By Alexandra Scammell, Bill Snyder, and Kiya Gaskin
The School of Medicine Basic Sciences fosters an environment where curiosity thrives, and its diverse community of scientists is empowered to acquire new knowledge about human biology, health, and disease.
A pillar of this community is the female faculty who are passionate about advancing and making notable impacts on their basic sciences fields. For many, their efforts have been recognized by the highest-caliber professional societies around the world. Dr. Nancy Carrasco, Lisa Monteggia, and Dr. Kimryn Rathmell are three such Vanderbilt scientists who have received awards and recognition from the National Academy of Medicine, the American Association for Arts and Sciences, and others.
Nancy Carrasco
Carrasco, the Joe C. Davis Professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, received the 2024 Award for the Biophysics of Health and Disease from the Biophysical Society and was named the 2023 SEC Faculty Achievement Award winner.
The BPS recognized Carrasco’s “seminal and elegant” biophysical approaches to characterizing the sodium/iodide transporter. The SEC Faculty Achievement Award recognizes faculty members from each of the 14 SEC universities for excellence in research and teaching, particularly at the undergraduate level.
“Dr. Carrasco is renowned for her work in molecular physiology, particularly in understanding iodide ion transport and the structure of the sodium/iodide symporter. Her pioneering contributions to thyroid pathophysiology have impacted research in public health by leading to a clearer understanding of the danger of certain water pollutants, such as the toxic perchlorate ion,” said John Kuriyan, dean of the School of Medicine Basic Sciences. “I am pleased to congratulate her on being recognized for [the SEC Faculty Achievement Award].”
Throughout her career, Carrasco has received numerous scientific awards and has served as president of societies such as the Society of Latin American Biophysicists. Carrasco was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2015, the National Academy of Medicine in 2020, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2022. In 2023, she was named a Biophysical Society Fellow.
Lisa Monteggia
Monteggia, Barlow Family Director of the Vanderbilt Brain Institute and professor of pharmacology, was elected to membership in the National Academy of Medicine in 2022 for “seminal contributions to the neurobiology of emotion … [and] transformative con-tributions to our understanding of synaptic plasticity mechanisms that underlie the therapeutic effects of psychiatric treatments.”
Monteggia’s laboratory has been investigating the role of neurotrophins—nerve cell growth factors—and the role they play in depressive-like behavior and the efficacy of antidepressants. The NAM cited her “pioneering work identifying a causal link between neurotrophin signaling and antidepressant action” in its decision to offer her membership.
Her work to identify the proteins in the brain that are targeted by the rapid-acting antidepressant action of ketamine has opened the door to new possibilities for the development of drugs that mimic ketamine’s antidepressant benefits without its side effects. This aspect of Monteggia’s work has resulted in additional recognitions, including from the Anna-Monika Foundation. The AMF recently named Monteggia and collaborator and Department of Pharmacology Chair Ege Kavalali as recipients of its Anna-Monika Prize, presented to researchers who have “made significant advances in neurobiology and treatment of depressive disorders.”
A pillar of this community is the female faculty who are passionate about advancing and making notable impacts on their basic sciences fields.
Kimryn Rathmell
Rathmell is internationally recognized for her molecular biology research in the pathogenesis of kidney cancer, nationally funded large-scale genomic studies of cancer, and clinical investigations that have brought new biomarkers, imaging modalities, and lifesaving therapies to patient care. Formerly the Hugh Jackson Morgan Professor of Medicine, chair of the Department of Medicine, and professor of biochemistry, Rathmell was appointed by President Joe Biden as director of the National Cancer Institute as of December 2023.
In October 2023, she was presented with the Paragon Award for Research Excellence from the Doris Duke Foundation.
“This award means a lot to me,” Rathmell said. The Clinical Scientist Development Award she received “allowed our research to really move into the translational space—supporting our first foray into functional imaging with FDG-PET scans as a part of predicting patient response to therapy.”
Rathmell was also elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences—one of the oldest professional academies in the U.S., which honors excellence from “every field of human endeavor”—and the National Academy of Medicine in 2022.
Her NAM election recognized her basic science investigations of kidney cancer that are “paving the way for new therapeutics” and contributions to the mentorship, recognition, and career advancement of physician-scientists.
Rathmell is known for her advocacy for physician-scientist training, for championing support of kidney cancer research, and for the development of policies that address drug shortages and conflicts of interest in scientific publishing in equitable ways.