University of Richmond Biology Professor Omar Quintero-Carmona Named 2024 American Society for Cell Biology Fellow
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND — University of Richmond biology professor Omar Quintero-Carmona, a cell biologist, has been named a 2024 American Society for Cell Biology Fellow.
ASCB has about 9,000 members worldwide. Quintero-Carmona is one of 17 scientists to be selected as a fellow this year, an honor bestowed upon ASCB members by their peers. He is one of a few fellows from a primarily undergraduate institution.
Fellows are recognized for their meritorious efforts to advance cell biology and/or its applications, and for their service to ASCB. The fellows are chosen for advancing scientific discovery, advocating sound research policies, improving education, promoting professional development, or increasing diversity in the scientific workforce.
“For both his scientific accomplishments and his educational and leadership contributions, Omar has made the field of cell biology stronger and more cohesive,” said Erika Holzbaur, a physiology professor at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and past president of ASCB. Holzbaur has co-published with Quintero-Carmona and co-mentored UR undergraduate students, funded through The Richmond Guarantee.
Quintero-Carmona seeks opportunities to advance inclusivity both in and outside the classroom and lab. He has mentored more than 80 undergraduates, including offering research opportunities to undergraduates with no prior laboratory experience. He received ASCB’s 2021 Prize for Excellence in Inclusivity. He also launched the George M. Langford Scientists of Color Speaker Series to feature notable as well as up-and-coming Black scientists.
“Omar’s research is fundamental to how we understand the cell, and his advocacy is critical for developing a society that is fair and equitable,” said Reed College (Portland, Oregon) biology professor Derek Applewhite, the ASCB member who nominated Quintero-Carmona for this honor. “Few people have actually moved the needle. Omar has.”
Quintero-Carmona has taught at UR since 2012. He is currently serving as senior education advisor at The Allen Institute and was previously named a 2020 Keith R. Porter Fellow through the Porter Endowment for Cell Biology. His research has been supported by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health.
The new cohort of ASCB Fellows will be formally recognized in December at Cell Bio 2024, the joint meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology and the European Molecular Biology Organization in San Diego.
“For me, this honor is a testament to doing what I love the most, which is supporting students and helping them make their dreams a reality,” Quintero-Carmona said.
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