{"649242":{"#nid":"649242","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Biochemistry Postdoctoral Researcher Wins Burroughs Wellcome Fund Award for Early Career Scientists ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA postdoctoral researcher in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is one of 11 students across the nation to win the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bwfund.org\/news\/2021-career-award-at-the-scientific-interfaces-recipients-announced\/\u0022\u003E2021 Career Awards at the Scientific Interface\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bwfund.org\/\u0022\u003EBurroughs Wellcome Fund\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/donegan\/rebecca\u0022\u003ERebecca Donegan\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;won for her proposal that will study nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), an infection that can mimic other respiratory conditions and can cause lung damage. Donegan\u0026rsquo;s project was one of 250 initial pre-proposals that survived the process to receive the CASI Award.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Burroughs Wellcome Fund established the award to provide funding security \u0026ldquo;that enables interdisciplinary new investigators to develop innovative and independent research programs during this critical time in their careers,\u0026rdquo; according to a Fund press release. \u0026ldquo;The intent is that this infusion of funds and early career support will allow these investigators to quickly establish an innovative research program that will allow them to become leaders in their respective fields.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I was really surprised when I got the notification that I had received the award,\u0026rdquo; Donegan says. \u0026ldquo;I was notified via a phone call, and I remember being very excited and not entirely sure what to say other than, \u0026lsquo;Thank you.\u0026rsquo; There are a lot of rejections when applying for awards and grants, so it feels great to receive one.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDonegan will study how non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) use heme \u0026mdash; a precursor to hemoglobin, which binds oxygen to blood \u0026mdash; as a nutrient source during infection.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.aboutntm.com\/\u0022\u003EAboutNTM website\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;says the lung disease \u0026ldquo;can make you sick and cause you to experience symptoms like coughing, fatigue, and shortness of breath. People can have NTM for months, sometimes years, without knowing it because symptoms are similar to other lung conditions.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;NTM are important to study because their infections are difficult to treat and their numbers are on the rise,\u0026rdquo; Donegan says. \u0026ldquo;During infection, NTM must either make or uptake heme to be able to survive, but we don\u0026rsquo;t really understand which of these processes is necessary or know how NTM maintain the right amount of heme. My research will hopefully uncover how NTM use heme during infection to identify new pathways to target in order to treat NTM infections.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/lieberman\/raquel\u0022\u003ERaquel Lieberman\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, served as Donegan\u0026rsquo;s graduate mentor. \u0026ldquo;Dr. Donegan continually impresses me with her scientific creativity and seemingly effortless intuition for biochemistry, broadly defined,\u0026rdquo; Lieberman says. \u0026ldquo;She is an intuitive, highly talented, tenacious, efficient, broadly trained, and motivated biochemist, as well as an excellent role model, mentor, and colleague for those lucky enough to interact with her.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDonegan\u0026rsquo;s goal is to have her own research lab while teaching biochemistry. \u0026ldquo;I hope that in five to ten years, my lab has identified some of the proteins that NTM need to maintain heme.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to its website, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund \u0026ldquo;serves and strengthens society by nurturing a diverse group of leaders in biomedical sciences to improve human health through education and powering discovery in frontiers of greatest need.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Rebecca Donegan will use the grant to find out more about nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), a pathogen that causes lung infections"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA biochemistry postdoctoral student will soon be able to focus more attention on a\u0026nbsp;bacteria that can mimic other respiratory conditions, and can cause lung damage, \u0026nbsp;thanks to an award for early career scientists from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Rebecca Donegan will use the grant to find out more about nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), a pathogen that causes lung infections"}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2021-08-03 20:59:45","changed_gmt":"2021-08-05 22:01:49","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-08-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2021-08-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"649241":{"id":"649241","type":"image","title":"Rebecca Donegan","body":null,"created":"1628023803","gmt_created":"2021-08-03 20:50:03","changed":"1628023803","gmt_changed":"2021-08-03 20:50:03","alt":"","file":{"fid":"246501","name":"RKD.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/RKD.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/RKD.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1886134,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/RKD.JPG?itok=z1H7pMV0"}}},"media_ids":["649241"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/college-sciences-postdocs-shine-research-symposium","title":"College of Sciences Postdocs Shine in Research Symposium"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/rebecca-donegan-maria-coronel-win-excellence-research-grants","title":"Rebecca Donegan, Mar\u00eda Coronel Win Excellence In Research Grant"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166928","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"186734","name":"Rebecca Donegan"},{"id":"188406","name":"Burroughs Wellcome Fund"},{"id":"188408","name":"nontuberculous mycobacteria"},{"id":"188409","name":"NTM"},{"id":"188407","name":"2021 Career Awards at the Scientific Interface"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERenay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer II\/Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}