[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=\"1\" admin_label=\"section\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" background_color=\"#093049\" custom_padding=\"8px||0px|||\" locked=\"off\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_row _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" text_text_color=\"gcid-9b607bfd-ddfe-4f74-b296-5e8b18c0f423\" text_font_size=\"16px\" header_2_text_align=\"center\" header_2_text_color=\"#FAA82A\" global_colors_info=\"{%22gcid-9b607bfd-ddfe-4f74-b296-5e8b18c0f423%22:%91%22text_text_color%22%93}\"]<\/p>\n
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Assistant Professor<\/em><\/p>\n Caruso Department of Otolaryngology \u2013 Head and Neck Surgery<\/em><\/p>\n Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine<\/em><\/p>\n Keck School of Medicine of USC<\/em><\/p>\n Bio:<\/strong><\/p>\n Dr. Ksenia Gnedeva is an Assistant Professor in the Caruso Department of Otolaryngology \u2013 Head and Neck Surgery and the Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Her laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms governing sensory organ development, with a focus on understanding how programs of self-renewal and differentiation can be reactivated to promote sensory tissue regeneration after damage.<\/p>\n Notably, her work identified the Hippo signaling cascade as a major negative regulator of mitotic hair cell regeneration in mammals. As part of this research, she developed the first of its kind inhibitor of this pathway, which is now widely used in the fields of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. More recently, her studies uncovered the epigenetic basis of competence for hair cell differentiation and demonstrated that it is rapidly established during embryogenesis but lost postnatally, likely preventing regeneration.<\/p>\n The high impact of her work has been consistently recognized through her publications (including five in PNAS<\/em>, one in Nature Communications<\/em>, two in eLife<\/em>, and two in Cell Stem Cell<\/em>) and through her funding record (including NIDCD R21 and R01 awards and the Department of Defense award). She is a member of the Hearing Restoration Project funded by the Hearing Health Foundation and a recipient of the Joseph Gordon-Levitt Award for Excellence in Academic Medicine. Her work has also been featured in several news and media outlets, most notably on National Public Radio\u2019s flagship news program All Things Considered<\/em>.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=\"https:\/\/aro.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Geraldine-Dietz-Fox-Young-Investigator-Award-Winners.pdf\" url_new_window=\"on\" button_text=\"Past Young Investigator Award Recipients\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"ac367fc4-c433-4d4b-994d-d05e71c9264a\" locked=\"off\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=\"1\" disabled_on=\"on|on|on\" admin_label=\"section\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" background_color=\"#E6E8E6\" custom_padding=\"31px||28px|||\" disabled=\"on\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_row admin_label=\"row\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" background_size=\"initial\" background_position=\"top_left\" background_repeat=\"repeat\" custom_padding=\"||3px|||\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" custom_padding=\"|||\" global_colors_info=\"{}\" custom_padding__hover=\"|||\"][et_pb_heading title=\"Congratulations to Our 2025Dr. Melissa Caras Geraldine Dietz Fox Young Investigator Awardee\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" title_font=\"|700|||||||\" title_text_align=\"center\" title_text_color=\"#093049\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_team_member name=\"Dr. Melissa Caras\" position=\"Assistant Professor\" image_url=\"https:\/\/aro.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/ARO-Scholars-Frame-and-More-2.png\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"daf55d86-a926-4010-b1d1-c82f53fc822d\" header_text_color=\"#0E5688\" body_text_align=\"justify\" body_text_color=\"#093049\" body_line_height=\"1.4em\" custom_margin=\"|-6px|77px|-6px|false|true\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"]<\/p>\n Assistant Professor<\/p>\n Department of Biology <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_team_member][et_pb_button button_url=\"https:\/\/aro.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Geraldine-Dietz-Fox-Young-Investigator-Award-Winners.pdf\" url_new_window=\"on\" button_text=\"Past Young Investigator Award Recipients\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"ac367fc4-c433-4d4b-994d-d05e71c9264a\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=\"1\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" background_color=\"#093049\" background_image=\"https:\/\/aro.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/aro-spiral.png\" custom_padding=\"20px|||||\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_row _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" text_text_color=\"gcid-9b607bfd-ddfe-4f74-b296-5e8b18c0f423\" text_font_size=\"16px\" header_2_font=\"|700|||||||\" header_2_text_align=\"center\" header_2_text_color=\"#E6E8E6\" header_3_text_color=\"#E6E8E6\" header_4_font=\"|700|||||||\" header_4_text_align=\"center\" header_4_text_color=\"#FAA82A\" global_colors_info=\"{%22gcid-9b607bfd-ddfe-4f74-b296-5e8b18c0f423%22:%91%22text_text_color%22%93}\"]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: Geraldine Dietz Fox Young Investigator Award<\/strong><\/p>\n The Association for Research in Otolaryngology will start accepting nominations for the Geraldine Dietz Fox Young Investigator Award on June 16, 2025.<\/p>\n ABOUT THE ARO YOUNG INVESTIGATOR AWARD<\/p>\n This award recognizes accomplishment and promise in research related to otolaryngology in an area(s) represented at the annual ARO meeting. Candidates should have a graduate degree (PhD, MD, or equivalent), show accomplishment and promise in research related to otolaryngology, and be no more than 7 years beyond residency or postdoctoral training at the time of nomination. The awardee will be asked to give a scientific talk during the Young Investigator Luncheon at the 2026 MidWinter Meeting.<\/p>\n REMINDER:\u00a0 ARO membership is not required for nominators or nominees.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n (Please read carefully before submitting.)<\/p>\n Nominations should include the following:<\/strong><\/p>\n A letter of nomination that includes a description of the research contributions and potential Nominations are meticulously selected by the ARO Award Committee and then submitted to the ARO Council for approval.\u202f A nominee\u2019s package will be considered for up to 3 years in sequence; the package can be updated for the second and third years.\u202f Nominations submitted in previous years without meeting the new standards should be resubmitted, ensuring a fair and comprehensive evaluation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This award recognizes accomplishment and promise in research related to otolaryngology in an area(s) represented at the Annual ARO MidWinter Meeting. Candidates should have a graduate degree (PhD, MD, or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":14,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"This award recognizes accomplishment and promise in research related to otolaryngology, in an area(s) represented at the annual ARO meeting. Candidates should have a graduate degree (PhD, MD or equivalent) and be no more than 5 years beyond residency or postdoctoral training at the time of nomination. Only 1 letter of support is required; it may have multiple signatories.\u00a0The selection will be made before the 2021 Midwinter meeting.<\/em><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nAwarded for her contributions to the understanding of
mechanisms underlying auditory perception and learning.<\/h4>\n
Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences,
by courtesy University of Maryland<\/p>\nSubmit a Nomination<\/h2>\n
<\/h4>\n
<\/h4>\n
Nomination Requirements:<\/h4>\n
Nominee\u2019s CV
One additional letter of support, which can have more than one signature if desired<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/aro.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/gray-divider-line-300x10.jpg\")
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<\/span><\/h4>\r\nGeraldine Dietz Fox Young Investigator Award Winners<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\r\n
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\r\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/aro.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/D.-Contini-206x300.png\")
<\/span><\/td>\r\n\r\n 2021 Award Winner<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\r\n
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\r\n Awarded for<\/strong>: <\/em>Pioneering investigations of synaptic transmission in the vestibular system.<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\nTo read more about Dr. Contini, [sg_popup id=\"3043\" event=\"click\"]CLICK HERE<\/strong>.[\/sg_popup]<\/em><\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n