Cold Spring Harbor, NY — Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Trustee James M. Stone and his wife Cathleen have established a new, competitive award for CSHL associate and assistant professors.
As a result of the Stones’ generous one million dollar gift, an award will be given annually to an individual based on his or her research accomplishments as determined by the president of CSHL. The James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Faculty Award will provide recipients with additional personal compensation, as well as research support.
“By establishing this award, my wife Cathleen and I hope to encourage CSHL associate and assistant professors in their work and simultaneously support the top-quality research conducted at this marvelous institution,” CSHL Trustee Stone said.
The first recipient of the award is Assistant Professor Jonathan Sebat, Ph.D., for his research accomplishments in characterizing the complexity of genomic variation associated with schizophrenia. As part of a multi-institution team, Sebat screened for novel deletions and duplications in the genome. The team found that deletions, disruptions and duplications of normal genes—most of them rare—were three to four times more frequent in people with schizophrenia than in controls.
“It is a long-standing tradition at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to recognize outstanding research achievements of scientists in the early stages of their careers. It is a great pleasure to honor Jonathan Sebat with the first annual Stone Faculty Award acknowledging the significant advances he has achieved in the area of schizophrenia. I am most pleased that the Stone Foundation has become a part of this tradition and greatly appreciate their ongoing support of the Lab,” said Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory President Bruce Stillman.
CSHL’s research director, Dr. David Spector, added, “Awards such as the Stones’ gift are vital tools that sustain scientists and their research and are instrumental in encouraging their work. These awards are invaluable both to the recipients and to CSHL.”
Written by: Communications Department | publicaffairs@cshl.edu | 516-367-8455