Beth Levine, M.D. Prize in Autophagy Research honors late UTSW faculty member

Published on: March 01, 2023 By: Staff Reports

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To commemorate a researcher who kept the institution at the forefront of her field, UT Southwestern has announced the establishment of the Beth Levine, M.D. Prize in Autophagy Research.

Beth Levine, M.D.

The award honors Beth Levine, M.D., who died of breast cancer in 2020. Internationally revered, Dr. Levine pioneered research on autophagy, a housekeeping mechanism that cells use to get rid of damaged components and maintain cellular health.

“Dr. Levine was an exemplar of excellence in research. She has left a legacy through her fundamental discoveries as well as her trainees who were steeped in science through her mentorship,” said Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., President of UT Southwestern. “This prize honors her work and career that led to novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying autophagy and their broad implications for basic cellular biology and many prevalent diseases.”

With tremendous support from Dr. Levine’s husband, Milton Packer, M.D., and their children, Rachel and Benjamin, UT Southwestern launched a campaign and raised $500,000 from colleagues, former trainees, corporations, family, and friends of Dr. Levine to establish an endowment to support the Levine Prize. Distributions from the endowment will support an annual award and lecture.

Ellen S. Vitetta, Ph.D., Professor of Immunology and Microbiology and a Distinguished Teaching Professor, chaired the campaign steering committee. Other UTSW faculty members on the committee included Melanie H. Cobb, Ph.D., Helen H. Hobbs, M.D., Lora Hooper, Ph.D., Sean J. Morrison, Ph.D., Kim Orth, Ph.D., Julie Pfeiffer, Ph.D., Michael K. Rosen, Ph.D., Joseph S. Takahashi, Ph.D., and Thomas Wang, M.D. Dr. Packer also sat on the committee.

Steering and selection committees for the Levine Prize have been convened to administer the award and select the recipient through a competitive, international process. The winning scholar will receive a cash award and be invited to UT Southwestern to make a presentation on their research. For more information on the Levine Prize, visit this page.

Dr. Cobb, Professor of Pharmacology and a member of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, holds the Jane and Bill Browning Jr. Chair in Medical Science.

Dr. Hobbs, Director of the Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, Professor of Internal Medicine and Molecular Genetics, and a member of the Simmons Cancer Center, holds the Philip O’Bryan Montgomery, Jr., M.D. Distinguished Chair in Developmental Biology, the Eugene McDermott Distinguished Chair for the Study of Human Growth and Development, and the 1995 Dallas Heart Ball Chair in Cardiology Research.

Dr. Hooper, Chair of Immunology; Professor of Immunology, Microbiology and in the Center for the Genetics of Host Defense; and a member of the Simmons Cancer Center; holds the Jonathan W. Uhr, M.D. Distinguished Chair in Immunology, and is a Nancy Cain and Jeffrey A. Marcus Scholar in Medical Research, in Honor of Dr. Bill S. Vowell

Dr. Morrison, Director of the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern, Professor of Pediatrics, and a member of the Simmons Cancer Center, holds the Kathryne and Gene Bishop Distinguished Chair in Pediatric Research at Children’s Research Institute at UT Southwestern and the Mary McDermott Cook Chair in Pediatric Genetics.

Dr. Orth, Professor of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and a member of the Simmons Cancer Center, holds the Earl A. Forsythe Chair in Biomedical Science and is a W.W. Caruth, Jr. Scholar in Biomedical Research.

Dr. Pfeiffer, Professor of Microbiology, holds the Kern and Marnie Wildenthal President’s Research Council Professorship in Medical Science.

Dr. Podolsky holds the Philip O’Bryan Montgomery, Jr., M.D. Distinguished Presidential Chair in Academic Administration, and the Doris and Bryan Wildenthal Distinguished Chair in Medical Science.

Dr. Rosen, Professor and Chair of Biophysics and a member of the Simmons Cancer Center, holds the Mar Nell and F. Andrew Bell Distinguished Chair in Biochemistry.

Dr. Shiloh holds the Professorship in Infectious Diseases, in honor of James P. Luby, M.D.

Dr. Takahashi, Professor and Chair of Neuroscience, holds the Loyd B. Sands Distinguished Chair in Neuroscience.

Dr. Vitetta holds the Scheryle Simmons Patigian Distinguished Chair in Cancer Immunobiology.

Dr. Wang, Professor and Chair of Internal Medicine, holds the Donald W. Seldin Distinguished Chair in Internal Medicine.

Contact:

Communications
3000 Pegasus Park Drive, 6th Floor
Dallas, TX 75247
Phone: 214-648-3404
centertimes@utsouthwestern.edu

About Dr. Levine

Dr. Levine served as Director of the Center for Autophagy Research at UT Southwestern, where she held the Charles Sprague Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Science. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, the esteemed researcher and Professor of Internal Medicine and Microbiology also served as Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and as the Jay P. Sanford Professor in Infectious Diseases. She was an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for more than a decade.

Best known for discovering beclin 1, the first autophagy gene found in mammals, Dr. Levine tirelessly explored its role in everything from tumor suppression and longevity to diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders.

Michael Shiloh, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Microbiology, credited his colleague’s work with opening up a new field of study and inspiring “a generation of autophagy researchers.”

Donations to the Beth Levine Prize in Autophagy Research can be made by contacting the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at 214-648-2344, or online.