Saranac Lake, New York - June 18, 2012 Trudeau Institute researcher Alexei Tumanov, M.D., Ph.D., is the 2012 recipient of The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America’s Shanthi V. Sitaraman Memorial Young IBD Investigator Award in the Career Development Award category.

It is a great honor to Dr. Tumanov that the The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation awarded him its Young Investigator Award. Early in his career the foundation funded his research proposal when they saw the potential he had to become a leading researcher in the field of gastroenterology. With this award, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation recognized Dr. Tumanov’s recent high impact publications, his new independent academic position and his continued dedication to the field of gastroenterology.

Dr. Tumanov joined the Trudeau Institute in July 2011 as an Assistant Member. His research focuses on the regulation of mucosal immunity, homeostasis of lymphoid organs, and the host response to pathogens. Dr. Tumanov earned his M.D. from Russian State Medical University and did his Ph.D. work at the Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology in Moscow in collaboration with several laboratories including the National Cancer Institute.

The award was named in memory of Shanthi V. Sitaraman, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine in the Division of Digestive Diseases at Emory University, who died of cancer in April 2011 and was an influential mentor to junior researchers. Dr. Sitaraman’s research in the area of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) led to the publications of more than 200 articles and numerous grant awards. She was an exceptional clinician, educator, and researcher, who touched the hearts of everyone who knew her.

About the Trudeau Institute:

The Trudeau Institute is a nonprofit biomedical research center whose scientific mission is to make breakthrough discoveries that lead to improved human health. Since it’s founding by Dr. E.L. Trudeau in 1884, the institute has studied how the immune system combats infectious diseases and cancer. The Trudeau Institute's focus on immunity fosters the development of vaccines, treatments and cures for many life-threatening diseases, including cancer, tuberculosis and influenza. For further information about the Trudeau Institute, go to www.trudeauinstitute.org.

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