Uta von Schwedler Prize for Retrovirology

About Uta 

Uta's Scientific Contributions

Uta began her career in retrovirology research in Roland Friedrich's laboratory at the University of Giessen, where she defined a signal sequence in the envelope protein of spleen focus-forming virus and received her Diplome (Masters) degree in 1987. As a PhD student in Matthias Wabl's laboratory at UCSF (1987-90), she showed that a circular DNA product is produced during the process of immunoglobulin heavy chain class switching, thereby demonstrating that the immunoglobulin heavy chain class switch occurs through a DNA looping-out and deletion mechanism (von Schwedler et al (1990) Nature).

Uta was a postdoctoral fellow of the UC AIDS Foundation in Didier Trono's laboratory at the Salk Institute (1991-94), where she showed that expression of the HIV-1 Vif protein in virus producing cells overcomes a subsequent early-stage block in the infection of restricted target cells. (von Schwedler (1993) J Virol).

She then worked as a senior research associate in Wes Sundquist's laboratory at the University of Utah (1996-2008), where she made a series of important contributions to our understanding of HIV-1 assembly and budding. For example, her paper that mapped the host protein interaction network required for HIV budding was selected by the HIV Vaccine electronic (e) resource (HIVe) as one of the most influential scientific papers published in the first 30 years of HIV research. In the final three years of her life, she worked with Ila Singh and with Joshua Schiffman at the University of Utah.

Uta was especially fond of the Cold Spring Harbor Meeting on Retroviruses, both owing to her love of science, but also for the friends she connected with year after year. She attended sixteen meetings during her career. She was always active, whether attending meeting lectures, socializing with old and new friends, discussing science at poster sessions, running on the Cold Spring Harbor campus, or swimming in the ocean harbor. Uta also had deep respect and talent for basic research and loved to train and mentor young scientists. She was loved by many within this community, and this prize is meant to remember and honor her professional contributions and to help foster these characteristics in the next generation of retrovirologists.

How to Apply

DEADLINE:  March 11, 2024 

(In the event the meeting abstract deadline is extended, the application for the Uta Von Schwedler Prize will also be extended to one week beyond the new meeting abstract deadline)

APPLICATIONS MUST INCLUDE

• Meeting abstract (format specified for CSHL Retroviruses Meeting)

• Curriculum vitae

• Summary of thesis research (one page or less)

• Copy of candidate's most significant publication(s)

Please prepare application as a single PDF, ordered as listed above. The candidate is also responsible for arranging two electronic letters of reference, separate from the application. Application packet, letters of support, and questions regarding this application should be emailed directly to Jack Skalicky (skalicky@biochem.utah.edu).

APPLICATION REVIEW COMMITTEE

• Wes Sundquist, Chair (University of Utah)

• Thomas Hope (Northwestern University)

• Hans-Georg Kräusslich (University of Heidelberg)

• Walther Mothes (Yale University)

• Vicente Planelles (University of Utah)

• Jack Skalicky (University of Utah)

• Alice P. Telesnitsky (University of Michigan)

• Didier Trono (École Polytechnique Fedéralé de Laussanne)

Donate

Individual and corporate donations to the Uta von Schwedler Prize endowment fund are welcome.

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization and thus all donations are tax-deductable.

To donate by check

Please make checks payable to "Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory", clearly marked "Uta von Schwedler Fund" and send to:

Jill Stone
Nichols Building
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
1  Bungtown Road
Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724

Please contact Ms. Stone directly if you have any additional questions.

516-367-6859
Email: stone@cshl.edu

To donate by credit card

Please visit the CSH website and specify that your gift is in honor of Uta von Schwedler. 

Thanks to our donors

The Uta von Schwedler Prize is an effort of the retrovirology community, the von Schwedler family, and friends of Uta. The prize is funded by individual contributions, including donations from those listed below. We have raised funds to ensure the prize will be awarded into the near future, however, additional contributions are always welcome.

• Christopher R. Aiken

• Shannon Ashby

• Alberto Bosque

• Paula Cannon

• Chris Fillmore

• Roland Friedrich

• Adam Frost

• Doug Grossman

• G. Wesley Hatfield and Suzanne Beth Sandmeyer

• Christopher Hill and Jacqui Wittmeyer

• Brian Kelly

• Erik Kish-Trier

• Janet Lindsley

• Jane MacFarlane

• Navid Madani

• John McCullough

We acknowledge the efforts of the Prize Committee in the selection process, the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in administering the endowment fund, and the many private individuals who have provided generous support.