Diana Karwan, department of forest resources associate professor and director of graduate studies, water resources science, is part of a team of researchers that was recently inducted into the Office of Academic Clinical Affairs (OACA) Academy for Excellence in Team Science, an honor that includes lifelong membership in the Academy and a one-time monetary award split equally among team members.
The award was presented to the research team of the Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach (MNPRO), of which Karwan is a member. A multidisciplinary center at the University of Minnesota, MNPRO focuses on the biology and epidemiology of human and animal prion diseases and related human protein-misfolding disorders (PMDs). Per the Academy, MNPRO’s multidisciplinary team is being recognized for “effectively develop(ing) and led(ing) technological and societal breakthroughs in our fight against chronic wasting disease and other neurodegenerative diseases at the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health.”
The Academies for Excellence recognizes outstanding faculty in the areas of scientific research, educational scholarship, clinical practice, and team science. The Team Science award “acknowledges the valuable and significant contributions made by interdisciplinary teams conducting biomedical or health care research to address significant health challenges” in particular.
Some may be surprised to find members of the department of forest resources participating in research on neurodegenerative diseases – but this is just one example of how the department's areas of expertise are integral to forming solutions to complex health and environmental issues.