NIH Early Independence Award Recipient: Adam Sonabend

Adam Sonabend, MD, assistant professor of neurological surgery at P&S, has received a prestigious NIH Early Independence Award. Established in 2011, the Early Independence Award provides an opportunity for exceptional junior scientists who have recently received their doctoral degree or finished medical residency to skip traditional postdoc training so they can move immediately into independent research positions.

Dr. Sonabend’s award is one of 16 Early Independence Awards given in 2015.

Dr. Sonabend is the principal investigator of a Brain Tumor Research Laboratory at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research focuses on TOP2A effects on transcription in gliomas and the related therapeutic implications for personalized therapy. He also examines delivery of these treatments directly into the brain to improve efficacy and minimize unwanted side effects.

In addition to his research, Dr. Sonabend sees patients in the Brain Tumor Center at the Neurological Institute and is involved in several neuro-oncology trials. He earned his medical degree at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where he was awarded the Gabino Barreda Medal for the Highest Academic Achievement. He trained in neurosurgery at Columbia University, where he conducted research on the relationship between transcriptional regulation and the selection of genetic alternations during glioma progression and on drug delivery strategies for brain tumors.

Read more in an NIH press release.