Two UBC Science Researchers Awarded Guggenheims

UBC botany professor Patrick Keeling and zoologist Sarah Otto were among five Canadian researchers awarded prestigious Guggenheim Fellowships today.

In total, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation awarded 180 fellowships to a diverse group of scholars, artists and scientists in its eighty-seventh annual competition. Successful candidates--appointed on the basis of "prior achievement and exceptional promise"--were chosen from a group of almost 3,000 applicants.

In molecular and cellular biology, Keeling was recognized for his research on the role of coral reefs in apicomplexan parasite origins. In organismic biology and ecology, Otto was recognized for her research into evolutionary responses to extreme environments in yeast.

Since its establishment in 1925, the Foundation has granted nearly $290 million in fellowships to more than 17,000 individuals. Previous Fellows include Nobel, Pulitzer and other prize winners.

“We now give 180 fellowships in 78 fields, including such disciplines as computer science, astrophysics, and African studies,” stated Foundation President Edward Hirsch in making the announcement. “To me, the most significant thing about the Foundation may be the continuity of our mission, a commitment to funding individuals at the highest level to do the work they were meant to do."  

Two researchers from McGill University and one from Simon Fraser University were also awarded Fellowships this year.