Candace Y. W. Lee, MD, PhD, Research Fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN is the 2007 ASCPT Young Investigator Award Winner.

Dr. Lee's proposal entitled, "Discovery and Development of Novel Designer Natriuretic Peptides for the Treatment of Heart Failure" was selected as the best scientific proposal among a highly competitive group of clinical pharmacology trainees.

Over the next year Dr. Lee's research sets forth objectives for a number of research firsts including, defining the in vivo integrative cardiorenal physiological actions of a Mayo-designed novel chimeric natriuretic peptide, CD-NP in patients with chronic stable heart failure, and evaluating in vivo cardiorenal actions of an alternative novel "humanized" NP, CU-NP, in dogs with experimental heart failure. Finally, Dr. Lee will define in isolated human glomeruli and inner medullary collecting duct cells of the cGMP-activating actions of both designer peptides to provide insights into their renal mechanisms of action.

Dr. Lee will receive a $35,000 grant to support her research and will report back to ASCPT in June 2008 with the results of her research.

Support for this award was provided by AMGEN in the form of an unrestricted education grant.

Questions about the ASCPT Young Investigator Award can be directed to Sharon Swan, Executive Director, at sharon@ascpt.org or 703.836.6981.