Samantha Krysa, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Brestoff Lab in the Department of Pathology & Immunology at Washington University School of Medicine, was named a 2023 W.M. Keck Postdoctoral Fellow. The fellowship recognizes and supports outstanding postdoctoral scientists in their first two years of training in biomedical sciences and molecular medicine by offering a competitive stipend as well as funds for research supplies, Washington University’s Office of Postdoctoral Affairs said. Dr. Krysa’s fellowship award will propel her work in the Brestoff Lab, where she studies how neutrophils regulate tissue metabolism.
“I’m so proud of Sam for being named a W.M. Keck Fellow, not just because it’s a prestigious honor and accomplishment but because it’s a reflection of her perseverance and determination. Sam is a truly gifted scientist and has a very bright future ahead of her. It will be a lot of fun seeing what she discovers in the next few years,” said Jonathan Brestoff, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pathology & Immunology at Washington University School of Medicine.
Before joining the Brestoff Lab, Dr. Krysa completed her PhD at the University of Iowa in Dr. Lee-Ann Allen’s laboratory studying metabolic regulation of neutrophils, an important immune cell population that is involved in host defense against pathogens. Since joining the Brestoff Lab, Dr. Krysa has discovered that neutrophils are the most abundant immune cell population in brown adipose tissue (BAT). Her W.M. Keck Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biomedical Research will fuel her work on how neutrophils regulate BAT metabolism and contribute to maintenance of normal metabolic health. Dr. Krysa’s studies will challenge conventional views on neutrophils by revealing a metabolic role for these cells outside their most famous functions of host defense against microbes and inflammation.
