Andrew Monteith, an assistant professor of microbiology in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s College of Arts and Sciences, has been named a Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences — an early-career honor that recognizes promising scientists and supports bold, high-impact research. Scholars receive four years of funding to explore cutting-edge research uncovering insights into human health and disease.
The award was granted in support of a concept Monteith and his team believe has been overlooked in many models of infection and inflammation: heat, particularly in the form of fever and localized hot spots within the body. Many laboratory models study infection under standard housing or culture conditions that either fail to capture fever or actively suppress it, even though fever and tissue-level changes in temperature are common features of human disease. Monteith’s team is developing experimental systems that incorporate those heat signals, allowing researchers to ask how fever-range temperatures and localized heating change immune cell behavior, inflammation and the body’s ability to fight infection.
Monteith’s group hopes the recognition will serve as a springboard for future work, opening the door to new discoveries in the years ahead.
“Whether our models lead to new treatments, improved standards of care or a deeper understanding of inflammation, our goal is to develop systems that can make a meaningful impact — whether those discoveries come from our lab or from others using our platform,” he said.
This year’s class of 21 Pew Scholars was selected from 211 nominations submitted by leading U.S. academic and research institutions.
“It really takes a village,” said Monteith. “While I’m honored to receive this recognition, the work behind it has been carried out by the talented people in my lab, who deserve tremendous credit. I’ve also been fortunate to work in a department that supports the kind of higher-risk research we’ve pursued. That support has helped us build the infrastructure that made this possible. This is truly a team effort.”