Howard Young, Ph.D.
Senior Investigator
Cancer and Inflammation Program
Center for Cancer Research
NCI at Frederick
Frederick, MD
Howard Young received his PhD from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Washington and did postdoctoral research under Drs. Edward Scolnick and Wade Parks at the National Cancer Institute. He joined the National Cancer Institute in 1983 and became Deputy Chief of the NCI Laboratory of Experimental Immunology in 2006. His research has focused on the analysis of cytokine gene expression and signaling with a special emphasis on the molecular characterization of the transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of Interferon-g in NK cells. Most recently, his laboratory has developed novel mouse models of lupus and aplastic anemia based on chronic expression of low levels of this important immunoregulatory molecule in the murine C57BL/6 genetic background and the Balb/c genetic background, respectively. He is also collaborating with a laboratory in Malaysia on the development of probiotic microorganisms as carriers for vaccine delivery systems.
Dr. Young is a former President of the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research and is a co-recipient (with Dr. Sidney Pestka) of the first Distinguished Service Award from the ISICR, is a two time recipient of the National Cancer Institute Director’s Award for Mentoring and is a recipient of the National Public Service Award from the American Society for Public Administration and the National Academy of Public Administration. He has also served as Chair of the Immunology Division of the American Society for Microbiology, Chair of the NIH Immunology Interest Group and Cytokine Interest Group and is a member of the American Academy of Microbiology.
Neha Nigam, Ph.D.
Dr. Nigam is currently an associate at Harlem Biospace, working with one of the startup companies located at the incubator. She is also pursuing an internship at the Technology Transfer Office at Rockfeller University in New York City and Rutgers University, New Jersey. She is quite keen on the proceedings at a Technology Transfer Office and is passionate about the applied aspects of innovative scientific discoveries, striving to be at the interface of business and science. Previously, she has worked in the industry as an Analyst involved in competitive intelligence, strategic business analysis and commercialization of early innovations in several therapeutic areas. Her foundation in life sciences comes from her Ph.D. in molecular biology from Vienna, Austria. Her Postdoc work was also in the same field at UCL, Belgium. She was working on molecular mechanisms of abiotic stress responses in plants and published some insightful research from her work in both the places. Dr. Nigam was awarded with scholarships and fellowships throughout her study and presented her work at several international conferences.
