Fred Hutch Cancer Center developmental biologist Cecilia Moens, PhD, was recently announced as the recipient of the Raisbeck Endowed Chair for Basic Science.
Endowed chairs are one of the highest honors a Fred Hutch researcher can receive, and this position will allow Moens to continue her groundbreaking research, which is focused on understanding early brain development.
Moens’ lab on the Fred Hutch South Lake Union campus includes more than 7,000 zebrafish, which are ideally suited for study because they are almost completely transparent and develop outside their mother. Early zebrafish brain development, specifically in the vagus nerve, follows a similar process as humans, giving Moens and her team invaluable insights into the human brain and a wide variety of disorders, from epilepsy and depression to digestive and immunity problems.
