NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lymphatic Education & Research Network Leadership (LE&RN) announced today the 2014 Wendy Chaite Leadership Awards have been presented to H. Eser Tolunay, PhD, of the National Institutes of Health, and Heather Ferguson of the Lymphedema Advocacy Group. LE&RN also announced two 2014-16 post-doctoral fellowships: Maike Frye, Ph.D. of Uppsala University, Sweden for Functional Characterization of Primary Lymphedema Gene GATA2, and Katarzyna Koltowska, Ph.D., of The University of Queensland, Australia, for the Characterization of Novel Modulator of Vegfc/Vegfr3 Signaling during Lymphatic Development. LE&RN recently received a $500,000 pledge from the Weitzner family to provide lymphedema research fellowships to be named the HENRY M. WEITZNER, EDNA K. WEITZNER, DOROTHEA M. WEITZNER AND MORTON L. WEITZNER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS. The announcements were made in Lucca, Italy on March 11 at LE&RN’s International Scientific & Medical Advisory Council meeting.
“The opportunity to provide these awards and accept this generous gift from the Weitzner family is a major milestone for LE&RN,” said William Repicci, Executive Director, LE&RN. “With this contribution, we are able to continue to expand on our knowledge of the lymphatic system as well as provide vital resources for patients with lymphedema.”
Earlier this year, the Leadership Award was renamed the ‘Wendy Chaite Leadership Award,’ in recognition of LE&RN’s Founder and her impact on the field of lymphatics. The award, given biennially, recognizes persons most deserving of acknowledgment for their considerable contribution to the field. It is intended to recognize individuals, including elected and appointed officials; organizations, including non-profit and for-profit corporations; as well as foundations. The award also recognizes institutions that have made a significant contribution toward promoting and supporting lymphatic research, at the international, national, state and local levels, that make strides to advance the field of lymphatic research or find improved treatments and cures for lymphatic diseases, lymphedema, and related disorders. Past recipients have included Stephen Goldman, PhD, and Henry Chang, MD (2002); Stanley Rockson, MD (2004); Waldemar Olszewski, MD (2006); Guillermo Oliver, PhD (2008); David Zawieja, PhD (2010); and Kari Alitalo, MD PhD (2012).
About LE&RN
Founded in 1998, the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (formerly LRF) is a 501(c)(3) not-for profit organization whose mission is to fight lymphatic disease and lymphedema through education, research and advocacy. LE&RN provides valuable education resources for the millions of people who suffer from lymphedema and lymphatic disease. LE&RN fosters and supports research that can deepen the medical community's understanding of the lymphatic system. For more information about lymphatic disease or the Lymphatic Education & Research Network, please visit www.LymphaticNetwork.org, and join us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or call (516) 625-9675.
