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Solnica-Krezel honored for contributions to developmental biology

Scientist to receive Conklin Medal for work in vertebrate embryonic development

March 7, 2023

Lilianna Solnica-Krezel, PhD, the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Distinguished Professor and head of the Department of Developmental Biology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is to receive the 2023 Edwin G. Conklin Medal from the Society for Developmental Biology. She is being recognized for her significant contributions to the understanding of early embryonic development in vertebrates, with a particular focus on zebrafish as a model organism.

The society awards the Edwin G. Conklin Medal in Developmental Biology annually to recognize developmental biologists who have made extraordinary research contributions to the field and are excellent mentors helping to train the next generation of scientists. Solnica-Krezel will receive the honor in July at the society’s annual meeting in Chicago, where she will deliver a lecture.

Studying zebrafish, Solnica-Krezel and her team are focused on understanding the earliest stages of development, when different tissues first arise and are arranged into the body plan. Her team also works with human stem cells to test whether the same processes are relevant in people. The research has implications for understanding miscarriage, birth defects and cancer.