Dean's Weekly Message
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This Week's Message
From: Dean John H. Sampson
Date: Monday, October 5, 2026
Subject: Dean's Weekly Message
Dear colleague:
Congratulations to Alessandra Brambati, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, and Rowan Karvas, PhD, Assistant Professor of Reproductive Sciences in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, who received a 2026 NIH Director’s New Innovator Award.
The award, worth $475,000 per year over a period of five years, supports exceptionally innovative, high-risk, high-reward research with the potential for broad impact on biomedical science. Dr. Brambati will investigate how neurons repair damaged DNA, work that could ultimately reveal new therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Karvas will study early placental development to better understand the origins of preeclampsia and other pregnancy complications.