NIDCD-Supported Scientist Receives Presidential Award

August 23, 2006

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) grantee Nace Golding, Ph.D., has received the highest government honor for outstanding scientists or engineers who are beginning independent careers, the 2005 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). The Presidential Award recognizes exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge.

“Dr. Golding uses state-of-the-art methods to study the auditory system. His work is truly groundbreaking and has the potential to significantly advance the field of auditory brainstem research, “said James F.Battey, M.D., Ph.D., director of NIDCD.

Dr. Golding is an assistant professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas, Austin. He received his Ph.D. in neurophysiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996 and is the recipient of several awards and scholarships. Dr.Golding is using new electrophysiological and imaging techniques to explore how dendrites—the branch-like extensions of nerve cells—in the brainstem help humans and other mammals to understand speech and other communication signals as well as to localize sounds. This information is critical not only for understanding the neurobiological basis of human hearing but also for the development of treatments to address communication disorders of the central nervous system. Learn more about Dr. Golding’s research.