Duke neuroscientist Dr. Kafui Dzirasa joined more than 100 leading scientists and engineers from across the country to met with President Barack Obama at the White House May 5 as the president thanked them for their work on some of the most challenging and complex issues in science and technology.
Dzirasa and the others were the latest recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). During their visit, the researchers spent two days in Washington, D.C., meeting with administration leaders and sharing the insights of their work.
Dzirasa was honored for his studies of how key genes interact with stress and other environmental factors to affect neural circuits that underlie normal emotional and cognitive function.
During his visit with these awardees, President Obama congratulated them on their achievements and urged them to continue to lead the way in driving discovery and innovation. He also noted that the recipients, all of whom are either employed or funded by the Federal government, underscored the importance of our Nation’s investments in research and development.
Below, President Barack Obama joins recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) for a group photo in the East Room of the White House, May 5, 2016. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
