechanisms of development of the forebrain, and a screen for mutations affecting early embryogenesis. For the foreseeable future, his research will be supported by an NIH grant concerned with the molecular genetics of sensory ganglia formation. In addition, he has had grant support in the past from the Swiss National Science Foundation Fellowship for Advanced Researchers. Dr. Schier's growing reputation in the developmental and scientific community is exemplified by a number of factors. First, he is a member of an NIH Advisory Committee on Zebrafish Genetics, a reviewer for the MDCN7 Study Section, a reviewer for the CDF5 Study Section, and has served as a site visitor for NICHD. Second, he is a McKnight Scholar for Neuroscience and is an American Heart Association Established Investigator. Third, he serves as member of the editorial advisory board for Developmental Biology and Developmental Dynamics. Finally, Dr. Schier held the Irma T. Hirschl Career Scientist Award from 2001 to 2005. Dr. Schier is an outstanding young investigator who, early in his career, has made significant and important contributions to the field of developmental biology. His work shows clear promise for future success. He is a most worthy recipient of the 2006 Harland Winfield Mossman Award. The R.R. Bensley Award recognizes distinguished contributions to the advancement of anatomy through discovery, ingenuity, and publication in the field of cell biology. The recipient of the Bensley Award for 2006 is Clare M. Waterman-Storer. Dr. Waterman-Storer presented a lecture entitled “Cytomechanical Systems Integration in Directed Cell Migration” at the annual meeting of the AAA at Experimental Biology 2006. Clare M. Waterman-Storer Dr. Waterman-Storer received her undergraduate degree in 1989 from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. She continued her graduate studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, from which she received an MS in 1991. She went on to complete her PhD in cell biology at the University of Pennsylvania in 1995. Following the receipt of her PhD, she was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Professor E.D. Salmon at the University of North Carolina from 1996 to 1999. She then became an assistant professor in the Department of Cell Biology at the Scripps Research Institute, were she was promoted to the rank of associate professor with tenure in 2003. Dr. Waterman-Storer's research is concerned with the dynamics and function of microtubules, the distribution of endoplasmic reticulum in cells, and in the interaction between microtubules and actin. She has pioneered the technique of fluorescent-speckle microscopy, which allows one to detect the assembly and disassembly of multisubunit complexes such as actin filaments and microtubules in complex cellular environments. Her colleagues note that this technique is the gold standard used by many top laboratories studying cytoskeletal dynamics. This new technology allows investigators to view microtubules and actin filaments in action in polarized migrating cells. This has allowed the development of new concepts on how the leading edges of migrating cells function and move. It is likely that Dr. Waterman-Storer, through her research activities and development of new techniques, will continue to be a major force in the broad area of cell biology. Dr. Waterman-Storer has been enormously productive in her research efforts. She has published over 48 articles in peer-reviewed journals, a total of 9 review articles, and 7 papers concerning the development of new methods. Her scientific papers have appeared in such highly respected peer-reviewed journals as Cell Motility and Cytoskeleton, Journal of Cell Biology, Molecular Biology of the Cell, Science, Biophysical Journal, Nature Cell Biology, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Waterman-Storer has been successful at attracting extramural research funding for her program. She is currently funded by grants from the NIH and through the Human Frontiers in Science Program. At the time this biographic sketch was being written, she was a finalist for the NIH Director's Pioneer Award. In addition to her outstanding publication record, Dr. Waterman-Storer's standing in the scientific and cell biology community is also recognized in a number of other ways. First, she has received eight honors and awards during the development of her research career. These include an American Heart Association Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, a training fellowship of the Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, the Saul Weingard Award for outstanding thesis in cell biology, a fellowship with the Jane Coffin Child Memorial Fund for Cancer Research, and the Women in Cell Biology Junior Career Recognition Award from the American Society for Cell Biology. Perhaps most significant concerning her work in microscopy is her receipt of the Keith Porter Fellowship from the Keith R. Porter Endowment for Cell Biology Foundation. This recognition, from the foundation bearing the name of one of the greats in American electron microscopy, is most certainly a special award for Dr. Waterman-Storer. Second, she has been invited to serve as a member of the CDF-2 Study Section and the CSF Study Section of the NIGMS. For a young individual early in her career, this is clear recognition of her expertise at the national/international level. Third, Dr. Waterman-Storer has been invited to join the editorial boards of the Journal of Microscopy, Molecular Biology of the Cell, and Current Biology. In addition to these editorial responsibilities, she serves as an external reviewer for a number of well-known scientific journals. Fourth, Dr. Waterman-Storer has been invited to organize courses and to participate in special summer courses. For example, she has served as a faculty member at the Austrian Academy of Science in Salzburg and of the EMBL in Heidelberg. She has been codirector of the NIH Center for Cell Dynamics at Friday Harbor, Washington, served as cochair of the Center for Cell Dynamics Workshop, also at Friday Harbor, and was chair for the Keystone Symposium on Dynamics and Crosstalk of Cytoskeletal Systems. Fifth, Dr. Waterman-Storer has also participated as a faculty member at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories and at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory and she chaired the American Society Cell Biology Summer Meeting Series on “Systems Integration in Directed Cell Motility.” Dr. Waterman-Storer's research successes have been widely recognized by her scientific peers as important and innovative in molecular and cell biology. Her innovative approach to research and her ability to create new and important techniques for investigating cell function have opened new fields of endeavor. Her research is leading to a new understanding of cell processes. Dr. Waterman-Storer is a very worthy recipient of the 2006 R.R. Bensley Award. The Basmajian/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Award recognizes young faculty who teach human or veterinary anatomy. The criteria for selection are outstanding accomplishment in research in the anatomical sciences and demonstrated excellence in, and commitment to, the teaching of gross anatomy. The Basmajian/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Award recipient for 2006 is Thierry R.H. Bacro. Thierry R.H. Bacro Dr. Bacro's educational background has, literally, been around the world. He attended the Medical University of Lille, France, from 1977 to 1980 and received the DE MK degree in physical therapy from that institution. He received a BS with honors from the University of Cape Town in 1987. He then came to the University of South Carolina at Columbia and enrolled in graduate school, receiving an MS in 1990 and a PhD in 1994 in developmental biology and anatomy. In the period between his physical therapy degree and attending the University of Cape Town (1980–1986), Dr. Bacro was in practices as a physical therapist at several institutions in France. In 1986 and 1987, he practiced both physical therapy and physiotherapy in the Republic of South Africa. Dr. Bacro became assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences as the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in 1995 and was promoted to the rank of associate professor in 1999. In 2002, Dr. Bacro moved to the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy at MUSC at the rank of associate professor, a position that he currently holds. He is also an associate faculty member in the College of Graduate Studies. Dr. Bacro's research interests are in gross anatomy and the development of new technology to teach gross anatomy both locally and at distant learning sites. His efforts in this broad area have taken several very successful directions. He has developed a series of short digital movie segments on the fundamentals of dissection and made these available as a Web-based educational tool. These are used both at MUSC and at the University of South Carolina and have been well received. He has also developed a Web-based course on surface anatomy that is extremely polished, content-rich, and clinically relevant, which has proven to be very useful to practicing physicians, medical students, as well as other students in the health professions. Using a commercially available software know as WebCT, Dr. Bacro put together an online course in gross anatomy for physical and occupational therapy students that could be produced at the MUSC and accessed from other off-campus sites. In addition to these significant efforts and accomplishments, Dr. Bacro has also published on his Web-based delivery of anatomy and on topics in cell and cancer biology. Dr. Bacro's teaching responsibilities clearly reflect his interests in gross anatomy and technology. He is Course Director of Dental Gross Anatomy and Neuroanatomy in the Department of Cell Biology and is colecturer in a course taught in the summer and fall semesters entitled “The Anatomical Basic of Medicines.” Building on his extensive interests in Web-based technology for teaching gross anatomy and on his knowledge base of gross anatomy, Dr. Bacro is also involved in faculty development workshops sponsored by his institution and has taught numerous workshops on using Web-based methodology to impart knowledge in the anatomical sciences. In total, he has conducted over 20 workshops in area of his expertise. In addition, he has created and published eight electronic programs that are made widely available to individuals within his institution and at other institutions in his region. Through his efforts at basic sciences research as well as his extensive research into topics related to physical therapy and especially those related to using Web-based methods for imparting anatomical knowledge, Dr. Bacro has presented 2 major papers internationally (France and Canada) and 11 papers nationally. These were given at meetings such as the American Society for Cell Biology, the annual meeting of the APTA, the annual meeting of the American Society Hand Therapist, and the EB meeting. In addition, he has presented 15 papers in his region of the country, most especially in South Carolina on similar topics. It is clear that Dr. Bacro's efforts in this area have not only been recognized nationally but will probably influence how gross anatomy is taught in the future. A further testament to the growing need for innovative education mythology is the fact that Dr. Bacro has received a large multiple-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education to pursue innovative ways of training people to teach gross anatomy. In addition, he has a collaborative grant with the University of South Carolina and the Medical University of South Carolina that is sponsored by the Fullerton Foundation and the Duke Endowment to investigate physician training and biomedical research in South Carolina. Dr. Bacro is a member of a number of professional organizations, including the AAA, American Physical Therapy Association, and the American Association of Clinical Anatomists. In addition, he is an ad hoc reviewer for The Anatomical Record and reviewer for the online publication MedEdPORTAL. Dr. Bacro has also received a number of honors over the last few years. These include an invitation to be a member of the Alpha Theta Chapter of the Occupational Therapy Honor Society, nomination by the MUSC College of Health Sciences Program Developing Scholar Program, and he has been nominated six times for his skill in the classroom as Best Clinician of the Year, Faculty Excellence Award in the College of Medicine, and for the American Dental Association GlaxoSmithKline Excellence in Teaching Award. Within his institution, Dr. Bacro is extensively involved in education responsibilities and in committee work. Since 1996, he has severed on 17 different committees within the College of Health Professions and the College of Medicine at MUSC. His devotion to innovative education has resulted in his appointment as Director of Faculty Development for Web-Based Instruction at MUSC. This is an appointment made by the associate dean of that institution. Dr. Bacro is highly respected and greatly appreciated by his institution. He has made significant contributions to anatomical education and has introduced innovative and new ways of imparting anatomical knowledge. He has demonstrated a commitment to teaching excellence in the anatomical sciences. Dr. Bacro is a worthy recipient of the 2006 Basmajian/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Award. The AAA's Young Anatomist's Publication Award was created to recognize the best publication by a young anatomists in one of the society's journal: The Anatomical Record (including The New Anatomist) and Developmental Dynamics. Students, postdocs, and assistant professors without tenure are eligible if they are the first or last author (assuming the last author is laboratory director) on a paper published in the calendar year preceding the presentation of the award. Candidates must be AAA members for the year in which the manuscript was published, must have renewed their membership for the year in which the award is presented, and must travel to the AAA annual meeting to accept the award. The 2006 AAA Young Anatomist's Publication Award recipient is Tamara Franz-Odendaal. Dr. Franz-Odendaal Dr. Franz-Odendaal received all of her undergraduate and graduate education at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. She received a BSc in zoology in 1993, a BSc in cell and developmental biology in 1994, an MSc in cell and developmental biology in 1997, and a PhD in zoology in 2002. She became a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Professor Brain K. Hall in the Department of Biology at Dalhousie University in 2003 and is currently in that position. During her undergraduate and graduate education, Dr. Franz-Odendaal received the Mayer and Harry Brunow Scholarship and was supported in part by an award from the Foundation for Research and Development of South Africa and National Research Foundation of South Africa. She was also a junior teaching assistant in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology from 1994 to 1997, was promoted to senior teaching assistant in 1999, and became a tutor in histology and cell biology for 2000 and 2001. Dr. Franz-Odendaal received the AAA Young Anatomist's Publication Award for her paper entitled “Buried Alive: How Osteoblasts Become Osteocytes,” published in volume 235 of Developmental Dynamics in 2006. This publication presented an in-depth consideration (with 167 references) of the structural and functional processes that are involved in the transformation of osteoblast into osteoclast both as concerning their locations and physiological properties. Dr. Franz-Odendaal presented four hypothetical plans as to how this may be taking place and gives a fifth suggestion concerning how osteoblasts may avoid becoming trapped in bone matrix. These plans, briefly described, are as follows. First, osteoblasts may be unpolarized, lay down bone in all directions, and become trapped in their own secretions. Second, individual osteoblasts may be polarized, lay down bone in one direction, but those cells within the same generation or layer are polarized differently than those in the adjacent layers. Thus, bone is deposited in all directions and osteoblasts become trapped. Third, osteoblasts of each generation are polarized in the same direction and one generation buries the preceding generation in bone matrix. However, Dr. Franz-Odendaal notes that this is an unlikely occurrence. Fourth, within one generation, some osteoblasts may slow, or stop, their rate of bone deposition and become trapped in the secretions of the neighboring cells. In the alternative concept, osteoblasts may be highly polarized, function as a unit to lay down bone synchronously. This is an outstanding publication that consolidates much of the current thinking on how osteoblasts may become osteoclasts. This is certainly the type of publication that is a must-cite paper by any cell biologist working in the area of bone biology. During her postdoctoral fellowship at Dalhousie, Dr. Franz-Odendaal has been an advisor to honor students and has given lectures in the Department of Biology on Advanced Developmental Biology. In this respect, in addition to her ongoing research, she is participating in various education opportunities. For a postdoctoral fellow early in her education experience, Dr. Franz-Odendaal has published 14 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 7 abstracts resulting from presentation at national or international conferences, and has given 7 conference presentations that did not result in published abstracts. Her papers are published in journals such as Evolution and Development, Developmental Dynamics, Journal of Zoology, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Paleobiology, and South African Medical Journal. Her presentations have been at national and international ventures such as the North American Paleontology Convention, Experimental Biology, the Society of Developmental Biology, and the International Symposium on Behavior of Wild and Zoo Animals. In addition, she has contributed to the Palaeontological Association Newsletter and is active in this association. Although Dr. Franz-Odendaal's research interest is the study of bone as widely defined, some of her particular areas of interest include determining the diet of fossil herbivores, development of the retinal pigment epithelium of the chicken, development in scleral ossicles in vertebrates, and analysis of dental pathologies in the herbivores as related to their paleoenvironment. Dr. Franz-Odendaal has a received a number of honors and special awards. These include AAA Post-Doctoral Fellow Poster Award at EB in 2005, an AAA Travel Award in 2004 and 2005, the 2005 Canadian Connective Tissue Conference Travel Award, the Best Student Presentation at the Southern African Society for Quaternary Science in 2001, and finalist for the Presley-Zeiss Award by the AAA in 2004. She has received articles for the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, and Evolution and Development and is a member of nine professional organizations, including the AAA, Society for Developmental Biology, Canadian Society of Zoologists, Paleontology Association, and the Paleontological Society of Southern Africa. Dr. Franz-Odendaal is an outstanding young scientist who is well trained in making significant contributions to her area of specialization early in her career. Her outstanding publications, along with her extensive involvement in research, teaching, and extensive collaborations with colleagues around the world, is an excellent accomplishment at this time in her career. Dr. Franz-Odendaal is a most worthy recipient of the 2006 Young Anatomist's Publication Award.

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