Arabidopsis Community Lifetime Achievement Award Named to Honor Philip N. Benfey

This cherished picture was taken at one of the lab gatherings at Philip's home in 2017 when “Grandpa Philip” took Benfey lab “grandkids” on a ride in his gator on the wooded trails near his house. All the kids were excited, and Philip was enjoying it even more. Picture shared by Medha Mijar, Associate in Research in Philip's lab..

In 2023, the North American Arabidopsis Steering Committee (NAASC) established several Arabidopsis community awards to recognize and honor scientists that have contributed positively with respect to research, mentoring, service, outreach, communication, or inclusion within the global Arabidopsis plant biology community.

The highest honor of the award categories is the Arabidopsis Community Lifetime Achievement Award.
The three criteria for nominees for this award are:

1. distinguished research on Arabidopsis throughout a career spanning multiple decades; 

2. positive mentoring and impacts on their trainees and the success of their trainees in their own careers, and 

3. community service, outreach, public engagement, and/or innovative teaching 

Just prior to the inaugural award nomination period, our esteemed colleague, Philip N. Benfey, a giant in the Arabidopsis field and former NAASC President (2005-2007), passed away on 26 September 2023, at the age of 70, after battling cancer. Philip’s nearly four decades of ground-breaking research, outstanding mentorship, including his strong support of many successful trainees, and his long commitment to plant biology community service, epitomize the three pillars of the Arabidopsis Community Lifetime Achievement Award.

To honor his many significant contributions to NAASC, science and the plant biology community, NAASC has named the award the “Philip N. Benfey Arabidopsis Community Lifetime Achievement Award”.

Below are thoughts about Philip shared by several former & current NAASC members and trainees of Philip, and colleagues of his that are inaugural recipients of the Philip N. Benfey Arabidopsis Community Lifetime Achievement Award:

Philip possessed an array of talents. Widely recognized as a brilliant scientist with a deep fascination for roots, he guided a remarkable group of budding scientists to successful careers. He was also a serial entrepreneur and even taught an entrepreneurship class at Duke. Some may know that his ventures extended beyond the science; he was a successful restaurateur and an aficionado of food and wine. His multifaceted skills and passions made him a person of extraordinary capabilities, leaving a void in the hearts of friends and colleagues who will profoundly miss him. Joe Ecker, The Salk Institute. Inaugural Benfey Lifetime Achievement awardee and former NAASC member (1992-1995)

As a new postdoctoral scholar in Philip’s lab, I had the fortune to observe his contributions to the Arabidopsis community in several leadership positions. I was struck by his vision for increasing resolution of transcriptome datasets in Arabidopsis and the need for and power of other -omic datasets. He was a key contributor to the Arabidopsis 2010 project (with the goal of determining the function of every gene in the Arabidopsis genome) and he was also frequently consulted by many funders, international research institutions, journals and industry for his feedback regarding modern Arabidopsis research. He led by example, and never shied away from taking on an opportunity where he could make a real difference. This is reflected in many trainees across the world who lead in a similar way, inspired by him. Siobhán Brady, University of California, Davis. Former Benfey trainee and former NAASC member (2012-2016)

Phillip was committed to training and 'growing' excellent dedicated scientists and future mentors. He led by example through kindness, dedication to his science, his students, his post-docs and his community. Phillip was a humanist who became a scientist, and his dedication to the art of science was exemplary. Jeff Dangl, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Inaugural Benfey Lifetime Achievement awardee and former NAASC member (1997-2000)

Philip took mentorship seriously long before it was a thing in academia. He read books on management and treated everyone in the lab with respect. Whether a lab member was doing well or struggling to make progress, Philip made you feel worthy of his time and attention. This cultivated a collaborative atmosphere in the lab where it felt natural to support each other. José Dinneny, Stanford University. Former Benfey trainee and former NAASC member (2015-2020)

It is an honor to receive the Benfey Lifetime Achievement Award, named after my friend and long-time colleague Philip Benfey.  Philip’s lifetime of achievements in research, mentorship and service set the highest standard for the plant science community, and serve as an example for all of us. Elliot Meyerowitz, CalTech. Inaugural Benfey Lifetime Achievement awardee and former NAASC member (1992-1994)

I vividly recall the day when Philip and I shared lunch during my Postdoc interview. He told me that “we are privileged to have access to substantial resources and it is our responsibility to pioneer new avenues of plant research”. What he said perfectly aligns with the culture of Benfey lab, where we've pioneered the application of multi-omics analysis, light sheet microscopy, single-cell RNA sequencing, and spatial transcriptomics in the study of Arabidopsis root development. Philip's unwavering support for young plant scientists also left a strong impression on me. His efficiency was remarkable: within three days of my interview, I received the official offer letter. Both before and after I joined the lab, he consistently responded to my emails within 24 hours, always supporting and helping to refine my experimental or career plans. Philip's exemplary conduct serves as a beacon for aspiring researchers. His mentorship will continue to inspire me throughout my research career. Mingyuan Zhu, Duke University. Current Benfey trainee (2020 – present) and current NAASC member (2023-2024)

In 2006, when I started as the Coordinator of the North American Arabidopsis Steering Committee (NAASC), just after finishing my PhD, Philip Benfey was NAASC President. I recall flying out to Duke to talk to him about my new position, and being nervous as it was completely different from the research life I was familiar with. He was so calm that he eased my nerves (and unknowingly convinced me not to quit!) He also introduced me to a word I have used for the last 18 years: “reasonable”. He would thoughtfully consider an idea, and if he deemed it “reasonable”, I knew I was good to go. Another thing that has stayed with me was how he always treated me respectfully. Being an early career woman in academia sometimes included less than positive interactions with later career male faculty. Philip set the bar for me in how leaders should treat people- regardless of career stage. Joanna Friesner, NAASC Executive Director (2006-current).

Numerous friends and colleagues of Philip have written eloquently about Philip’s many positive impacts. Several of these tributes include:

1. Remembering Philip N. Benfey: A visionary pioneer in plant biology and mentor extraordinaire. Natasha Raikhel, Joseph R. Ecker, and Gloria Coruzzi. PNAS. October 30, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2317677120

2. Philip N. Benfey (1953–2023): Obituary. Malcolm J. Bennett, Siobhan M. Brady Jose R. Dinneny, Yka Helariutta, and Ross Sozzani. Developmental Cell. November 20, 2023. www.cell.com/developmental-cell/pdf/S1534-5807(23)00556-7.pdf

3. Philip N. Benfey (1953–2023): A “ring” master of plant development and cellular genomics. Gloria M. Coruzzi and Kenneth D. Birnbaum. Science. December 7, 2023. DOI:10.1126/science.adl471

4. Duke Flags Lowered: Philip Benfey, Plant Biologist Who Studied Roots as a Window to Development, Dies. RA Smith. Duke Today. October 2, 2023. https://today.duke.edu/2023/10/duke-flags-lowered-philip-benfey-plant-biologist-who-studied-roots-window-development-dies

5. ASPB Pioneer Award (2022 published interview with Philip about his career, what he considered his most important contributions to plant biology, and advice he would give to young people considering a career today in plant biology.) https://aspb.org/membership/aspb-pioneer-members/pioneer-philip-benfey/

Benfey lab, 2022

Back (From left to right): Jingyuan Zhang, Mingyuan Zhu, Medhavinee Mijar, Trevor Nolan, Philip Benfey, Cara Winter
Front (From left to right): Guy Wachsmann, Heather Belcher, Or Szekely, Aiden Brosnan, Rachel Shahan, Sarah Van Dierdonck, Pablo Szekely. Picture contributed by Mingyuan Zhu.

Benfey lab album cover

Picture contributed by Mingyuan Zhu.