Amgen and The Barnett Institute of Chemical and Biological Analysis at Northeastern University announced the Wolfgang Goetzinger-Amgen Memorial Scholar Award. The award is in memory of Amgen’s well-respected and esteemed colleague, Wolfgang Goetzinger, an analytical chemist at Amgen’s Cambridge R&D facility and former post-doctoral fellow in the Barnett Institute at Northeastern University. Goetzinger died in September 2015 after a battle with cancer. He was 51 years old.
The Wolfgang Goetzinger-Amgen Memorial Scholar Award in Life Science Analysis is a $50,000 gift over the next five years that will provide students—both graduate and undergraduate—with $5,000 annually to fund an undergraduate summer research co-op and to help offset the cost of travel, education, professional development or research expenses for a graduate student. “Requirements included a competitive process where students need to have an interest or research work (graduate level award) in biotechnology and/or life science analysis, as well as present their research topic to Amgen Massachusetts leadership upon completion.
“It was important for us to honor Wolfgang as he left such a lasting impression on everyone who had the pleasure of interacting with him,” explained Sam Guhan, Vice President, Process Development. “Establishing the Wolfgang Goetzinger-Amgen Memorial Scholar award scholar was our collective approach in doing so for the next generation of scientists who share his passion for science and life. This award is one way for us to remember him and his inspirational contributions as a scientist, colleague, teacher and friend.”
“This award in Wolfgang Goetzinger’s name is especially meaningful to me as Wolfgang was a post doc in my lab during the mid 1990s,” said Dr. Barry Karger, Director of the Barnett Institute. “He was an excellent analytical chemist, and it is wonderful that Amgen is remembering him in this way.”
The 2016 Wolfgang Goetzinger-Amgen Memorial Scholar award recipients are Northeastern University sophomore student Tyler Kolfrat and graduate student Ting Huang. The recipients were recognized at a reception held at Amgen on March 7, 2016, along with Dr. Goetzinger’s Amgen colleagues, Barnett Institute peers, and his surviving wife, Joyce Roessler.
Kolfrat will spend the summer in Professor John Engen’s lab as a funded co-op studying histone methyltransferases, which are major targets when developing drugs for the cancer causing gene, oncogene.
Huang, a College of Computer and Information Sciences (CCIS) graduate student, will continue research in the lab of Professor Olga Vitek, who has a joint appointment with CCIS and at the Barnett Institute within the College of Science. Huang’s research focuses on the development of computational methods and algorithms for the discovery of biomarkers for tailored cancer therapies. She will use the funds to spend time at ETH, Switzerland to work in the lab of a world class scientist with whom Professor Vitek collaborates.
Joyce Roessler presented the award to Kolfrat and Huang. Students who receive this award are encouraged to emulate the dedication and commitment Goetzinger exhibited every day of his life. The students will present their research at a special seminar next spring at Amgen.
About the Barnett Institute
An internationally recognized center for advanced interdisciplinary research and training in analytical chemistry and biotechnology, the Barnett Institute’s work includes proteomics, biomarker discovery, drug synthesis and development, environmental cancer agent detection and ultrasensitive instrumentation.
With over 50 scientists and an $8 million endowment, the institute is recognized internationally as one of the premier centers for cutting-edge research and advanced training in analytical chemistry for biomedical applications. The Barnett Institute’s close ties to the Boston medical industrial communities, along with a active program of spin-outs and licensing technology, provides for many “real life” applications of research advances which have led to more than 1000 published papers and 75 patents.
Over 375 PhD students, post-doctoral fellows and staff have gone on to distinguished careers in academia, industry, and government. The Barnett Institute was found founded in 1973.
For more information, visit northeastern.edu/barnett.
About Amgen
Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.
Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its biologics manufacturing expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people’s lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world’s leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential.
For more information, visit www.amgen.com and follow us on www.twitter.com/amgen.
