Clara Nicolas Martinez, M.D., Ph.D., M.S. won the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) Poster of Distinction Presented by a Surgical Trainee Award.

Nicolas Martinez won the award for her presentation, “Activation of Homology-Directed DNA Repair Plays Key Role in CRISPR-Mediated Genome Correction in Fetal and Neonatal Cells.”

Her research is focused on gene therapy approaches to cure metabolic liver disease. Specifically, she is interested in fetal gene therapy and whether the in-utero environment is conducive to more effective gene therapy treatment than the same techniques used on adult cells.

The APSA is the nation’s largest professional organization dedicated to the pediatric surgical specialty. Its mission is to ensure optimal pediatric surgical care of patients and their families, to promote excellence in the field, and to foster a vibrant and viable community of pediatric surgeons.