Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, PhD, an associate professor of Basic Medical Sciences, Clinical Translational Sciences, and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, received the J. Christian Herr Award from the American Society for Reproductive Immunology (ASRI).

The J. Christian Herr Award is given annually to a member of the ASRI, International Society for Immunology of Reproduction or European Society for Reproductive Immunology who has made notable achievements in basic or applied research in reproductive immunology, particularly investigators involved in technology transfer.

“I am incredibly honored to receive this award from the ASRI,” said Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz.

“Receiving this award for our contributions in reproductive immunology is an acknowledgement of the innovative and hard work of my past and present trainees. These team members drive forward our research program and are responsible for these amazing contributions.”

The Herbst-Kralovetz Lab is currently studying the relationship between vaginal dysbiosis and human papillomavirus persistence, progression and cancer formation, endometrial cancer and other gynecologic conditions.

“My research is translational, meaning it bridges both basic and clinical science,” said Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz, who is a member of the UArizona Cancer Center and BIO5 Institute. “It is very exciting and challenging to do research in both realms. The Herr Award acknowledges work in technology transfer, and we are active in generating intellectual property and envisioning how we can translate our research from the bench to novel diagnostics or interventions to positively impact women. We are excited to leverage our research to design novel and noninvasive diagnostics for a range of conditions.”

The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix is one of the larger research institutions on the Phoenix Bioscience Core. It recently received its full reaccreditation for eight years from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).

Read more about Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz and her work from the University of Arizona Health Sciences.