Vet prof. wins prestigious award

Brinster's researchBrinster's researchon mice could aid inBrinster's researchon mice could aid intreatment of diseases The Franklin Institute announced Tuesday that Veterinary Professor Ralph Brinster will receive the $250,000 1996 Bower Award and Prize in Science. Brinster, a 40-year veteran of the University, is renowned for his ground-breaking discoveries in embryo development and gene regulation. According to a report from the Franklin Institute, Brinster's most notable work has been in transgenic biology, where researchers transfer genes between species to better understand the gene's function. Brinster said his transgenic work in rats and mice will most likely relate to future human biology discoveries and will especially affect infertility and the treatment of disease. According to Veterinary Professor Leon Weiss, Brinster's unique position as a veterinary researcher gives practical biology a fresh perspective. "Brinster works with theoretical fundamentals that have practical implications that are not immediately understood," Weiss said. Weiss added that Brinster's "remarkably coherent" research stems from a simple discovery Brinster made as a Veterinary student at the University -- how to keep a fertilized egg alive in a culture. According to Brinster, the Bower Award is the largest American science prize and is internationally prestigious. Brinster added that this is the first time the award has been given to a Penn professor. "It's a surprise and an honor to receive this award," Brinster said. "It's always an honor to know that your work will help people in the future." In addition to the Bower Award, Brinster received the March of Dimes Prize for Developmental Biology earlier this year. And Weiss noted that Brinster's name has been mentioned as a candidate for a Nobel Prize. School of Veterinary Medicine spokesperson Helma Weeks said the school is proud of Brinster's achievement. "He has contributed enormously to the standing of the school and the University," she added. Although Brinster said his main interests lie in research, he also teaches physiology to first-year Veterinary students. But some Veterinary students expressed their desire for Brinster to stick to his research. Second-year Veterinary student Andy Obstler explained that Brinster's lectures sometimes go over students' heads. "A lot of people have trouble with him because they don't the basics," Obstler said. He added that despite students' trouble with Brinster in the classroom, the professor is a brilliant researcher and his recognition by the Franklin Institute brings pride to the Vet School as a whole.