O’Leary Prize Competition

Designed to acknowledge the most original and important accomplishments in Neuroscience research at WashU by a predoctoral student or postdoctoral fellow

 Congratulations to Maria and Mitch on their outstanding work!

It was a terrific and highly competitive event, showcasing the impressive depth of Neuroscience talent here at WashU.

• Benjamin Boros (Grad student; Lab of Tim Miller Lab, WashU Neurology)
• Hao Chen (Grad student; Lab of Albert Kim, WashU Neurosurgery; and Azad Bonni, formerly WashU Neuroscience)
• Maria Gonzalez-Aponte, PhD (Postdoc; Lab of Erik Herzog, WashU Biology)
• Hao Hu, PhD (Postdoc; Lab of David Holtzman, WashU Neurology)
• Min Woo (Mitchell) Kim (Grad student; Lab of Jonathan Kipnis, WashU Pathology & Immunology)
• James O’Connor, PhD (Postdoc; Lab of Aaron DiAntonio, WashU Developmental Biology)
• JeongJun Park (Grad student; Lab of Lawrence Snyder, WashU Neuroscience)
• Aishwarya Rajesh, PhD (Postdoc; Lab of Evan Gordon, WashU Radiology)
• Simona Sarafinovska (Grad student; Lab of Joseph Dougherty, WashU Genetics)
• Marion Stunault, PhD (Postdoc; Lab of Ghazal Ashrafi, WashU Cell Biology & Physiology)
• Ciyang Wang (Grad student; Lab of Carlos Cruchaga, WashU Psychiatry)
• Xiaoyue (Aelita) Zhu (Grad student; Lab of Adam Kepecs, WashU Neuroscience)

Background

Dr. James L. O’Leary joined the faculty of the Department of Anatomy at Washington University in 1928.  In 1948 he joined the faculty of the Department of Neurology, becoming Head of the Department in 1946, remaining until 1971.  For many years, neuroscience research at Washington University was conducted by Dr. O’Leary and his colleagues.  They developed an interdisciplinary and interactive approach to the study of the nervous system that continues today.  Dr. O’Leary’s colleagues, admirers, and former students established a fund in 1975 to award a prize each year to a graduate student and/or postdoctoral fellow or resident for excellence in neuroscience research.

Instructions

Two prizes of $1000 each will be awarded for the oral presentations of the most original and important accomplishments in neuroscience research by a predoctoral or postdoctoral fellow.  Current Washington University predoctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and residents are invited to submit a summary of their work to Erik Musiek musieke@wustl.edu and the Office of Neuroscience Research (onr@email.wustl.edu). The submission must arrive no later than 5pm (CST), Friday, March 7th, 2025.

We invite submissions covering all aspects of neuroscience, including systems neuroscience, imaging, clinical studies, translational research, as well as cellular and molecular work. Submitted work must have been performed at Washington University. Judges will be selected to cover the topics of submitted work, as best as possible.

The summary should include a title page indicating the applicant’s name, preceptor, campus box, telephone number, email address and status (e.g. graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, resident).  The summary itself should begin with a 250 word abstract and be no longer than 5 double spaced pages, size 11 font, including figures but not references.  A separate listing of no more than 10 references is allowed.  In addition, a statement from the applicant’s preceptor simply attesting that the trainee performed the work included should accompany the submission.  A letter of recommendation is not needed; just attestation to the work.  If the work to be presented is published, in press, recently accepted for publication or currently in review, please note this information on the coversheet. If the work has been accepted for publication, please note the journal and estimated date of publication.

Application format:

• Page 1: Coversheet & Details – please indicate the work was done while you were a PhD student or postdoctoral fellow and give a project title.
• Page 2: Attestation from preceptor (can be 1-2 sentences stating the work was done by the author, no letter needed)
• Page 3: 250 Word Abstract
• Page 4-8: Research Summary and an emphasis on the innovation and impact of the study
• Page 9: References
• Application should come in one file, pdf preferred.

All work to be considered for the prizes must have been carried out by the applicant while a student, resident, or fellow at Washington University.  From the submitted summaries the Selection Committee will choose those to be presented at the O’Leary Prize program on Thursday, April 3, 2025 from 1:00-5:00pm, location in the Fort Neuroscience Building Auditorium.  

Each year, a past O’Leary Prize recipient is invited to be a guest judge and present the O’Leary Lecture. Sarah Ackerman (WashU Pathology & Immunology; BIG Center) will be the guest judge and will deliver the O’Leary Lecture on Friday, April 4, 2025.