Longtime Biochemistry Professor at Colorado State Honored with Scholarship Impact Award

Colorado State University today named Professor Jim Bamburg in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology the 2006 recipient of the Scholarship Impact Award, one of the university’s top honors for research accomplishments.

The award was presented at the university’s annual Celebrate Colorado State! Luncheon.

A member of Colorado State’s faculty since 1971, Bamburg’s research interests have focused on neuronal cell biology, especially on a protein known as actin depolymerizing factor, or ADF. He is considered the world expert on ADF, and his papers have been cited more than 5,500 times. In the past year alone, he has published papers on early mammalian development, Alzheimer’s disease, blood platelet activation, melanoma cell invasion, growth cone guidance and kidney function.

On campus, Bamburg is known as the father of the highly successful Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience Program that features an interdisciplinary curriculum and research opportunities for graduate students in neurosciences. His scholarship and contributions to his field are noteworthy in combining both biochemistry and cell-based analysis to define the regulatory control mechanisms and functional importance of ADF in fundamental biological processes.

"Jim’s enthusiasm for science has never diminished over his 35-year career, and his contributions and collegiality are renowned and widely admired," said Hank Gardner, interim vice president for research. "He understands the importance of  multidisciplinary approaches that link basic and applied research in new ways that will help us explore complex biological processes."

"He is a compassionate and inspirational mentor for undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty alike," added Marv Paule, chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. "Jim brings out the best in others – one of many qualities that assured his being chosen for this prestigious award."

Bamburg’s research expenditures have totaled about $9.5 million since he joined the university in 1971. In 1988, the university honored him with the Oliver Pennock Distinguished Service Award, followed in 1995 with the Jack E. Cermak Outstanding Graduate Advising Award for the College of Natural Sciences, and another Pennock Distinguished Service Award in 2005.

He obtained his bachelor’s in chemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana, and his doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

The Office of the Vice President for Research created the Scholarship Impact Award in 2003 to recognize faculty members whose scholarship has had major national or international impact. Past recipients of the Scholarship Impact Award include Gary White, professor in the Department of Fishery and Wildlife Biology; Ian Orme, professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology; and David Randall, professor in the Department of Atmospheric Science.

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