Awards

Investing in the future: Rolanette and Berdon Lawrence Bone Research Awards

The Lawrence Research Competition was established in 2006 to provide seed grants of $45,000 each to two promising investigators in metabolic or metastatic bone disease. Eligible projects include those that study bone metastases, bone health in cancer patients, bone formation, and bone biology. Through mechanisms such as the Rolanette and Berdon Lawrence Bone Research Awards, the Bone Disease Program reaffirms its commitment to fostering groundbreaking research and supporting talented, young investigators in bone research careers.

Finalists are chosen from a large pool of outstanding investigators. Applicants represent a wide range of scientific expertise and approaches to bone research. 

Past Research Award Winners:

2016

• “Combined anti-TGF-b and PTH treatment synergistically improves bone mass and quality and the osteocyte phenotype in Crtap mice, a model of recessive OI”
  Ingo Grafe, M.D.
  Baylor College of Medicine
• “In vivo identity and role of paratenon-resident stem/progenitor cells in tendon repair”
  Yanis Hara, Ph.D.
  Baylor College of Medicine
• “The mechanism of IRF6 and TWIST1 genetic interaction in craniofacial bone”
  Walid Fakhouri, Ph.D.
  UT Health Science Center
  

2015

• "Identification of the function of WNT1 in bone homeostasis"
  Kyu Sang Joeng, Ph.D.
  Baylor College of Medicine 
• "Novel model of adult-onset OA induced by targeted dysfunction of articular chondrocytes"
  Karen Posey, Ph.D.
  UTHealth Medical School
• "Bone quality response to lifestyle intervention in older adults with diabetes"
  Sanjay N. Mediwala, M.D.
  Baylor College of Medicine

2014

• "The role of perivascular mesenchymal progenitor cells in heterotopic bone formation in vivo"
  Dongsu Park, Ph.D.
  Baylor College of Medicine
• "Fracture risk assessment following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with underlying hematologic malignancies"
  Huifang Lu, M.D., Ph.D.
  University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
• "Hippo signaling in cranial neural crest is required for normal cranial bone and suture growth"
  Jun Wang, Ph.D.,
  Baylor College of Medicine

2013

• "Humanized In-vivo Bone Model to Investigate GD2+ Breast Cancer Stem Cell Metastases to Bone"
  Venkata Lokesh Battula, Ph.D.
  University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
• "Mature Chondrocytes are a Major Source of Osteoblasts in Endochondral Bone Formation"
  Xin Zhou, Ph.D.
  University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

2012

• "Epignetic regulation in osteogenesis"
  Qin Chin, M.D.
  University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
• "Tumor suppressive function of miR-34C in osteosarcoma"
  Yangjin Bae, Ph.D.
  Baylor College of Medicine

2011

• "The Role of Notch Signaling in Osteogenic Sarcoma"
  Janning Tao, Ph.D.
  Molecular and Human Genetics
  Baylor College of Medicine
• "Molecular and genetic characterization of Ewing's sarcoma cancer stem cell"
  Jason Yustein, M.D., Ph.D.
  Molecular and Human Genetics
  Baylor College of Medicine
• "Human pluripotent stem cell as an alternative cell source for bone and cartilage regenerative therapy"
  Naoki Nakayama, Ph.D.
  Institute of Molecular Medicine
  University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

2010

• "Identification of Trps 1 protein- protein interactions regulating mineralization"
  Dobrawa Napierala, Ph.D.
  Molecular and Human Genetics
  Baylor College of Medicine
• "Role of COUP-TFII in mesenchymal stem cell lineage commitment and differentation"
  Xin Xie, Ph.D.
  Cellular and Molecular Biology
  Baylor College of Medicine

2009

• "The Regulatory Role of E-Selectin Lignad-1 in Bone Remodeling"
  Tao Yang, Ph.D.
  Molecular and Human Genetics
  Baylor College of Medicine
• "An Essential Role of TAK 1 in M-CSF-induced Survival of Monocyte/Osteoclast Progenitors"
  Bette Lamothe, Ph.D.
  Experimental Therapeutics
  MD Anderson Cancer Center

2008

• “A Mouse Model to Examine the Biology and Genetics of Osteosarcoma Metastasis”
  Lawrence A. Donehower, Ph.D.
  Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology
  Baylor College of Medicine
• “A Variant of Human Steroid Receptor Coactivator 1 (SRC1) Diminishes Co-Activation is Associated With Loss of Bone Mineral Density”
  Steffi Oesterreich, Ph.D.
  Lester & Sue Smith Breast Center
  Baylor College of Medicine
• "Role of C-Reactive Protein in Myeloma Bone Disease"
  Qing Yi, MD, Ph.D.
  Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma
  MD Anderson Cancer Center

2007

• "Development small molecule inhibitors of TRAF6 for bone-related diseases"
  Bryant Darnay, Ph.D.
  Assistant Professor, Experimental Therapeutics
  MD Anderson Cancer Center
• "The role of RECQL4 in skeletal development and osteosarcoma"
  Lisa Wang, M.D.
  Assistant Professor, Pediatrics-Hematology/Oncology
  Baylor College of Medicine

2006

• "Role of Collagen Prolyl 3-Hydroxylation in Bone Formation and Human Disease"
  Roy Morello, Ph.D.
  Baylor College of Medicine
  Department of Molecular and Human Genetics 
• "Characterization of NO66, an Osx Interacting Protein During Osteoblast Differentiation and Bone Formation"
  Krishna M. Sinha, Ph.D.
  Department of Molecular Genetics
  The University of Texas-MD Anderson Cancer Center