TROY, N.Y. — Governor George E. Pataki today announced that Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has received one of six New York State Office of Science, Technology, and Academic Research (NYSTAR) James D. Watson Investigator Program Awards. The Watson Program is designed to recognize and support outstanding scientists and engineers who, early in their careers, show potential for leadership and scientific discovery in the field of biotechnology.

The $200,000 grant was awarded to Deanna Thompson, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Rensselaer, whose research focuses on the repair mechanisms of the nervous system as a means to provide insight into new treatment strategies for both peripheral and central nerve injuries. Support from the NYSTAR J.D. Watson Investigator Program will allow Thompson’s laboratory to investigate the roles certain cells play in the successful repair and guidance of nerve networks.

“Despite advances in surgical techniques and the inherent capacity of the peripheral nervous system to regenerate, the outlook for a full functional recovery following nerve injury remains dismal,” says Professor Thompson. “Our research seeks to discover the ways in which injured nerves can be repaired.” 

“We applaud Governor Pataki for his dedication to strengthening biotechnology research in New York state and foresight in supporting rising stars like Professor Thompson,” said Omkaram “Om” Nalamasu, vice president for research at Rensselaer. “Professor Thompson’s work seeks a better understanding of the possibilities of regenerating nerve cells. Contributing to a better understanding of complex problems such as neural regeneration is one of the many areas of vital research under way at the Rensselaer Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies.” 

The James D. Watson Investigator initiative is part of the $225 million Generating Employment through New York State Science (Gen*NY*sis) program, which was created to maximize the potential of the world-class life sciences research being conducted at New York's public, not-for-profit, and private academic research institutions, according to the Governor's announcement today. The program complements New York’s comprehensive efforts to make the Empire State an international leader in high-tech and biotechnology-related research and economic development.

The purpose of the Watson Program is to assist New York state’s leading research institutions in recognizing, retaining, and professionally developing early-career scientists who demonstrate leadership potential at the frontier of knowledge in the life sciences and conduct research that is anticipated to enhance economic development in the state, according to NYSTAR.

Professor Thompson joined Rensselaer in September 2004, from the Center for Engineering in Medicine at the Harvard Medical School.

Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies at Rensselaer
At Rensselaer, faculty and students in diverse academic and research disciplines are collaborating at the intersection of engineering and the life sciences to encourage discovery and innovation. Rensselaer’s four biotechnology research constellations — biocatalysis and metabolic engineering, functional tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, biocomputation and bioinformatics, and integrative systems biology — engage a multidisciplinary mix of faculty and students focused on the application of engineering and physical and information sciences to the life sciences. Ranked among the world’s most advanced research facilities, Rensselaer’s Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies provides a state-of-the-art platform for collaborative research and world-class programs and symposia.

Contact: Tiffany Lohwater
Phone: (518) 276-6542
E-mail: lohwat@rpi.edu