Award-Winning Research: Dr. Sara Young-Baird’s Breakout Year

Uniformed Services University Assistant Professor Sara Young-Baird receives MIRA funding and advocacy honors, advancing stress response research crucial to warfighter health.

January 29, 2026 by Zachary Willis

When the notification for the National Institutes of Health grant arrived, the reaction in Sara Young-Baird's lab was immediate. It was not the quiet contemplation typically associated with basic science, but a moment of collective triumph.

"I'm pretty sure our hooting and hollering could be heard down the hall," says Young-Baird, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Uniformed Services University (USU).

The celebration marked a significant milestone for the university's research capabilities. Young-Baird secured a competitive NIH/NIGMS R35 Maximizing Investigators' Research Award, known as a MIRA, on her very first submission. This achievement is a rare feat in academic research and serves as rocket fuel for her team, allowing them to leverage innovative "-omics" methodologies to study how cells function under extreme stress.

The "Goldilocks" Zone of Cellular Health

At the core of this funding award lies a critical biological question regarding the "eIF2 complex," a molecular hub that controls protein synthesis. This process is how cells build the machinery necessary to function, and Young-Baird's team investigates the delicate balance cells must maintain to survive injury or disease.

Young-Baird compares cellular protein synthesis levels to the "Goldilocks" fairy tale.

When this balance is disrupted, the cell activates the "Integrated Stress Response." If the cell cannot restore balance, it dies. Mapping this tipping point is the primary focus of the lab's basic science efforts.

Defining the Machinery of Life

Recent findings from the lab have added significant depth to the scientific community's understanding of these molecular events. In December 2025, fifth-year graduate student Anthony Erb and Young-Baird published a study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry focusing on a protein called CDC123.

Their research revealed that CDC123 acts as an "ATPase," a molecular motor that helps assemble the eIF2 complex. By regulating this assembly, CDC123 plays a crucial role in how the cell responds to stress. Erb's work earned him the prestigious 2025 Henry M. Jackson Foundation Fellowship and provides a clearer picture of the mechanical failures that can lead to cellular collapse.

To visualize these microscopic events, the lab utilizes a technique called "polysome profiling."

This method allows researchers to freeze protein synthesis in action and separate the cellular machinery based on its activity level. In April 2025, second-year student Ambar Rodriguez-Martinez and Young-Baird published a paper in Molecular Biology of the Cell demonstrating that this technique is a powerful tool for analyzing the specific steps of translation. The American Society for Cell Biology highlighted the paper as one of the year's most accessed articles, underscoring the lab's technical leadership.

From Rare Disease to Warfighter Readiness

While the lab focuses on fundamental science, the applications directly inform military medicine. Young-Baird collaborates with clinical colleagues to study MEHMO syndrome, a rare genetic disorder linked to impaired protein synthesis.

By proposing a standardized classification for this syndrome, detailed in a November 2025 paper in Molecular Genetics and Metabolism, Young-Baird is mapping the "worst-case scenarios" of cellular stress.

Crucially, the pathways that malfunction in MEHMO syndrome are the same ones overwhelmed during the acute stress of combat injuries. Understanding the "Integrated Stress Response" is vital for treating conditions central to the warfighter, specifically Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

"We translate complex cellular data into actionable knowledge that supports the health of uniformed members," says Rodriguez-Martinez. "This cutting-edge research provides a molecular blueprint for operational readiness, bridging the gap between basic sciences and military readiness."

A Culture of Shared Success

Since joining USU in 2022, Young-Baird has built a research program that balances high-stakes molecular biology with a deeply human approach to mentorship. Despite the heavy scientific workload, the lab maintains high morale. Megan Rasmussen, a fourth-year student in the Molecular and Cell Biology program, describes a culture where no accomplishment is too small.

"Basically, the Young-Baird lab will never turn down an excuse to decorate our door and feed our Bundt cake obsession," Rasmussen says. "From having a birthday, to submitting grant proposals, to finally getting that one PCR to work, each milestone is acknowledged and celebrated."

This supportive atmosphere was formalized in 2025 when Young-Baird received the Cinda Helke Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Advocacy. Her advocacy is practical and impactful. For example, she championed parental leave for Erb when he became a father during his studies.

"She supported parental leave so that I could spend time with my newborn, which was really important for the well-being of my family," Erb says. "Truly, my graduate studies have featured a PI and mentor that is not only a great scientist but an even better person."

Young-Baird views this holistic approach as essential to producing the next generation of military scientists who are technically brilliant and ethically grounded.

"I'm a strong supporter of our university's mission to educate and promote the development of the next generation of military health professionals and scientists," Young-Baird says. "To me, the synergy of advocacy and teaching is central to this long-term vision."