Award

Robinson honored for helping disadvantaged high-school students

He won ASBMB's Kirschstein Diversity in Science Award
Rajendrani Mukhopadhyay
April 1, 2017

Douglas N. Robinson, professor of cell biology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, won the 2017 Ruth Kirschstein Diversity in Science Award for developing the Summer Academic Research Experience program. The SARE program helps disadvantaged teenagers in inner-city Baltimore get experience in biomedical research as well as academic tutoring. The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s Minority Affairs Committee selects the winners of this award.

Douglas N. Robinson
“Science provides innovative solutions for health, environmental and technological challenges. Often overlooked is that science can and should provide career opportunities to everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic background. Dr. Kirschstein paved the way opening doors for all through science. I am deeply honored to be recognized by this award.”
– Douglas N. Robinson

Named after Ruth L. Kirschstein of the National Institutes of Health, the award honors outstanding scientists who are committed to helping underrepresented minorities enter the scientific enterprise and thrive within it. Kirschstein was renowned for science and public service. After working on the polio vaccine, Kirschstein became the first woman to direct an NIH institute, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Later, she served as deputy director and acting director of the NIH. Kirschstein was an advocate for training, particularly for underrepresented minorities.

Robinson studies how different cells take on their distinctive shapes. By understanding the fundamental principles that underlie cell morphology, Robinson’s team aims to parse out how cell shape influences diseases such as pancreatic cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and degenerative motor neuron diseases.

But Robinson and his team also work to bring people into the laboratory who otherwise wouldn’t have the privilege of doing research. About 34 percent of children in Baltimore grow up in poverty, which is almost three times higher than the national average. Robinson developed SARE nine years ago as a way for promising but disadvantaged students to get trained in academic and professional skills as well as to build a network of mentors.

Robinson got the inspiration for SARE when he and his wife, Lisa Naeger, began taking Sunday dinners to the Boys Hope house. The house, and the subsequent Girls Hope house, are supported by the Boys Hope Girls Hope organization, which provides at-risk children with homes, education, and financial and emotional support. At the dinners, Robinson and Naeger heard the teenagers express interest in research. After bringing two teenagers into his laboratory, Robinson’s group decided to formalize the opportunity in the form of SARE.

Of the 37 scholars who have come through SARE to date, 23 have reached college age and matriculated into four-year colleges with partial or full scholarships. Half of the students have chosen science, engineering, math or health-related majors.

Peter Devreotes, the director of the department of cell biology at Hopkins, explained in his nomination letter that Robinson won a Health Career Opportunity Program grant through the Health Resources and Services Administration to expand the scope of SARE to the greater Baltimore area as well as the rest of the country. In the expanded format, the program also now serves disadvantaged undergraduates and postbaccalaureate students.

In his letter supporting Robinson’s nomination, Bill Bement at the University of Wisconsin–Madison wrote, “Doug Robinson is one of an incredibly rare group: full-time researchers who nevertheless make major education contributions well beyond the expectations that come with a faculty position.” Bement closed his letter by saying that Robinson was “an ideal candidate” for the award.

Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?

Become a member to receive the print edition monthly and the digital edition weekly.

Learn more
Rajendrani Mukhopadhyay

Rajendrani Mukhopadhyay is the former managing editor of ASBMB Today.

Get the latest from ASBMB Today

Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.

Latest in People

People highlights or most popular articles

Exploring marine science at the cellular level
Annual Meeting

Exploring marine science at the cellular level

March 21, 2023

Karlie Tischendorf, a senior at Purdue University, is scheduled to present her research on stingray venom at Discover BMB.

In memoriam: Christine Guthrie
In Memoriam

In memoriam: Christine Guthrie

March 20, 2023

She was a pioneer in RNA biology, a leader in the pre-mRNA splicing field and member of the ASBMB for almost 40 years.

How the ASBMB shaped my career
Essay

How the ASBMB shaped my career

March 16, 2023

The society helped me on my path from Ph.D. student to science policy professional.

JBC Tabor award winners to speak at Discover BMB
Annual Meeting

JBC Tabor award winners to speak at Discover BMB

March 16, 2023

These awards recognize early-career scientists for their standout first-author papers published in the past year.

Translating the glycosylation code
Annual Meeting

Translating the glycosylation code

March 15, 2023

JBC Herbert Tabor Early Career Investigator Award winner Anabel Gonzalez-Gil will present her research on the immune cell receptors known as Siglecs at Discover BMB.

A family history of Alzheimer’s sparks interest in basic research
Annual Meeting

A family history of Alzheimer’s sparks interest in basic research

March 15, 2023

JBC Herbert Tabor Early Career Investigator Award winner Jenna Lentini will share her findings on an enzyme that modifies mitochondrial tRNA, at Discover BMB.