(Boston) – Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researcher James A. Hamilton, PhD, professor of biophysics and physiology, with joint appointments in biomedical engineering and medicine, is the recipient of the 2010 Avanti Award in Lipids.
This award is being bestowed by the Biophysical Society Award Committee for Hamilton's innovative contributions in the application of nuclear magnetic resonance methods to phospholipids and fatty acids. The Biophysical Society is a professional, scientific society established to encourage development and dissemination of knowledge in biophysics.
Hamilton is one of eight recipients to receive the award at the Society's 56th Annual Meeting on Monday, February 22, 2010 in San Francisco. The Society promotes growth in this expanding field through its annual meeting, monthly journal, and committee and outreach activities. Its 8,600 members are located throughout the U.S. and the world, where they teach and conduct research in colleges, universities, laboratories, government agencies, and industry.
Hamilton obtained a bachelor of science in chemistry from Juniata College in Huntington, Pa. and a PhD in biochemistry from Indiana University in Bloomington. His current research includes developing non-invasive MRI diagnostic tests to detect vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque and new MRI methods to detect specific components in plaques, such as fluid lipids. He also leads a multidisciplinary team that images heart functions and heart fat in type 2 diabetics. Hamilton has been a member of the faculty at BUSM for more than 30 years.
Boston University School of Medicine began as the New England Women's Medical College in 1848 and was incorporated as Boston University School of Medicine in 1873. A leading academic and research institution, with an enrollment of more than 600 medical-degree students, and 300 graduate students receiving master's and doctorate degrees, the school has 1,000 full-time and 114 part-time faculty members and 1,250 volunteers. It is one of the major biomedical research institutions in the United States and is renowned for its programs in cardiovascular disease, cancer, pulmonary diseases, human genetics, dermatology, arthritis, pediatrics and geriatrics, among others. In the vanguard of research activities, Boston University School of Medicine received $134.7 million last year in research grants and provides clinical leadership for the Framingham Heart Study, the largest epidemiological study in the world. Hospital affiliates of Boston University School of Medicine include Boston Medical Center, Brockton Hospital, Roger Williams Medical Center and the Veterans Administration Hospital in Boston.