Ian Thornell, PhD, research assistant professor in Pulmonary, Critical Care and Occupational Medicine, received the Cellular & Molecular Physiology Section New Investigator Award from the American Physiological Society (APS).

Thornell’s research investigates the mechanisms behind ion transportation across epithelia and its influence on physiology and disease. His work is no stranger to recognition. Since coming to Iowa, Thornell received the Gilead Sciences Research Scholar in Cystic Fibrosis, and two Postdoctoral Research Awards, one from APS and another from the Iowa Physiological Society.

Thornell’s journey to the UI Department of Internal Medicine began more than 700 miles south at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. At Birmingham, Thornell studied molecular physiology of acid-base transporters, a specialty that eventually led Thornell to begin post-doctoral training at Iowa under the mentorship of Michael Welsh, MD, professor in Pulmonary, Critical Care and Occupational Medicine. Thornell joined department faculty in 2019 and is currently working on establishing a lab within the Lung Biology & Cystic Fibrosis Research Center.

“We are all very proud of Ian’s accomplishments thus far,” David Stoltz, MD, PhD, professor and Division Director of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Occupational Medicine, said. “This is an important recognition of his early successes.”

The APS Cell and Molecular Physiology Section awards one New Investigator Award to an outstanding investigator in the early stages of their career. As this year’s recipient, Thornell will receive an $1,000 reward, recognition at the APS Cellular & Molecular Physiology Section Dinner, and a lecture spot at Experimental Biology in Philadelphia next month.