San Francisco, CA, June 10, 2002 - Eleven promising young biomedical researchers from Latin America have been named 2002 Pew Latin American Fellows in the Biomedical Sciences by The Pew Charitable Trusts of Philadelphia.

In selecting this twelfth group of Latin American Fellows, The Pew Charitable Trusts continue their commitment to support young investigators for postdoctoral training in the United States. The Program is intended to serve as a nucleus of scientific exchange and collaboration between investigators in the U.S. and Latin America. Each of the Fellows, who have not had previous postdoctoral training outside of their home country, were initially reviewed by regional nominating committees in Mexico, Central and South America. Final selection was completed by the National Scientific Advisory Committee in the United States chaired by Torsten N. Wiesel, M.D., Director, The Shelby White and Leon Levy Center, The Rockefeller University. Fellows are selected on the basis of their promise as outstanding investigators, as well as the scientific merit of their research proposal, their record of training, and how well their interests coincide with the host laboratory in the United States.

An award of $50,000 will be provided as a salary stipend for the fellow during the two year fellowship. Upon the fellows' return to his or her home country, the program will issue an additional $35,000 award for the purchase of supplies and equipment to establish their own laboratory.

The following is a complete list of the 2002 Pew Fellows in the Biomedical Sciences:

Brieba de Castro, Luis G., Ph.D. Home Country: MEXICO Laboratory of: Thomas E. Ellenberger, Ph.D. Harvard Medical School Structure-function of DNA binding proteins De Ferrari, Giancarlo V., Ph.D. Home Country: CHILE Laboratory of: Randall T. Moon, Ph.D. University of Washington Neurosciences Dueñas, Zulma J., Ph.D. Home Country: COLOMBIA Laboratory of: Ricardo Miledi, M.D. University of California, Irvine Physiology and Pharmacology Falzone, Luis T., Ph.D. Home Country: ARGENTINA Laboratory of: Lawrence Goldstein, Ph.D. University of California, San Diego Cellular and Molecular Biology Masuda, Claudio A., Ph.D. Home Country: BRAZIL Laboratory of: Steve A. Kay, Ph.D. Scripps Research Institute Biological Clocks Mora, J. Rodrigo, M.D., Ph.D. Home Country: CHILE Laboratory of: Ulrich H. von Andrian, Ph.D. Harvard University Immunology

Muotri, Alysson Renato, Ph.D. Home Country: BRAZIL Laboratory of: Fred H. Gage, Ph.D. Salk Institute for Biological Studies Neurobiology Pérez-Martínez, Xochitl, Ph.D. Home Country: MEXICO Laboratory of: Thomas D. Fox, Ph.D. Cornell University Mitochondrial Genetics Reyes Taboada, José L., M.D., Ph.D Home Country: MEXICO Laboratory of: Nam-Hai Chua, Ph.D. Rockefeller University Plant Molecular Biology Signal Transduction Rothlin, Carla Vanina, Ph.D. Home Country: ARGENTINA Laboratory of: Greg Erwin Lemke, Ph.D. Salk Institute for Biological Studies Neurobiology Zúñiga, Elina, Ph.D. Home Country: ARGENTINA Laboratory of: Michael Oldstone, M.D. Scripps Research Institute Virology and Immunology