Penn Faculty Members Kyle H. Vining and Julia T. Warren Named 2023 Hartwell Foundation Awardees
The Hartwell Foundation has named two University of Pennsylvania faculty members as recipients of its highly competitive Individual Biomedical Research Awards, recognizing innovative early-stage research with strong potential to improve the lives of children in the United States.
Each award provides $300,000 over three years to support the faculty member’s research program. In addition, the Hartwell Foundation provides two annual awards of $50,000 each to support postdoctoral fellows conducting research that advances children’s health.
The Hartwell Foundation invites a select group of leading biomedical research institutions each year to nominate faculty for consideration. The awards are designed to accelerate bold, cutting-edge ideas that have not yet received significant external funding and that demonstrate clear potential for pediatric impact.
The 2024 Penn awardees are Kyle H. Vining, DDS, PhD, and Julia T. Warren, MD, PhD.
Targeting Bone Marrow Fibrosis in Cellular Immunotherapy for Acute Leukemia
Kyle H. Vining, DDS, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Materials Science and Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science. Restorative and Restorative Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Vining’s research investigates why some children with acute leukemia relapse following cellular immunotherapy. While engineered immune cells have shown promise in targeting malignant cells, a subset of pediatric patients either fail to respond or experience disease recurrence.
His laboratory has identified fibrotic, or scarred, tissue within the bone marrow of affected children, suggesting that structural changes in the marrow microenvironment may suppress the effectiveness of immunotherapy. With support from the Hartwell Foundation, his team will examine how bone marrow fibrosis alters immune cell function and whether modifying this environment can enhance therapeutic outcomes.
By addressing the physical and biological context in which immunotherapies operate, this work aims to improve treatment durability and reduce relapse rates in childhood leukemia.
Mitochondrial Function and Homeostasis as Targets to Promote Neutrophil Production for Transfusion
Julia T. Warren, MD, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.
Affiliation, Division of Hematology and the Pediatric Comprehensive Bone Marrow Failure Program, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Warren’s research focuses on improving outcomes for children who experience dangerously low neutrophil counts due to chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation, or severe congenital neutropenia (SCN). Neutrophils are essential for fighting infection, yet the biological mechanisms governing their maturation and energy metabolism remain incompletely understood.
With support from the Hartwell Foundation, her laboratory will use genome editing and targeted therapeutic strategies to map the genetic and metabolic pathways that regulate immature-to-mature neutrophil transition. By clarifying how mitochondrial function shapes neutrophil development, her work seeks to enable new drug strategies and improve the feasibility of neutrophil transfusion therapies.
Advances in this area could lead to life-saving interventions for immunocompromised pediatric patients at high risk of infection.
Supporting Early-Stage Pediatric Innovation
The selection of Vining and Warren reflects Penn’s strength in pediatric-focused biomedical research and its capacity to translate fundamental discovery into clinical impact. Through institutional nomination and research development support, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) helps position Penn faculty for nationally competitive foundation awards that accelerate innovation and advance children’s health.
Learn more about the Hartwell Foundation.