Society of
General physiologists

The Paul F. Cranefield Award was created by the Council of the Society of General Physiologists to honor Paul F. Cranefield, M.D., Ph.D., who for 30 years served as Editor of Journal of General Physiology. The Award is meant to recognize an independent young investigator who in the preceding calendar year has published an outstanding article in the Journal. It further was stipulated that the Award need not be given every year, that it should be reserved for a truly noteworthy paper. To qualify for this Award, the work being recognized must have been completed within 10 years of the candidate’s first independent position, but the committee will continue to prioritize awards to more junior candidates when available.

2025 Paul F. Cranefield Awardee: Dr. Huanghe Yang

Dr. Huanghe Yang

“Niclosamide potentiates TMEM16A and induces vasoconstriction”

J Gen Physiol (2024) 156 (7): e202313460
doi.org/10.1085/jgp.202313460

This study challenges the conventional view of niclosamide as a TMEM16A chloride channel inhibitor. Rather, Yang and colleagues unexpectedly reveal it potentiates the channel under physiological conditions. By identifying a putative niclosamide binding site, the findings not only caution against its clinical use for treating asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but also pave the way for designing more selective TMEM16A modulators for therapeutic applications.

(click here for past Paul F. Cranefield Award Winners)

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Cranefield Postdoc and Student Awards