Melissa Kemp has joined the Modeling and Analysis of Biological Systems Study Section of the Center for Scientific Review (CSR), the gateway for grant applications and their review for scientific merit at the National Institutes of Health.

“I’m delighted to represent the Coulter Department in this capacity on the study section,” said Kemp, associate professor with the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory.

“We review proposals that are highly relevant to biomedical engineering, such as the advancement of modeling methods, the investigation of human health challenges through systems biology, and applications of engineering principles – like synthetic biology design – to the therapeutic development and studying of diseases,” added Kemp, a researcher with the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience at Georgia Tech.

Study section members are selected based on their demonstrated competence and achievement in their scientific disciplines, as evidenced by the quality of their research accomplishments and publications in scientific journals, among other things. Kemp, a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar, focuses her research on understanding how metabolism influences the decisions that cells make.

The CSR utilizes peer review groups, or study sections, to evaluate 75 percent of the research grant applications sent to NIH. These groups make recommendations to the appropriate NIH national advisory council or board, and survey the status of research in their fields of science, critical functions in the area of medical and allied research in the U.S.

“This appointment represents a true coming-of-age for an investigator,” noted Susan Margulies, Coulter Department chair and Petit Institute researcher. “Dr. Kemp’s section membership brings important visibility to our department.”

Kemp’s term began in July and will run through June 30, 2022.