Cornell faculty members Jonathan Butcher and Ruth Ley have received Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Awards, which provide a total of $300,000 over three years of direct research costs.

Butcher, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, was awarded for a project titled "Anatomically precise engineered living valved conduits for pediatric applications." Butcher researches mechanisms of embryonic heart and valve development.

Ley, assistant professor of microbiology, was awarded for "Host-microbial interactions underlying metabolic syndrome." Her research involves ecology of the human and mammalian gut.

The Hartwell Foundation provides awards to scientists pursuing biomedical research to advance children's health in disciplines including molecular biology, diagnostics, infectious diseases, tissue engineering and neurobiology. For more information: http://thehartwellfoundation.org/.