Halasa lands young investigator award
Natasha Halasa, M.D., assistant professor of Pediatrics, recently received the 2010 Young Investigator Award from the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society.
Natasha Halasa, M.D.
The award recognizes one young physician nationally each year for outstanding contributions in clinical or basic research in pediatric infectious diseases. Halasa received the award in early May at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting in Vancouver.
“I was surprised and honored. It is a testimony to the dedication Vanderbilt has for its young investigators. I came here to work with mentors like Kathryn Edwards, and had an amazing mentorship committee that followed me throughout my young faculty years. Their guidance has been tremendous,” Halasa said.
Halasa's research has focused on topics like the impact of pertussis (or whooping cough) on infants, the potential benefits of early vaccination for both pertussis and the flu in the first weeks of life, and on a number of other clinical and epidemiological research projects.
Kathryn Edwards, M.D., director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program, nominated Halasa for the award and called her an ideal candidate because of the breadth and depth of her work.
“Natasha embodies the ideal of a young investigator pursuing excellence and high impact research in the field of pediatric infectious diseases. She has an unwavering commitment to a career in investigative medicine. Her focus, determination and skill at working with others are all qualities that serve her well in her career as a physician-scientist,” Edwards said.