NIH Record - National Institutes of Health

NIDDK’s Felsenfeld Receives Horwitz Prize

Dr. Gary Felsenfeld
Dr. Gary Felsenfeld

Dr. Gary Felsenfeld, NIDDK senior investigator and NIH distinguished investigator, is a 2016 recipient of the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize. Columbia University gives the award to recognize outstanding basic research in biology or biochemistry. Since the prize was first awarded in 1967, 43 awardees have gone on to win Nobel Prizes.

Felsenfeld’s research has focused on how chromatin proteins regulate the biochemical behavior and structure of DNA within the cell’s nucleus, including the processes of cellular differentiation and how embryos develop. 

Understanding the changes in chromatin structure and function associated with both normal and abnormal growth and development is essential to advancing progress in diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Felsenfeld’s work helped lead to the formation of the epigenetics field.

The NIH Record

The NIH Record, founded in 1949, is the biweekly newsletter for employees of the National Institutes of Health.

Published 25 times each year, it comes out on payday Fridays.

Associate Editor: Dana Talesnik
Dana.Talesnik@nih.gov (link sends e-mail)

Assistant Editor: Eric Bock
Eric.Bock@nih.gov (link sends e-mail)

Staff Writer: Amber Snyder
Amber.Snyder@nih.gov (link sends e-mail)