News Release

Diversity award bestowed upon University of Colorado-Denver med school professor

Arthur Gutierrez-Hartmann's efforts described as 'tireless' and critical to young investigators' success

Grant and Award Announcement

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Arthur Gutierrez-Hartmann, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

image: The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has named Arthur Gutierrez-Hartmann, a professor at the Anschutz Medical Campus of the University of Colorado-Denver School of Medicine, the winner of its inaugural Ruth Kirschstein Diversity in Science Award. view more 

Credit: American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

BETHESDA, Md., April 7, 2011 – The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has named Arthur Gutierrez-Hartmann, a professor at the Anschutz Medical Campus of the University of Colorado-Denver School of Medicine, the winner of its inaugural Ruth Kirschstein Diversity in Science Award. Gutierrez-Hartmann will present his award lecture, titled "The Role of the ETS Transcription Factor ESE-1 in Breast Cancer," at 9:03 a.m. Sunday, April 10, in Ballroom C of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., as part of the Experimental Biology 2011 conference.

The award was established to honor an outstanding scientist who has shown a strong commitment to the encouragement of underrepresented minorities to enter the scientific enterprise and to the effective mentorship of those within it.

"Arthur has been tireless in his efforts, giving freely of his time to help numerous [underrepresented] and disadvantaged students as they progress through the key transitions in their careers in biomedical sciences," explained John D. Baxter of The Methodist Hospital Research Institute in the Texas Medical Center in support of Gutierrez-Hartmann's nomination. "Being a Mexican-American physician-scientist who has firsthand knowledge of the disadvantages and prejudices that [underrepresented minority] trainees must overcome has given him insights that resonate with trainees he mentors."

Sonia C. Flores, a colleague at the Anschutz Medical Campus, emphasized how scarce role models like Gutierrez-Hartmann were back when she was a trainee and how important his efforts are for trainees today: "As a woman from Puerto Rico… I commend his unwavering commitment to the advancement of not only ethnic minorities but women in science. Arthur is always gentle, always right and always finds the time to tell every student what they need to accomplish."

Gutierrez-Hartmann completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Austin in 1971. He attended graduate school and medical school from 1971 to 1977, receiving his medical degree in 1975 from University of Texas-Southwestern Medical School. He went on to complete a residency from 1977 to 1980 at the Stanford University Medical Center and a fellowship from 1980 to 1983 at the University of California, San Francisco, serving under Baxter. He served on the Journal of Biological Chemistry's editorial board from 2001 to 2006.

The Ruth Kirschstein Diversity in Science Award includes a plaque, a $3,000 cash prize and travel expenses for the ASBMB annual meeting.

###

About Experimental Biology 2011

Six scientific societies will hold their joint scientific sessions and annual meetings, known as Experimental Biology, from April 9-13, 2011, in Washington, D.C. This meeting brings together the leading researchers from a broad array of life science disciplines. The societies include the American Association of Anatomists (AAA), American Physiological Society (APS), American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP), American Society for Nutrition (ASN), and American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET).

More information about EB2011 for the media can be found on the press page: http://experimentalbiology.org/content/PressInformation.aspx.

About the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

The ASBMB is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with more than 12,000 members worldwide. Most members teach and conduct research at colleges and universities. Others conduct research in various government laboratories, at nonprofit research institutions and in industry. The Society's student members attend undergraduate or graduate institutions. For more information about ASBMB, visit www.asbmb.org.


Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.