Two PVM Faculty Members Recognized with Purdue Seed for Success Acorn Awards

Purdue University has released this year’s list of Purdue researchers who received the university’s prestigious Seed for Success Acorn Awards, and the honorees include two Department of Basic Medical Sciences faculty members. The Seed for Success Acorn Awards are presented by the Office of Research to recognize investigators for their accomplishment in obtaining external sponsored awards of $1 million or more.

Congratulations are in order for Dr. Ranjie Xu, assistant professor, and Dr. Marxa Figueiredo, associate professor, both in the Basic Medical Sciences Department. Dr. Xu specializes in neuroscience, stem cell biology, and molecular biology. He was recognized for receiving a grant of $3,924,990 from the National Institute on Aging for a research project entitled, “Elucidate Gene-Environmental Interactions Employed by Pb in Promoting ADRD in Aging Brains.”

Dr. Figueiredo, who is the PVM Dean’s Fellow for Graduate Programs, focuses on research to develop innovative therapies for bone metastatic cancers and inflammatory conditions. She was recognized for obtaining a grant of $1,531,286 from the Food and Drug Administration for a study entitled “Advancing Bispecific Engagers for NK Immunotherapy in Pediatric Gliomas.”

Click here to see a full list of 2025 Seed for Success Acorn Award recipients.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Recent Stories

National Meeting Spotlights Purdue Comparative Pathobiology Department and Graduate Student Scholarship

Fall marked an important milestone for veterinary laboratory diagnosticians in general and a Purdue Department of Comparative Pathobiology graduate student in particular. The occasion was the 2025 annual joint meeting of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) and the United States Animal Health Association (USAHA), held October 30 – November 5 in Aurora, Colorado, where Purdue Veterinary Medicine was well-represented.

“Paws Up” – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

Let’s unleash some appreciation this week for John Fisher, who is the admissions process manager in the Veterinary Administration Department.

Purdue Veterinary Medicine Alumna Joins Shedd Aquarium’s Animal Health Team

Lots of water and sea life are key elements of a dream that has come true for Purdue alumna Kelsey (Trumpp) Ryan (PU DVM 2019), who recently joined the decorated team of animal care professionals at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Dr. Ryan, Dipl. ACZM, will serve as an associate veterinarian at the aquarium’s A. Watson Armour III Center for Animal Health and Welfare, where she will help oversee preventative exams and veterinary care for some 32,000 animals that call Shedd home, from majestic, cold-water belugas to colorful, reef-dwelling butterflyfish.