Dr. Jessica Gill, a Lasker Clinical Research Scholar and NINR intramural investigator, and Dr. Ida Spruill, an NINR-supported extramural scientist, were selected to receive the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). The PECASE is the highest honor bestowed by the United States Government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers. President Obama announced the recipients in December.
Dr. Jessica Gill
Dr. Gill was recognized for an investigation of predictors of neurological deficits and PTSD onset following traumatic brain injury.
Dr. Ida Spruill
Dr. Spruill, an Assistant Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina, was honored for her work on ethno-cultural barriers to health literacy and disease management in African-Americans.
In a White House press release, President Obama said, "The impressive achievements of these early-stage scientists and engineers are promising indicators of even greater successes ahead." The awards, established by President Clinton in 1996, are coordinated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the Executive Office of the President.