Arjun Deb gets Katz Basic Science Research Prize for Young Investigators

WASHINGTON - Arjun Deb of Indian origin has been awarded the Louis N. and Arnold M. Katz Basic Science Research Prize for Young Investigators.

Deb is an assistant professor of medicine and of cell and molecular physiology, and a member of the McAllister Heart Institute and the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The Louis N. and Arnold M. Katz Prize is one of the oldest and prestigious awards offered by the American Heart Association and encourages new investigators to continue research careers in basic cardiovascular science.

The award recognizes research-involving biochemical, cellular, molecular and genetic studies in basic cardiovascular science.

This is the first time in the history of the award that a researcher from the University of North Carolina has won the first prize. Winner of the prize receives a plaque and 1,500 dollars.

Deb’s laboratory is broadly interested in understanding the biology of adult stem cells and specifically how they can be targeted to enhance organ regeneration and repair.

He was awarded the Katz prize for his work: “Wnt1 mediated dynamic injury response activates the epicardium and is critical for mammalian cardiac repair.”

In July 2008, Deb received a New Scholar Award in Aging from the Ellison Medical Foundation for his investigation into the role of cardiac stem cells in the biology of aging of the adult heart. (ANI)