Vincent Castranova, Ph.D., a leader in laboratory research, an instructor and mentor, and a senior administrator with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Morgantown, W.Va. laboratory, received a prestigious award for scientific achievement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

CDC presented the 2008 Charles C. Shepard Award for Lifetime Scientific Achievement to Dr. Castranova on June 6, 2008, for a body of distinguished scientific work by a CDC employee that contributes to public health. NIOSH, the federal agency legislatively established under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 that conducts research to prevent work-related injury, illness, and death, is part of CDC.

"We are pleased that our colleagues at CDC have recognized Dr. Castranova’s outstanding contributions to the bedrock of research science on which occupational health is built," said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. "In addition to his own contributions to advanced research, Vince is an internationally respected leader, mentor, and model for his colleagues and students."

The Charles C. Shepard Award is presented by CDC on the basis of the scientific merit of the recipient’s life’s work, the impact of that work on public health, the recipient’s recognition by his or her peers, and the recipient’s professional leadership. In nominating Dr. Castranova for the award, NIOSH noted his many accomplishments, including:

• Fundamental discoveries pertaining to cellular and molecular processes in the body that can lead to serious work-related respiratory diseases from exposure to asbestos, silicosis, and other toxic agents. Such knowledge is critical for predicting and preventing the risks of disease, and for understanding the occupational health implications of emerging technologies.
• Distinguished contributions to the nation’s body of peer-reviewed scientific literature – more than 425 peer-reviewed journal articles, reports from conference proceedings, and textbook chapters.
• Service on 69 dissertation committees for rising graduate students, serving as committee chairman on 11 occasions.
• Leadership on research grant review panels for the National Institutes of Health and other government agencies and research organizations, and leadership on seminars and conferences by international professional organizations.

Dr. Castranova is the chief of the Pathology and Physiology Research Branch, NIOSH Health Effects Laboratory Division, in Morgantown. He is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and the Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, West Virginia University, and the Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, University of Pittsburgh. He holds a Ph.D. degree in physiology and biophysics from West Virginia University.

Dr. Castranova lives in Morgantown with his wife Bernadette. They have a daughter, Melissa.