LSU Kinesiology’s Liz Heintz Chosen for Prestigious NIH Fellowship for Standout Predoctoral Students

June 06, 2024

Liz Heintz in group photo with Drs. Robert Newton Jr., Terrence Riley, and John Kirwan at Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

From left, Dr. Robert Newton Jr., Liz Heintz, Dr. Terrence Riley, and Dr. John Kirwan at Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

– Ernie Ballard/PBRC

An LSU PhD candidate in kinesiology with a passion for treating and preventing metabolic disease has been chosen for a National Institutes of Health F31 fellowship, which employs a rigorous process to select only the most devoted and deserving applicants.

Liz Heintz, who trained  in the Integrated Physiology and Molecular Medicine Lab at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, is the first student from LSU Kinesiology to be awarded an F31 fellowship, which provides promising predoctoral students an opportunity to receive mentored research training while they complete their dissertation research on human health-related topics.

“I am incredibly honored to receive this award,” Heintz said. “It marks a significant achievement as I begin my scientific career. There was a tremendous amount of work that went into this award, and it is exciting to see it come to fruition.”

Heintz trained under the mentorship of Dr. John Kirwan at Pennington, where she recognized her passion for research and made the decision to pursue a doctoral degree. Heintz continues to be mentored at LSU by Dr. Brian Irving, professor in the LSU School of Kinesiology.

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