Dr. Maria Kukuruzinska Receives Evans Center Research Collaborator of the Year Award

Dr. Maria Kukuruzinska, Associate Dean for Research and Professor in Molecular & Cell Biology at the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, was named the 2016 Evans Center Research Collaborator of the Year by the Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research and the Boston University Department of Medicine. This recognition was announced at the annual Department of Medicine Awards Dinner on October 13, 2016.

The Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research promotes growth and discovery for interdisciplinary biomedical research through its dynamic organizational structure. It brings together investigators from different fields together to study disease mechanisms and identify further opportunities for training and research. The Evans Center supports Affinity Research Collaboratives (ARCs), which are interdisciplinary teams of investigators focused on a research theme.

The Evans Center Research Collaborator of the Year Award is given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the ARCs. After accepting nominations from ARC directors and peers, awards are determined by a special committee with support from the administration. Recipients such as Dr. Kukuruzinska are selected for their leadership and strong collaborative efforts.

Dr. Kukuruzinska is a Co-Director of the Etiology and Pathogenesis of Oral Cancer (EPOC) ARC. She is also the Director of the Oral Cancer Research Initiative (OCRI) and the co-Director of the Greater Boston Head & Neck Cancer Program. These initiatives bring together researchers, clinicians and patients from Boston University Charles River and Medical Campuses, Boston Medical Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Forsyth Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary and Brown University.

Dr. Kukuruzinska received a number of nominations for this award, with nominators particularly highlighting her leadership, enthusiasm, and collaborative skills.

“Dr. Kukuruzinska has a remarkable ability to bring researchers together to work on common problems related to human health,” said one nominator.

Another said, “Maria is a true team player and an optimistic, genuine person. Her outstanding qualities have directly benefited the success of the EPOC ARC.”