Cardiac Trainee Wins Young Investigator Award from American Physiological Society

David Auerbach, Ph.D., a trainee at the Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, won the Clinical Science Young Investigator Award – Cardiovascular Section from the American Physiological Society, which recognizes an outstanding junior investigator involved in cardiovascular research. Auerbach, who also works in the lab of Robert Dirksen, Ph.D. in the department of Pharmacology and Physiology, received the award for his research on Long QT Syndrome, a rare, inherited disorder that makes the heart particularly susceptible to arrhythmias. He is studying the prevalence of seizures in patients with Long QT and how this affects heart function. His research was recently funded by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute KL2 Career Development program, which provides two years of support for new investigators interested in a career in clinical or translational research.

Charles Lowenstein, M.D., director of the Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, says that this award recognizes Auerbach as a rising star.  “David is a terrific young investigator.  His work on genetic disorders in humans will reveal new ways in which diseases can affect the head and the heart at the same time."

Dr. Auerbach (second from right) is pictured with the executive members of the American Physiological Society and the journal Clinical Science.