Yale named Top Ten Center of Biomedical Research by The Hartwell Foundation

Yale University has been designated by The Hartwell Foundation as a Top Ten Center of Biomedical Research for 2020, garnering this distinction for its strengths in child health research in alignment with the foundation’s philanthropic mission. 

As a Top Ten Center, Yale will have the opportunity to submit an increased number of applications to The Hartwell Foundation’s Individual Biomedical Research Award program, which supports early-stage, innovative, and cutting-edge biomedical research with the potential to benefit children in the U.S.

“A Top Ten designation by the foundation is a signal honor,” said Yale President Peter Salovey. “This distinction reflects both the excellence of Yale’s faculty members, who define the frontiers of research and scholarship, and the support that the university provides our investigators to conduct transformative work.”

The designation comes after 10 years of continuous participation by Yale in the foundation’s awards process, through which Yale has won eight Individual Biomedical Research Awards and received five postdoctoral fellowships. 

Foundation President Frederick A. Dombrose said: “The Hartwell Foundation takes into account the shared values the institution has with the foundation relating to children's health, the presence of an associated medical school and biomedical engineering program, and the quality and scope of ongoing biomedical research. We are pleased to recognize the alignment of the research mission of Yale University with that of The Hartwell Foundation.” 

The Top Ten designation confers to Yale enhanced ability to nominate up to three faculty members each year to receive an Individual Biomedical Research Award. Previously, Yale’s participation in the program was more limited. The award provides $300,000 of direct cost support over three years for research of benefit to children. In addition, with each nominee selected to receive an award, Yale will receive a two-year Hartwell Fellowship supporting one postdoctoral fellow from an area of biomedical science that exemplifies the values of the foundation. Each fellowship provides support at $50,000 in direct costs per year. 

“The Hartwell Foundation’s support of innovative research with the potential to benefit children stands out among philanthropic organizations,” said Dr. Nancy J. Brown, the Jean and David W. Wallace Dean of Yale School of Medicine and C.N.H. Long Professor of Internal Medicine. “I am grateful for this recognition of Yale’s excellence in this area and look forward to seeing continued impacts made by those supported by The Hartwell Foundation.”

Yale recipients of the Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Award over the past 10 years are:

• Marie Egan, M.D., professor of pediatrics (respiratory) and of cellular and molecular physiology, for “Synthetic Nanoparticles for Gene Correction of Cystic Fibrosis” (2010)
• Anjelica Gonzalez, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical engineering, for “Artificial Amniotic Membrane Scaffolds for Scarless Wound Healing” (2011)
• Stephanie Eisenbarth, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of laboratory medicine, of immunobiology, and of medicine (immunobiology), for “Achieving Allergen Tolerance in Children with Asthma through Dendritic Cell Paralysis” (2012)
• Vineet Bhandari, M.D. (now at Cooper University Health Care), for “Surfactant-Enhanced Delivery of Silencing Ribonucleic Acid to Prevent Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia” (2013)
• Nikhil Malvankar, Ph.D., assistant professor of molecular biophysics and biochemistry, for “Targeting Antibiotic Resistance and Biofilm Formation in Pediatric Bacterial Infections” (2016)
• David Stitelman, M.D., assistant professor of surgery (pediatrics) and of obstetrics, gynecology & reproductive sciences, for “Fetal Cure for Spina Bifida” (2017)
• Ellen F. Foxman, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of laboratory medicine and of immunobiology, for “Novel Diagnostic Test to Reduce Antibiotic Overuse” (2018)
• Richard Pierce, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics (critical care), for “Catalyzing Bronchiolitis Therapeutics through Immune Response Profiling” (2019)

For more information about The Hartwell Foundation, visit their website.