Seven Latin American Scientists Awarded Opportunity to Pursue Cutting-Edge Biomedical Research

Philadelphia, PA -  Seven highly talented early-career Latin American scientists were named today as 2006 Pew Latin American Fellows in the Biomedical Sciences by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF).  Awardees receive $50,000 over two years to obtain scientific training at some of the U.S.’ best research institutions.  Following completion of their studies, Fellows are provided $35,000 to purchase equipment and supplies to set up laboratories when they return to their home countries. “For more than 15 years, the Pew Latin American Fellows program has provided nearly 150 outstanding, early-career scientists with the training and assistance needed to advance biomedical research in their home countries,” said Rebecca W. Rimel, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Pew Charitable Trusts.  “These talented and accomplished individuals, many of whom have become respected scientific leaders and teachers, demonstrate how global scientific exchanges can have a tremendous impact on the quality of research in Latin America.”

This year’s Fellows represent diverse Latin American countries, including Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay.  Working with some of the most prestigious scientists in the United States, the 2006 Fellows will be studying a wide array of problems relevant to human health, such as how changes in certain types of molecules cause memory impairment and how cells intentionally mutate to adapt to new conditions —for example, to become antibiotic resistant.

The 2006 class of Pew Latin American Fellows are:

•     Sebastian Brauchi, Ph.D., Chile, Harvard University Medical School  
•     Rodrigo da Silva Galhardo, Ph.D., Brazil, Baylor College of Medicine  
•     Gabriel Alberto Gasque, Ph.D., Mexico, Columbia University  
•     David Guillermo Mendoza-Cózatl, Ph.D., Mexico, niversity of California, San Diego  
•     Jose Sotelo, Ph.D., Uruguay, National Cancer Institute  
•     José Luis Valdés, Ph.D., Chile, University of Arizona  
•     Maria Dulcetti Vibranovski, Ph.D., Brazil, University of Chicago

For full biographies and information regarding the Fellows’ research subjects, please visit www.pewlatinfellows.com.

About the Pew Fellows program
The Pew Latin American Fellows in the Biomedical Sciences program was launched to help develop a cadre of well trained Latin American scientists who could stimulate and contribute to the growth of high-quality biomedical science in Latin America and foster collaboration between scientists in Latin America and the U.S.  Since 1991, the Trusts has invested more than $11 million to fund nearly 150 fellows, over 80 percent of whom have returned to their home countries.  Eligible biomedical scientists from Mexico and all Central and South American countries are invited to apply, and selection is made by a distinguished national advisory committee chaired by Dr. Torsten N. Wiesel, president emeritus of Rockefeller University, and a 1981 Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine.