UC, Children's researcher joins elite Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators

Jeffery Molkentin's research examines what's going at the molecular level in heart disease and muscular dystrophy; it's research that could lead to new treatments and medications for those diseases.  The scientist and professor at University of Cincinnati's College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center will now have will have the flexibility and long-term funding to pursue that research, as he's been named one of 56 new Howard Hughes Medical Institute  investigators. The designation places him among an elite group of the nation’s most promising scientists who push the boundaries of science through creative research. Molkentin was among 1,070 scientists who applied for the appointment. "HHMI encourages innovative research,” he says. "This award is typically given to individuals from institutions that have strong and pioneering programs." Molkentin is the fourth HHMI investigator ever appointed in Ohio, the third at UC and first to be named while at Cincinnati Children’s.

Writer: David Holthaus
Source: Wendy Beckman, University of Cincinnati