This award recognizes three early-career authors, highlighting their exceptional research published in the journal and the profound impact it has had on the field of molecular pharmaceutics.
We are pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural Molecular Pharmaceutics Early Career Best Paper Award. The winners were selected based on the quality and potential impact of their research recently published in Molecular Pharmaceutics. Our winners are early career scientists (<10 years post Ph.D.) from one of three major geographical regions (the Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA), and Asia Pacific).
We received a significant number of nominations. The selection committee was impressed by the exceptionally high quality of the candidates. We thank everyone who submitted nominations for the 2024 Molecular Pharmaceutics Early Career Best Paper Award.
We are excited to announce the 2024 Molecular Pharmaceutics Early Career Best Paper Award winners from each region:
- Dr. Atabak Ghanizadeh Tabriz (EMEA)
- Dr. Huyen Tran (Americas)
- Dr. Piyushkumar Gondaliya (Asia Pacific)
Congratulations to the 2024 award recipients! Thank you to everyone who submitted their nomination, and we hope you will submit again next year.
As part of the award, the winners received the opportunity to present their research as part of ACS Publications' Winners Week 2024 webinar series—now available to watch on demand! Hear from the winners as they discuss their work and answer questions submitted by live attendees, moderated by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Lynne Taylor.
Read on to learn more about each winner and read their winning papers.
Dr. Atabak Ghanizadeh Tabriz
Winning Article: "3D Printed Flavor-Rich Chewable Pediatric Tablets Fabricated Using Microextrusion for Point of Care Applications"
What does winning this award mean to you?
This award absolutely means the world to me. This award has extensively fueled me towards future success.
How did your team come together to collaborate on this research?
I am certainly glad to be part of a multidisciplinary project where our group at the University of Greenwich have extensive expertise on the state-of-the-art 3D printing technologies. Bristol Myers Squibb, a giant pharmaceutical company, had some interest in 3D printing at the point of care. Compiling the need for patience compliance at point of care and our expertise in 3D printing, this was a great match with us and Bristol Myers Squibb to introduce a new emerging field of research in 3D printing of oral dosage forms at the point of care.
What advances are you hoping to see in your field in the next decade?
I am hoping to see operational user-friendly 3D printers in hospitals within the next decade as it has a great potential to enhance patients' compliance, including younger and older patients.
What advice would you give to young investigators who aspire to be where you are now?
I would strongly advise the young investigators to be ambitious towards their research work. If you don’t like it, DON’T do it. Be always patient with your research work. Do not be afraid of failures as it is part of the learning curve. You need to fail to succeed. It would come to a point that a failure in your research will not only be disappointing, but it will open up your mind to overcome different challenges throughout you research.
Dr. Huyen Tran
Winning Article: "In Vivo Mechanism of Action of Sodium Caprate for Improving the Intestinal Absorption of a GLP1/GIP Coagonist Peptide"
What does winning this award mean to you?
I feel very excited and honored to get this award being the first one after publishing quite many papers over the years, which shows the recognition of our work by the selection committee. This motivated me to continue doing the best science and sharing findings with scientific community.
How did your team come together to collaborate on this research?
This award is the outcome of a great teamwork. We are scientists from different disciplines coming together to solve scientific problems with the goal of finding next generation of technologies for oral peptide delivery.
What advances are you hoping to see in your field in the next decade?
In the next decade, I hope to see breakthroughs in some of the areas such as oral ingestible device as well as better understanding of the physiological barriers to oral peptide delivery.
What advice would you give to young investigators who aspire to be where you are now?
My humble advice is that doing the best science, connecting the dots, being curious and looking deeply into scientific problems will find solutions. Also, collaborating with others in different disciplines may bring diverse perspectives and help solving the scientific problems.
Dr. Piyushkumar Gondaliya
Winning Article: "Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Loaded with miR-155 Inhibitor Ameliorate Diabetic Wound Healing"
What does winning this award mean to you?
Winning this award is a great honor and confirms the effort we've dedicated to our research. It motivates us to keep pushing the limits and achieving significant progress in our fields.
How did your team come together to collaborate on this research?
Our team for this research project was assembled from three distinct departments: Biotechnology, Pharmacology, and Medical Devices. Each member brought unique ideas, skills, and knowledge to the table, enabling us to approach problem-solving from various perspectives. We conducted numerous brainstorming sessions to strategize and implement our experimental models.
What advances are you hoping to see in your field in the next decade?
In the next ten years, I'm hoping to see some amazing improvements in our field. I'm excited about how technology and new ways of thinking could change the game. Things like AI and better ways to analyze data could help us understand problems in ways we never could before. It's going to be an exciting time for sure.
What advice would you give to young investigators who aspire to be where you are now?
My advice is to stay curious and excited about what you're studying or working on. When things don't go as planned, see it as a chance to learn and improve. Don't shy away from trying new things or thinking outside the box. Build a good group of people around you who can help and give you advice and always stick to what you want to achieve, knowing that every little progress counts toward your goals.
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