Stahl honored by research society
Recognized as a founding father of extracellular vesicle research
Stahl
Philip D. Stahl, PhD, the Edward Mallinckrodt Jr. Professor Emeritus of Cell Biology and Physiology and former director of the Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has received a Special Achievement Award from the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles.
Extracellular vesicles are small sacs that pinch off from cells, hauling away waste and carrying molecular signals from cell to cell in the form of proteins, fats or RNA. Such sacs, also called exosomes, have been linked to cancer metastasis, tissue regeneration and immune responses.
The award honors Stahl’s groundbreaking contributions to the young field, now only about three decades old. By discovering the molecular pathway vesicles traverse as they are transported out of cells, Stahl helped lay the foundation of extracellular vesicle research. Stahl also is recognized for elucidating key aspects of endocytosis, the process through which cells take in external substances such as proteins. His work advanced researchers’ understanding of how cancer cells absorb and take advantage of growth signals.
