Laura Dassama receives 2027 Walter A. Shaw Young Investigator Award in Lipid Research

Walter A. Shaw Young Investigator Award in Lipid Research

Recognizes outstanding research contributions in the area of lipids by a young investigator.

Laura Dassama is an assistant professor of chemistry and of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University. Her lab works to uncover the molecular bases of complex biological phenomena. She focuses on investigating the synthesis and trafficking of metabolites essential for bacterial proliferation and pathogenesis. Her research has revealed some of the first bacterial sterol transport systems and developed new approaches for identifying lipid-interacting proteins, advancing understanding of how bacteria acquire, transport and use lipids. She is being recognized for her discoveries in bacterial lipid transport and metabolism that are opening new avenues for studying host-pathogen interactions and developing anti-infective therapies. In 2026, she received the Protein Science Young Investigator Award from the Protein Society for her work on understanding and mitigating bacterial multidrug resistance.

The Walter A. Shaw Young Investigator Award in Lipid Research, established by ASBMB’s Lipid Research Division, recognizes outstanding research contributions in the area of lipids by a young investigator who is an assistant professor or equivalent and holds a Ph.D. and/or M.D.

This article was originally published in ASBMB Today.