[{Image src='parpura_vladimir.jpg' caption='Professor Vladimir Parpura' height='300' alt='' class='image_left'}]
!!Vladimir Parpura receives the 2025 Mayo Clinic Distinguished Alumni Award
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__[The Mayo Clinic Alumni Association|https://www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic] is pleased to announce that [Vladimir Parpura|Member/Parpura_Vladimir], MAE, M.D., Ph.D., has won a [Mayo Clinic Distinguished Alumni Award|https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-alumni-association-announces-2025-distinguished-alumni-award-recipients].__ 
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__The Mayo Clinic Distinguished Alumni Award was established in 1981 by the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees to acknowledge and show appreciation for the exceptional contributions of Mayo alumni to the field of medicine, including medical practice, research, education, and administration. Individuals receiving this award are recognized nationally — and often internationally — in their field.__
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__Dr. Parpura__ is a distinguished professor and director of the International Translational Neuroscience Research Institute at [Zhejiang Chinese Medical University|https://iec.zcmu.edu.cn/en/home] in Hangzhou, China. He discovered that astrocytes were capable of releasing gliotransmitters and signaling to neurons, a concept known as gliotransmission. This paradigm-shifting finding and __Dr. Parpura__’s subsequent work has had a remarkable impact on the fields of neuroscience and cell biology. Dr. Parpura was elected as member of the [Physiology and Neuroscience Section|Acad_Main/Sections/Physiology_and_neuroscience] of __Academia Europaea__ in 2012.
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__Dr. Parpura__’s other notable research contributions include his definition of tripartite synapse and his illumination of the role of cellular vesicles and membrane proteins in astrocytes. His work carries important implications for fundamental life processes such as sleep, respiration, learning, memory, and gut motility and secretion. 
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In addition to basic science, __Dr. Parpura__ has also advanced molecular technology. He initiated a new branch of neuroengineering by developing carbon nanotubes for tissue repair after traumatic brain and spinal cord injury. He has also contributed to the development of biorobots and biosensors, including a single molecule sensor that can rapidly detect the presence of toxins such as tetanus and botulism. 
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__Dr. Parpura__’s work has been cited over 19,000 times, and he has delivered over 260 lectures and invited seminars. He served as president of the American Society for Neurochemistry and has earned prestigious awards and memberships in academic institutions, such as his election as an American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow and the McNulty Civitan Scientist Award for research on developmental disabilities. 
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He has held tenured professorships at the [University of California - Riverside|https://www.ucr.edu], the [University of Rijeka|https://uniri.hr/en] in Croatia and [The University of Alabama|https://www.ua.edu] at Birmingham. __Dr. Parpura__ has remained actively involved in science education in his native Croatia, mentoring Croatian students and collaborating in research with the University of Rijeka. 
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__The other 2025 recipients of the Mayo Clinic Distinguished Alumni Award are:__

*Thomas Brott, M.D. — Dr. Brott is a professor of neurology and consultant in the Department of Neurology at Mayo Clinic in Florida, as well as the emeritus Eugene and Marcia Applebaum Professor of Neurosciences.   
*Richard Ehman, M.D. — Dr. Ehman is a consultant in the Department of Radiology, a professor of radiology and the Blanche R. and Richard J. Erlanger Professor of Medical Research at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.      
*Herbert Gaisano, M.D. — Dr. Gaisano is a professor of medicine and physiology at the University of Toronto, a staff physician in the Division of Gastroenterology in the University Health Network, and a senior scientist at Toronto General Research Institute.   
*Raymond Gibbons, M.D. — Dr. Gibbons is an emeritus professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and a retired consultant in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. 
*Allan Jaffe, M.D. — Dr. Jaffe is a consultant in the Division of Ischemic Heart Disease and Critical Care and the Wayne and Kathryn Preisel Professor of Cardiovascular Disease Research at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, as well as professor of medicine and professor of laboratory medicine and pathology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. 
*Peter Layer, M.D., Ph.D. — Dr. Layer is the former medical director and physician-in-chief of the Israelitic Hospital and an emeritus professor of medicine at the University of Hamburg in Hamburg, Germany.  
*David Lee, M.D. — Dr. Lee is a professor of ophthalmology and the Susan and Richard Anderson Distinguished Chair in Ophthalmology at McGovern Medical School in the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. 
*Eric Matteson, M.D. — Dr. Matteson is an emeritus professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and a retired consultant in the Division of Rheumatology at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. 
*Vicente Torres, M.D., Ph.D. — Dr. Torres is a consultant in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He is also a professor of medicine and the Robert M. and Billie J. Pirnie Professor of Kidney Disease Research in Honor of Michael J. Krowka, M.D.   

!About the Mayo Clinic Alumni Association

The [Mayo Clinic Alumni Association|https://alumniassociation.mayo.edu] was incorporated in 1915 with a mission to connect our alumni and bring Mayo Clinic values to the world. The association serves more than 32,800 alumni who live and work in over 80 countries.

!About Mayo Clinic

[Mayo Clinic|https://www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic] is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the [Mayo Clinic News Network|https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org] for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact: __Lisa Speckhard-Pasque__, Senior Communications Specialist, Alumni Relations, [pasque.elisabeth@mayo.edu|mailto:pasque.elisabeth@mayo.edu]