Dr. Jennyfer Ansado (France) will endeavor to better understand the effects of head trauma on the development of mental abilities and social skills in children and adolescents and will explore the mechanisms that allow the young brain to adapt and cope with the outcome of trauma. She will conduct her research in the Brain Disorders and Health Outcomes research axes under the direction of Dr. Miriam Beauchamp.
Dr. Christoph Preuss (Germany) will try to understand how certain groups of genes are linked to the most common heart defects. He will also determine whether the rare genetic mutations observed in certain populations influence the expression of other genes through interactions with other genes and thereby lead to congenital heart diseases. Dr. Preuss will carry out research in the Fetomaternal and Neonatal Pathologies research axis under the direction of Drs. Gregor Andelfinger and Mark Samuels.
Dr. Jiang Wei Wu (China) will study a novel link between metabolism and cancer, more specifically the systematic formation of malignant tumors from fat cells (liposarcoma) involving the improper breakdown of triglycerides in that tissue. She will pursue her research in the Metabolic Health research axis under the direction of Dr. Grant Mitchell. Her work could reveal a novel pathway that leads to the formation of a variety of sarcomas, a common class of tumors in adolescents.