From: Susan Guthrie
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 10:19 AM
Subject: UA Researchers Receive National Award in Preventive Nutrition

UA Researchers Receive National Award in Preventive Nutrition

 

From:  Ginny Geib, (520) 626-3389, geib@pharmacy.arizona.edu                Jan. 10, 2006

 

Two professors of pharmacology and toxicology at The University of Arizona College of Pharmacy have received a national academic award for their research with niacin and niacin-derived molecules. 

 

Elaine Jacobson and Myron (Mike) Jacobson were presented the E. Bruce Street, Sr./Roger J. Williams Award in Preventive Nutrition by the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth last month.

 

The husband and wife, who also are members of the Arizona Cancer Center at The University of Arizona Health Sciences Center and professors with the UA BIO5 Institute, have focused their research of nearly 30 years on understanding the roles of niacin and niacin-derived molecules in human health, especially in relation to skin sun damage including skin cancer.  They came to The University of Arizona in 2000, following previous faculty positions at the University of Kentucky and the University of North Texas Health Science Center.

 

Their efforts to translate knowledge of niacin function toward clinical applications led to the 1997 founding of Niadyne, Inc., a Tucson company that produces “cosmeceutical” skin care products and develops drugs for treatment and prevention of dermatology conditions and cardiovascular diseases.

 

The National Cancer Institute has selected one of the novel compounds developed by the Jacobsons for the topical delivery of niacin for evaluation as a skin cancer prevention agent.

 

The E. Bruce Street, Sr./Roger J. Williams Award in Preventive Nutrition recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to any aspect of preventive nutrition, either scientific or sociological.  It was created to honor the late Roger J. Williams, a pioneer in nutrition research and founding director of the Clayton Foundation Biochemical Institute at the University of Texas at AustinTexas oilman E. Bruce Street, Sr., endowed the award and his name was added to the award’s title following his death in 2005. 

 

The Jacobsons are the ninth recipients of the award, which carried a cash prize of $6,000.  Previous awardees include William Shive of the University of Texas at Austin, Bruce N. Ames of the University of California at Berkeley, Richard J. Wurtman of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Scott Grundy of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Hector F. DeLuca of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Robert I. Levy of Columbia University, Vernon R. Young of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and George Beaton of the University of Toronto. 

 

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Susan Guthrie
Senior Public Affairs Coordinator
University of Arizona, College of Medicine - Phoenix
4001 N. Third Street, Suite 401
Phoenix, Arizona  85012
602-631-6555 (office) 480-241-7738 (cell)
sguthrie@email.arizona.edu

www.phoenix.arizona.edu

 

To read about the expansion of the UA College of Medicine in Phoenix go to http://www.phoenix.medicine.arizona.edu/About/News/Campus/