Image: Dr. Rachel Roberts-Galbraith has been awarded the prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship. She will receive $70,000 to support her research over the next two years. She is only the 12th Sloan recipient to come from the University of Georgia since the fellowship program began over 60 years ago. Dr. Roberts-Galbraith’s research seeks to understand the flatworm’s ability to regrow missing tissue after a wide range of amputations or injuries. She focuses on how planarians regenerate central nervous system tissue. “Our goal is to learn from planarians what successful neural regeneration looks like,” said Roberts-Galbraith, “how an injured animal remakes neurons and other cells of the brain in the right numbers with the correct organization and connections.” Sloan Fellowship candidates are nominated by fellow scientists and selected by independent panels, based on the candidates research accomplishments, creativity, and potential to become a leader in her or his field. “Sloan Fellowships are one of the most prestigious monetary awards in the country for faculty in the earlier stages of their careers,” said David Lee, University of Georgia Vice President for Research. “This signifies the quality of young faculty that UGA is recruiting.” Type of News/Audience: Faculty Two Assistant Professors Win 2019 Sloan Fellowships
