Two of UT Southwestern’s trailblazing scientists are being honored with national awards from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB).

Kim Orth, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, will receive the 2026 Earl and Thressa Stadtman Distinguished Scientist Award, which is given every two years and recognizes researchers whose work has made a lasting impact on the fields of biochemistry and molecular biology.

Margaret Phillips, Ph.D., Chair and Professor of Biochemistry and Professor of Pharmacology, will be awarded The 2026 Alice and C.C. Wang Award in Molecular Parasitology for her significant contributions to advancing the understanding of parasitic diseases.

Dr. Orth, a member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) who joined the UTSW faculty in 2001, is internationally known for uncovering how bacterial pathogens manipulate host cells. In announcing the award, ASBMB said Dr. Orth “has uncovered multiple biochemical mechanisms used by bacteria to subvert host signaling pathways, resulting in profound insight into human disease, including Type 1 diabetes and neuromuscular disorders.”

Recent research in the Orth Lab provided valuable insights into bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses and could lead to new ways to treat seafood-related food poisoning caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which is commonly found in warm coastal waters.

“Earl and Thressa Stadtman were legends in our field, so I’m honored to receive the award that is named for them,” Dr. Orth said. “This recognition reflects the creativity and dedication of my lab and the spirit of collaboration that defines UT Southwestern.”

Dr. Phillips, also an NAS member, joined the UTSW faculty in 1992. She has spent her career investigating the molecular machinery of parasites that cause malaria and human African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness. ASBMB cited her “landmark discoveries in parasite metabolism, including validating a Plasmodium clinical drug target and uncovering unique regulatory mechanisms in Trypanosoma brucei.”

The Phillips Lab has developed promising drug candidates that target essential metabolic pathways, such as dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitors for malaria prevention and proteasome inhibitors with species-specific activity.

“This award is deeply meaningful to me, made more so because Dr. C. C. Wang, who endowed this award, was my Ph.D. adviser at UCSF,” Dr. Phillips said. “Parasitic diseases continue to pose serious global health challenges, and our goal has always been to translate molecular insights into new therapies. I’m proud to share this recognition with my team and our international collaborators.”

Both faculty members previously received ASBMB awards. Dr. Orth earned the 2018 ASBMB–Merck Award and the 2012 ASBMB Young Investigator Award, while Dr. Phillips was honored with the 2024 Herbert Tabor Research Award.

This year’s winners will receive their awards and deliver lectures at the ASBMB Annual Meeting, which is scheduled March 7-10, 2026, in the Washington, D.C. area.