University of Arkansas alumnus Kunhua Song has been named an Outstanding Early Career Scholar by the University of Colorado Department of Medicine. The award comes with $75,000 annually for up to five years to support Song's research and scholarly activities.

Song is an assistant professor of medicine in the University of Colorado Division of Cardiology and in the Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology. His research focuses on heart development and disease. He plans to use the Early Career award to identify fundamental and innovative mechanisms linked to the development of cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disorder. Additionally, he hopes to build a platform for discovery and therapeutics for the disease.

"Kunhua is an absolutely terrific choice for this award," said Dr. Peter Buttrick, professor of medicine, head of the Division of Cardiology and senior associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. "He is a visionary and fearless scientist whose work on cell lineage determination has already changed our approach to cardiac remodeling. His work will provide a solid cellular platform from which to study a spectrum of genetic diseases. We couldn't be more pleased and are very grateful to the Department of Medicine for this recognition and support."

Song graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2002 with a master's degree in cell and molecular biology. He also holds a doctorate in genetics and development from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.