Five CU researchers named to 2021 class of Boettcher Investigators

Five leading biomedical researchers from the University of Colorado are among the latest class of Boettcher Investigators, announced earlier this week by the Boettcher Foundation.

The 2021 Boettcher Investigators are the newest recipients of grant funding through the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Awards Program, which supports promising, early career scientific researchers by helping them to advance their independent research and compete for major federal and private awards in the future.

Each researcher receives $235,000 in grant funding to support up to three years of biomedical research.

CU’s new Boettcher Investigators and their research topics are:

CU Anschutz Medical Campus

Joshua Bear, M.D., M.A., Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology; Studying cortical networks in medication-refractory epilepsy

Sarah Clark, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology; Host-pathogen interactions in the airway

Craig Forester, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and BMT; Determinants of nascent gene expression in hematopoiesis

Mia J. Smith, D.V.M., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics; B-cells in the pathogenesis of T1D

CU Boulder

Nausica Arnoult, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology; DNA repair and genome stability

The 2021 class of Boettcher Investigators also includes a researcher from Colorado State University. Read more here.

This year’s $1.41 million in biomedical research grant funds facilitate the Boettcher Foundation’s goal to retain top scientific talent in Colorado.

“The 2021 class of Boettcher Investigators represents some of Colorado’s most dynamic and promising researchers,” said Katie Kramer, president and CEO of the Boettcher Foundation. “These leaders are committed to developing treatments and cures that will improve health and change lives, as we’ve seen the biomedical research sector demonstrate this past year. The Boettcher Foundation is proud to support these researchers at a pivotal time in their careers and to contribute to the incredible advancements in health innovation underway in our state.”

This 12th class of Boettcher Investigators brings the total number of CU-based awardees to 54, representing research awards of over $12.5 million.

Since its inception in 2010, the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Awards program has advanced the work of 82 Boettcher Investigators, including the 2021 class. These researchers have attracted a collective $100 million in additional independent research funding from federal, state and private sources. Among all award recipients, 96% remain at Colorado research institutions, advancing the foundation’s mission of keeping Colorado’s top scientific minds in the state.

“Colorado BioScience Association thanks Boettcher Foundation for its enduring commitment to science and scientific research in Colorado,” said Jennifer Jones Paton, president and CEO of Colorado BioScience Association. “COVID-19 demonstrates the critical importance of science to our health, well-being and economic stability. The Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Awards program invests in up-and-coming researchers, giving them support to continue their promising work in Colorado. I’m pleased to congratulate the Boettcher Investigators on this incredible honor.”

The Boettcher Foundation has been a leading philanthropic supporter of biomedical research in Colorado for many years. For more information about the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Awards, visit the Boettcher Foundation website.