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An immunologist and a bioengineer are named 2019 Pew Scholars

June 18, 2019
By: Robert Sanders
Immunologist Michel DuPage and bioengineer Aaron Streets
Immunologist Michel DuPage and bioengineer Aaron Streets are Berkeley's newest Pew Scholars. DuPage is an assistant professor of molecular and cell biology. Streets is an assistant professor of bioengineering. (UC Berkeley photos courtesy of Mark Joseph Hanson and Bruce Cook, respectively)

Two young Berkeley faculty members, Aaron Streets of bioengineering and Michel DuPage of molecular and cell biology, are among 29 new Pew Scholars in the health sciences announced by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

The prestigious honor comes with multiyear research funding aimed at advancing human health. Streets is one of 22 Pew Biomedical Scholars, while DuPage is one of 7 Pew-Stewart Scholars for Cancer Research.

Streets, who joined the faculty in 2016, will explore how obesity leads to unhealthy changes in the cellular, molecular and structural composition of adipose or fat tissue. DuPage, who was appointed to the faculty in 2017, will investigate how the immune system is suppressed within the tumor microenvironment.

“Pew is steadfastly committed to supporting talented researchers working to unveil the mechanisms of biology and disease,” said Rebecca W. Rimel, Pew’s president and CEO, in announcing the awards. “Investing in these scholars at the beginning stages of their careers, when financial resources may be limited, can help drive significant scientific discoveries.”

The Pew website contains more detail on the research of the new Pew Scholars, including that of Streets and DuPage.

Announcement from the Pew Charitable Trusts