ISB News

Drs. Serdar Turkarslan and Christian Diener

ISB Honors Researchers Who Give Back to STEM Education

This year, two deserving scientists were bestowed recognition for giving back to STEM education. Dr. Serdar Turkarslan is the recipient of the JoAnn Chrisman Award for Distinguished Service to STEM Education, and Dr. Christian Diener was awarded the Dr. Christine Schaeffer Award for Exemplary Service to STEM Education. 

Innovator Award Program ROI

Six Years In, ISB’s Innovator Award Program an ‘Unqualified Success’ 

The fifth cycle of ISB’s Innovator Award Program officially wrapped up this week with the principal investigators of the 2021-22 projects delivering their final presentations. In April, three 2022-23 Innovator Award collaborative projects were announced. The Innovator Award Program was launched in 2017, and has been tremendously successful.  

Bringing DNA Sequencing to the High School Classroom

Christopher Lausted and Dr. Danielle Vermaak were featured guests of an ISB Research Roundtable presentation. The husband-and-wife team detailed the planning and rollout of a DNA sequencing curriculum project that was tested in Vermaak’s Lincoln High School science classroom in Seattle.

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Archive: 2021-22 School Year ISB Education Highlights

In this robust roundup from the 2021-22 academic year, we highlight the top projects the team worked on by month.

Gut Microbiome Composition Predictive of Patient Response to Statins

New ISB research shows that different patient responses to statins can be explained by the variation in the human microbiome. The findings were published in the journal Med, and suggest that microbiome monitoring could be used to help optimize personalized statin treatments.

Risk Factors for Severe COVID-19 in Hospitalized Adults Differ by Age

A just-published study provides new information about which hospitalized COVID-19 patients are most likely to need mechanical ventilation or to die. The ISB-led work shows that vital signs and lab results at the time of hospital admission are the most accurate predictors of disease severity, more so than comorbidities and demographics.

Dr. Sui Huang on the Science Behind Masks

On April 7, 2022, Dr. Sui Huang spoke at a Research Roundtable event on the topic of “The Science Behind Masks.” In light of the recent changes to masking mandates, Dr. Huang explained the science behind how masks work and gave the tools to make an informed decision for yourself.

Understanding, Preventing and Treating Long-Term Effects of COVID: RECOVER Study Enrolling Patients from Pacific Northwest

As part of a massive nationwide effort, ISB is leading a multi-site consortium for the NIH RECOVER (Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery) Initiative. The Pacific Northwest consortium is made up of ISB, Providence, Swedish, and University of Washington School of Medicine.

2022 Innovator Awards

Three Collaborative Projects Announced for ISB’s 2022 Innovator Award Program

ISB kicked off the sixth year of our successful Innovator Award Program by announcing three collaborative projects. This internal program is designed to support novel research ideas that cut across disciplines and research groups. Washington Research Foundation once again generously pledged $100,000 to fund the awards.

Jim Heath AACR Academy Fellow

Dr. Jim Heath Named Fellow of AACR Academy Class of 2022

Dr. Jim Heath was announced as a newly elected Fellow of the American Academy for Cancer Research (AACR) Academy Class of 2022. “I am honored and humbled to be recognized as part of this renowned group of researchers who have done so much to move our understanding of cancer forward,” Heath said.

careers Ukraine

Institute for Systems Biology Expresses our Solidarity with Ukraine

A message to Ukrainian scientists Institute for Systems Biology expresses our solidarity with Ukraine. We are saddened by the invasion of Ukraine, and our thoughts are with those in affected regions. We highly encourage Ukrainian scientists to consider career opportunities in research at ISB, and we will give careful consideration to any who apply. It is our hope that peace is reclaimed in Ukraine and that a healthy, prosperous, sustainable…

New York Times’ Matt Richtel on the ‘Elegant’ Immune System

In the first ISB-Town Hall Seattle Science Series of 2022, ISB President Dr. Jim Heath sat down with New York Times Pulitzer Prize winning reporter and bestselling author Matt Richtel for a wide ranging discussion that touched on the incredible immune system, distracted driving, social isolation, and much more.

ISB Research on Long COVID featured on PBS NewsHour

Who is most likely to suffer from long COVID? In this PBS NewsHour segment, William Brangham interviews Swedish’s Dr. Jason Goldman, an author and collaborator on the ISB-led study on long COVID published in the journal Cell.

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ISB Research on Long COVID featured in the Wall Street Journal

In an article published by Sumathi Reddy for the Wall Street Journal titled, “The New Clues About Who Will Develop Long Covid ,” findings of an ISB-led study published in the journal Cell are covered, along with two complementary Long Covid studies conducted by other research organizations.

John Gillotte

ISB Research On Long COVID Featured in the New York Times

In an article published by Pam Belluck for the New York Times titled, “New Research Hints at 4 Factors That May Increase Chances of Long Covid,” findings of an ISB-led study published in the journal Cell are covered in depth, including quotes from ISB president Dr. Jim Heath.

Predicting ‘Long COVID’ At Initial Point of COVID-19 Diagnosis

Researchers have identified several factors that can be measured at the initial point of COVID-19 diagnosis that anticipate if a patient is likely to develop long COVID. They also found that mild cases of COVID-19, not just severe cases, are associated with long COVID. Their findings were published by the journal Cell.

Research Roundtable with Dr. Jim Heath on COVID

On January 18, 2022, Dr. Jim Heath gave a talk on COVID at the first Research Roundtable event of 2022. Research Roundtable is a series of ISB hosted conversations with our leading scientists on the latest research happening at ISB. Designed for a lay audience, this series is open to all. Attendees have the opportunity to ask questions directly to our scientists.

Maternal COVID-19 Infection Increases Risks of Preterm Birth, Low Birth Weight and Stillbirth

An ISB-led study examined the electronic health records of more than 18,000 people with SARS-CoV-2 tests during pregnancy, and found that those who contracted COVID-19 while pregnant were more likely to have poor birth outcomes including preterm birth, small for gestational age, low birth weight, and stillbirth.