Congratulations to Dr. Bindu Paul and Dr. Reza Kalhor as they are the winners of the 2026 Hamilton Smith Award for Innovative Research and the 2026 Lee Hood Prize in Biomedical Science.

Dr. Bindu Paul (Department of Physiology, Pharmacology, and Therapeutics) is the recipient of the 2026 Hamilton Smith Award.  Dr. Paul’s research focuses on redox regulation as a signal transduction mechanism.  Aberrant redox signaling is a hallmark of multiple neurodegenerative diseases.  The Paul laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms underlying redox homeostasis in the brain, with a focus on signaling mediated by gaseous messenger molecules such as hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and nitric oxide (NO).  Using cell culture, mouse models, and patient samples, the Paul laboratory has shown that modulating protein sulfhydration and nitrosylation networks has therapeutic benefits.  These studies have yielded clues that may facilitate the development of novel therapeutics to delay, halt, reverse, or prevent neurodegeneration.

Dr. Reza Kalhor (Department of Biomedical Engineering) is the recipient of the 2026 Lee Hood Prize.  Dr. Kalhor’s research focuses on mapping and engineering cell fate using synthetic biology and genomics approaches.  To accomplish this objective, his group develops: (1) molecular technologies that write cellular histories into their genomes, (2) sequencing strategies that read out written information with spatial resolution, and (3) computational methods that reconstruct the underlying biological processes based on recorded information.  This work combines genomics, CRISPR and other gene editing technologies, systems biology, and computational modeling approaches.  It aims to better understand embryogenesis, neurogenesis, and tumorigenesis.  It also aims to establish more effective cell therapies.