Yi Zhu, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology in the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) Health Science Center, received a UT System Rising STARs (Science and Technology Acquisition and Retention) award in the amount of $150,000.
Zhu, who is also an investigator with the university’s esteemed Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, joined the institution on July 1.
“The UT System Rising STARs award will provide essential support as I set up my lab at the Health Science Center, which will enable our lab to acquire modern behavioral testing and tracking systems that are not currently available at the Barshop Institute,” Zhu shared. “These resources will allow us to assess cognition in aging and Alzheimer’s disease models rigorously and will also serve as a shared space for other investigators at the institution, fostering collaboration across its various departments, centers, and institutes.”
Zhu was drawn to the Health Science Center due to the Barshop Institute’s strong focus on aging research, the collaborative environment across departments, and supportive resources for investigators to build an independent research program. “The combination of outstanding colleagues, shared research infrastructure, as well as the Health Science Center’s and the Barshop Institute’s reputation made it an ideal place to establish my lab,” Zhu said.
The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved the allocation of funds for multiple types of STARs awards more than 20 years ago to help attract and retain the best-qualified faculty to perform their research at one of the 13 UT System academic and health institutions across the state of Texas.