Two individuals shaking hands near a podium with a sign reading “PAS 2025 Society for Pediatric Research,” in front of a red curtain. One person is holding a plaque.

Young Investigator Award

Established in 1983, the prestigious Young Investigator Award honors the early achievements of scientists and physician-scientists engaged in discovery-based research focused on diseases and development in children. This award recognizes a rising star whose outstanding scientific research accomplishments help to unravel the mysteries of childhood development or disease. 

Submission Timeline: August 15 – September 30  

Award

  • One recipient is selected annually 
  • Formal recognition at the PAS Meeting 
  • Economy-level travel expenses, hotel accommodation for up to 4 nights 
  • Complimentary registration to the PAS Meeting will be provided 
  • Honorarium provided after the PAS Meeting  
Person standing at a podium with a sign reading “PAS 2025 Society for Pediatric Research” in front of a red curtain, with a water bottle and papers on a nearby table.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Must have completed no more than 7 years post-training at the time of the upcoming PAS Meeting (residency, post-doctoral or research fellowship) 
  • Exceptions may be requested for individuals with research career interruptions 
  • Hold rank of Assistant Professor or below 
  • Individuals with MD and/or PhD are encouraged to apply 
  • Research work must have been conducted after graduation from medical school or completion of PhD 
  • Be nominated by a member of one of the Societies or Alliances within the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 
  • Recipient must be able to attend the PAS Meeting   

Nomination Requirements

Curriculum Vitae of Nominee

Manuscript of Research Work 

  • Description of research work, the basis for the nomination 
  • Preprint or reprint of manuscripts representing fundamental research 
  • Maximum of three key papers reflecting research accomplished during post-training period 


Nominator’s Letter of Support 

  • Must include detailed explanation of nominee’s role in research submitted 
  • Succinct and maximum of two pages 


Senior Investigator Letter of Support (if different from nominator) 

  • From an investigator at the laboratory where nominee carried out research submitted 
  • Include dates, department, and location of research conducted  


Three to Five Additional Letters of Support 

  • Letters should be from established investigators in the nominee’s field 
  • Authors should clearly state how their viewpoints provide additional insight that is different from the nominator and senior investigator 
  • Provide critical evaluation of research work submitted for award 
  • Nominator is responsible for screening letters 
  • Each letter is limited to two pages

Selection Process

  • The Committee for the Young Investigator Award will be solely responsible for recipient selection 
  • Members of the selection committee cannot nominate or support any nominations 
  • The award will only be chosen when there are eligible candidates 
SubMit a Nomination

Current Recipient

Dr. Emily Heikamp is a physician-scientist and pediatric oncologist at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Her laboratory focuses on an aggressive subtype of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) driven by chromosomal rearrangements of the Nucleoporin 98 (NUP98) gene. She discovered that these leukemias require the Menin-KMT2A chromatin complex for survival and demonstrated that pharmacologic disruption of this interaction induces terminal differentiation of malignant cells.

Emily Heikamp Photo

Emily Heikamp, MD, PhD 
Harvard Medical School

  • 2025 | Daniel Corwin, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia 
  • 2024 | Steven J. Jonas, University of California, Los Angeles 
  • 2023 | Elizabeth S. Egan, Stanford University School of Medicine 
  • 2022 | Seth Rakoff-Nahoum, Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital 
  • 2021 | Lindsay C. Burrage, Baylor College of Medicine 
  • 2020 | No awardee: PAS 2020 was cancelled. 
  • 2019 | Stephen W. Patrick, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine 
  • 2018 | Alex Kentsis, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 
  • 2017 | Daniel E. Bauer, Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School/Dana Farber Cancer Institute 
  • 2016 | Jeffrey D. Dvorin, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School 
  • 2015 | Vijay G, Sankaran, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School 
  • 2014 | Sallie R. Permar, Duke University Medical Center 
  • 2013 | Heather Mefford, University of Washington 
  • 2012 | Kimberly Stegmaier, Children’s Hospital 
  • 2011 | Juliane Bubeck Wardenburg, University of Chicago 
  • 2010 | Atul J. Butte, Stanford University 
  • 2009 | Loren Walensky, Harvard Medical School / Dana Farber Cancer Institute 
  • 2008 | Brian Jay Feldman, University of California, San Francisco 
  • 2007 | Michael J. Ackerman, Mayo Clinic 
  • 2006 | Fernando Pedro Polack, Johns Hopkins University 
  • 2005 | Anne Marguerite Moon, University of Utah Health Sciences Center 
  • 2004 | Joel N. Hirschhorn, Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School 
  • 2003 | Michael C.V. Jensen, City of Hope National Medical Center 
  • 2002 | Andrew Scharenberg, University of Washington School of Medicine 
  • 2001 | James E. Crowe, Jr., Vanderbilt University Medical Center 
  • 2000 | Brendan Lee, Baylor College of Medicine 
  • 1999 | Louis J. Muglia, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis 
  • 1998 | Michael J. Bamshad, University of Utah Health Science Center 
  • 1997 | Todd R. Golub, Harvard Medical School 
  • 1996 | Gary A. Herman, University of California, San Francisco 
  • 1995 | Melissa Elder, University of California, San Francisco 
  • 1994 | Nancy C. Andrews, Children’s Hospital 
  • 1993 | Harry C. Dietz, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 
  • 1992 | Raymond G. Watts, University of Alabama 
  • 1991 | Sally Radovick, Case Western Reserve, University School of Medicine 
  • 1990 | Alan D. D’Andrea, Dana Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School 
  • 1989 | Grant A. Mitchell, University of Montreal 
  • 1988 | Roger E. Breitbart, The Children’s Hospital 
  • 1987 | Arthur L. Horwich, Yale University School of Medicine 
  • 1986 | Edward V. Prochownik, C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital 
  • 1985 | Alan M. Krensky, Stanford University Medical Center 
  • 1984 | Stylianos E. Antonarakis, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 
  • 1983 | Alan L. Schwartz, Children’s Hospital Medical Center