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

Purdue Veterinary Medicine Launches Pet Care App for Apple Platforms

As part of a partnership with Purdue University’s Spatial Computing Hub, the College of Veterinary Medicine launched Purdue Vet Med (PVM) Pro Tips for companion animal owners. The app, which is available for Apple Vision Pro, iPad and iPhone, offers step-by-step tutorials for providing at-home care to cats, dogs, horses and birds.

Registration Now Open for 2026 Purdue Veterinary Conference

Purdue Veterinary Medicine is preparing to host the 2026 Purdue Veterinary Conference September 23–26 on Purdue’s West Lafayette campus, and registration is now open. The annual event brings together veterinary professionals, educators, students, and industry partners for a week focused on continuing education, collaboration, and practical learning.

“Paws Up” for Dr. Makensie Anderson – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

This week, our DVM students took the opportunity to recognize a Purdue Veterinary Hospital resident who has made a meaningful impact on their learning experience this year.

PVM Global Engagement Director Receives Outstanding Leadership in Globalization Award

Purdue’s College of Veterinary Medicine is making strides far beyond the state of Indiana, thanks in large part to the tremendous efforts of Addison Sheldon, the college’s director of global engagement. Sheldon is a Purdue graduate who joined the PVM Office of Engagement in April of 2021. His contributions were recognized recently when he was selected, along with three other Purdue staff and faculty members, by the university’s Global Academic Committee to receive the 2025 Outstanding Leadership in Globalization Award.

Ruby’s Road to Stability: Purdue Veterinary Hospital Provides Collaborative Approach to Complex Care

Today we continue a series of articles about animals and their owners who’ve found help and healing at the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital as we share the story of a dog named Ruby.

How do landscape architects design spaces for animals?

With help from the Purdue Veterinary Hospital, a graduating senior in the Purdue College of Agriculture mastered the answer to that question through practical experience. The Purdue University Veterinary Hospital offers specialized medical care to both small and large animals often using outdoor areas like paddocks and dog runs. At first glance, these areas might seem like just a fence and a patch of grass. Over the past semester, Mary Schultz, a senior in horticulture and landscape architecture, has worked with the veterinary hospital to reimagine its outdoor spaces and brainstorm solutions for the landscape’s technical, maintenance and aesthetic issues.