Presidential Young Investigators Award

该研究奖的最终目的是提高对细胞功能的机理认识，建立理论基础或有意义的测量，为选择性地调节细胞运动以优化细胞功能提供合理的依据。在生物医学和生物技术中，对化学和物理线索作出反应的定向细胞运动是许多问题的关键，由于潜在的细胞牵引力，周围纤维基质的变形和重组也是如此。这些特性的体外表征和对它们在体内的影响的理解是使用细胞行为分析结合数学模型在单细胞和细胞群体/连续体水平上探讨的统一主题。

The ultimate goals of this research award are to enhance the mechanistic understanding, establish theoretical foundations or meaningful measurements, and provide a rational basis for selectively modulating cell motility for optimizing celfunction. Directed cell movements in response to chemical and physical cues are crucial to many problems in biomedicine and biotechnology as are the deformation and restructuring of the surrounding fibrous matrix due to underlying cell tractional forces. Characterization of these properties in vitro and understanding their consequences in vivo are unifying themes approached using cell behavior assays in conjunction with mathematical models at both the single cell and cell population/continuum levels.