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Lee Niswander, distinguished professor in the ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, has been awarded the 2026��Hazel Barnes Prize.��

Established in 1991 by former Chancellor James Corbridge to honor the late��Hazel Barnes, ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ professor of philosophy from 1953 to 1986, the $20,000 Hazel Barnes Prize celebrates the enriching interrelationship between teaching and research. It is the largest and most prestigious award funded by the university.

“Professor Niswander exemplifies the very best of ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ through groundbreaking research and a deep commitment to teaching and mentorship,” said Chancellor Justin Schwartz. “Her scholarly impact, departmental leadership and dedication to students reflect both the spirit of the Hazel Barnes Prize and the values Hazel Barnes herself championed. We are proud to honor Dr. Lee Niswander for her lasting contributions to our university and to her field.”��

Inside the work of Lee Niswander

Niswander received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������, her master’s degree in biochemistry and genetics from University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (now CU Anschutz) and her doctorate in genetics from Case Western University. She received her postdoctoral degree in developmental biology from the University of California San Francisco.

Since 2017, Niswander has served as professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology (MCDB) at ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������. She was the chair of MCDB from 2017 to 2025.��

As head of the Niswander Lab, she and her group investigate mouse models of embryonic development to provide insights into fundamental developmental processes, major human birth defects and potential clinical therapies. Her studies have revealed the molecular mechanisms that control formation of the central and peripheral nervous system, as well as lung, limb and neuromuscular development.

Niswander’s current focus is on early brain formation and birth defects that arise when normal brain formation goes awry, like failure of neural tube closure or maintenance of neural progenitor cells, resulting in spina bifida or microcephaly.

The Niswander Lab uses the mouse embryo and human-induced pluripotent stem cells as models of human development. The lab’s studies encompass genetics, epigenetics, environmental factors and live imaging to couple molecular insights to cell behaviors. Through collaborative efforts, Niswander Lab researchers are also exploring the genetic causes of neural tube defects in humans.

Niswander is the recipient of multiple awards and honors, including being named a Pew Scholar in Biomedical Research by the Pew Charitable Trusts and receiving the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers from the U.S. president. Additionally, she was a recipient of the Harland Winfield Mossman Developmental Biologists Award from the American Association of Anatomists in 2002, and she was an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute from 1997 to 2014.��

Niswander was�� by CU President Todd Saliman in 2024.��

In 2026, Niswander received an Edwin G. Conklin Medal, which is awarded annually by the Society for Developmental Biology (SDB) to recognize a developmental biologist who has made and is continuing to make extraordinary research contributions to the field and is an excellent mentor, helping train the next generation of outstanding scientists.

In the words of colleagues

In letters supporting Niswander’s nomination for the Hazel Barnes Prize, colleagues noted her many contributions to MCDB and her skills as both a researcher and an instructor.

“(Niswander) embodies the best in teaching, research and scholarship and is wholly deserving of this highest honor,” said Robin Dowell, professor and associate chair of MCDB and the BioFrontiers Institute.��

“She is a highly respected vertebrate developmental geneticist who had made major contributions over the years to our understanding of fundamental events in vertebrate embryonic development, including limb and lung development and neural tube closure. What makes her an ideal candidate for the Hazel Barnes Prize is how she integrates her research into her teaching at undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral levels.”

Tin Tin Su, professor and chair of MCDB, lauded Niswander as a “highly respected developmental geneticist who made major contributions to our understanding of limb and lung development and neural tube closure.”��

Su noted Niswander has produced 123 peer-reviewed papers with more than 20,000 citations. Additionally, Su commended Niswander for the 45 graduate and postdoctoral students she trained and for her devoted attention to undergraduate education, including teaching undergraduate classes.

“I am thrilled and honored to receive the Hazel Barnes Prize. I thank MCDB and professors Tin Tin Su and Robin Dowell for the nomination,” Niswander said. “This award represents numerous research discoveries by many students and postdoctoral fellows throughout my career.”

She added that she is pleased that the Hazel Barnes award recognizes her focus on the confluence of teaching and research. One accomplishment she is particularly proud of during her tenure as MCDB chair was the creation of a partnership with Front Range Community College (FRCC) to provide summer research opportunities in ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ Life Science labs to support FRCC students transferring to ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ to earn a bachelor’s degree.��

Niswander concluded, “To all who have contributed to my broader success, I am deeply grateful, and this award is shared with you.”