Xiaoping Pan, Biology Professor, Presented with Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activity
The Department of Biology is so incredibly proud of Dr. Xiaoping Pan who was recently awarded ECU’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activity. Dr. Pan’s work is focused on understanding how environmental contaminants (e.g., nanoparticles, GenX and triclosan) and parasitic species influence the performance of organisms (e.g., like a parasite’s host) by altering biochemical processes which alter the way an individual’s genes are expressed. An important component of her work involves assessing how contaminants and parasites influence the production of what is called microRNA (miRNA); small pieces of nucleic acids produced by the organism that control the production of proteins. Dr. Pan’s research on miRNA is highly valuable for the development of innovative biotechnology to better manage parasitic nematode’s that harm crop plants and helps us understand the mechanisms through which metallic nanoparticles can elicit toxic responses in animals. Dr. Pan also produced some pioneering work in her studies on the health impacts of crude oil-disperant mixtures that formed following the deep-water horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Dr. Pan has been a prolific author; publishing 49 journal articles and 5 book chapters and her work has been cited more than 11, 000 times by researchers from around the world. Dr. Pan certainly recognizes that conducting research is a team effort and she has worked very hard in cultivating the next generation of researchers. In addition to having students work on her funded research proposals, Dr. Pan has written proposals to major funding sources to provide research experiences for students to make them more marketable for careers in biotechnology.
Congratulations Dr. Pan!
Xiaoping Pan poses with Provost Robin Coger after receiving ECU’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activity
Xiaoping Pan in her lab
