Three University of Montana Researchers, Klara Briknarova, Lila Fishman, and Art Woods Land Prestigious Early -Career Awards

Scientists recently scored big for University of Montana research by earning three prestigious Early Career Development Program grants from the National Science Foundation.

This is the second consecutive year that multiple UM researchers have earned the five-year awards. The latest honors went to assistant professors Klara Briknarova in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lila Fishman in the Division of Biological Sciences and Art Woods in the Division of Biological Sciences.

Each year between 350 and 400 assistant professors nationally earn CAREER grants, which honor promising teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education for their institution.

A handful of UM researchers have earned the awards in the past, but last year was the first time the University had two awardees in the same year. Last year’s winners were biology assistant professors Vanessa Ezenwa and Creagh Breuner. (Breuner, incidentally, is married to Woods.)

"Having several CAREER awardees for two years in a row is simply outstanding," said Daniel Dwyer, UM vice president for research and development. "I think this highlights the caliber of faculty we have at this University, and it bodes well that we have so many young rising stars in science."

CAREER grants generally range from $500,000 to $1 million. Briknarova will receive $788,000, Fishman will get $636,000, and Woods will bring in $837,000.

Briknarova, a structural biologist, joined UM in November 2005. She uses a technique called nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to visualize the arrangement of atoms in complex biological molecules to explain how those molecules work. Her lab studies a soluble protein called fibronectin that is assembled by cells into insoluble fibrils. These fibrils are essential for embryonic development and wound healing.

Briknarova said a goal of her lab is to gain insight into the structural changes that occur when soluble fibronectin is converted into insoluble aggregates. "Studying such molecular transformations at the atomic level is challenging, but I love doing research, and I believe that research is an important part of science education," she said. "However, research cannot be done without funding, so I’m very happy about the award and very grateful for it."

Fishman, a plant evolutionary geneticist, came to UM in September 2003. She studies monkeyflowers – plants with small yellow blossoms found across much of the West – to understand the genetic mechanisms and evolutionary processes that lead to variation within and among species. The project funded by the CAREER award will focus on the detrimental trait of pollen sterility.

Her work has revealed that sterility persists in a monkeyflower population because of natural selection on chromosomes rather than individuals. She and her lab will study how chromosomes compete to get into seeds, how much chromosome competition hurts wild plants and how other plant genes may fight back against “selfish” chromosomes.

Fishman said her work illustrates how natural selection can operate at a variety of levels, sometimes with unexpected and even harmful effects on individual fitness.

Fishman’s grant also will fund the development of teaching tools based on monkeyflower research. “The CAREER award is wonderful because it enables us to study fundamental questions about natural variation, but also supports efforts to bring real research into the classroom,” she said.

Woods, a physiological ecologist, came to UM in July 2006. He studies leaf microclimates – the temperature and relative humidity of areas adjacent to leaf surfaces – and how these influence insect-plant associations. He and his lab will study how different leaf microclimates are from the overall climate, how insects interact with these microclimates and how much plants’ chemical defenses depend on microclimates.

Woods said his study will illuminate basic questions of insect ecology and will serve as a platform for understanding the effects of global climate change on insect herbivores, including crop pests.

"I’m delighted to receive a CAREER award from NSF," he said. "This grant will allow me to significantly expand my research, support a number of graduate and undergraduate students, and address a set of interesting, fundamental questions."

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