Infectious Diseases

January 23, 2025

Eric Skaar wins National Academy of Sciences award

Skaar, who directs the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, is being recognized for “pioneering work at the intersection of nutrition and infectious diseases.”

Eric Skaar, PhD, MPH (photo by Erin O. Smith)

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has announced that Eric Skaar, PhD, MPH, the Ernest W. Goodpasture Professor of Pathology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, will receive the 2025 NAS Award in Molecular Biology

Skaar, who directs the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, is being recognized for “pioneering work at the intersection of nutrition and infectious diseases,” according to the NAS

Skaar and his team have focused on the battle between bacterial pathogens and the vertebrates they infect for nutrient metals like iron and zinc. Pathogens require metals to survive, grow and cause infection, and vertebrate hosts have developed mechanisms to starve bacterial pathogens of metals — a defensive process called “nutritional immunity.” 

By exploring factors and mechanisms involved in the host-pathogen battle for metals, Skaar and his team aim to identify novel targets for therapeutic intervention against bacterial pathogens. 

“I am incredibly honored to receive this recognition from the NAS, which acknowledges my laboratory’s contribution to our understanding of nutritional immunity,” Skaar said. “These discoveries were enabled due to the talented scientists who have trained in my laboratory, the outstanding resources at Vanderbilt, and our excellent network of collaborators both within and outside of Vanderbilt.” 

In notable recent discoveries, Skaar and his team found that zinc deficiency alters the immune response to Acinetobacter baumannii lung infection and showed that FDA-approved monoclonal antibodies protect against bacterial pneumonia in an animal model. They also discovered that C. diff (Clostridioides difficile) — the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections — produces iron storage spheres that are important for infection and could offer new targets for antibacterial drugs. 

“Dr. Skaar’s recognition by the NAS highlights the groundbreaking research he and his team have conducted at the intersection of nutrition and infectious diseases. His pioneering discoveries not only advance our understanding of nutritional immunity but also offer transformative insights with the potential to reshape how we approach therapeutic interventions against bacterial pathogens,” said VUMC Chief Scientific and Strategy Officer Jennifer Pietenpol, PhD. 

“Dr. Skaar and his team exemplify the innovation and collaborative spirit that define Vanderbilt’s research community,” added Pietenpol, who holds the Brock Family Directorship in Career Development. 

The NAS Award in Molecular Biology was first awarded in 1962. It is supported by Pfizer Inc. and recognizes a young scientist no older than 50. Fifteen previous recipients of the NAS Award in Molecular Biology have gone on to receive a Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, or chemistry; 20 have received a Lasker Award; and 10 have been honored with a National Medal of Science, according to the NAS. 

Skaar will receive the award, which is presented with a medal and $25,000 prize, at the NAS annual meeting in April.