Margarida Amaral, PhD, Honored with Dr. Carolyn Denning Trailblazer Award by Emily’s Entourage
Recognizing a pioneering cystic fibrosis (CF) researcher whose work bridging fundamental science and therapeutic innovation has advanced understanding of CF and paved the way toward more effective treatments for all people with CF.
Margarida D. Amaral, PhD (right), recipient of EE’s 2026 Dr. Carolyn Denning Trailblazer Award, pictured with Dylan Mortimer (left), the artist who designed the award.
ATLANTA, Georgia—November 5, 2026-Emily’s Entourage (EE), an innovative 501(c)(3) organization accelerating research and drug development for individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) who do not benefit from current CFTR modulator therapies, has awarded Margarida D. Amaral, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, and Group Leader at the Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), the 2026 Prix Carolyn Denning Trailblazer.
Named in tribute to the late Carolyn R. Denning, MD, a pioneering pediatrician whose compassionate care and vision transformed the landscape of CF treatment, the award recognizes scientific leaders who demonstrate innovation, courage, and tenacity in advancing lifesaving research for the CF community.
Dr. Amaral received the award during EE’s 9th Annual Reception at the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference (NACFC) on Friday, October 9, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia, where leading CF researchers, clinicians, and advocates from around the world gathered to showcase progress and catalyze continued innovation for those with CF still waiting for effective therapies targeting the underlying cause of their CF.
The award was an original painting by Dylan Mortimer, an internationally exhibited artist and two-time double lung transplant recipient living with CF. Drawing from his own experience with the disease, Mortimer uses glitter, bold imagery, and mixed media to explore themes of illness, survival, hope, and transformation. He describes his work as “aggressively joyful, offensively hopeful.”
For more than two decades, Dr. Amaral has dedicated her career to understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying CF and translating those discoveries into meaningful advances for people living with the disease. Her research spans basic and translational science, helping illuminate how defects in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein lead to disease and how that understanding can be leveraged to develop more effective therapeutic strategies. By connecting insights at the molecular and cellular level with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for people with CF, she has become an influential voice in the international CF research community.
The award was an original painting by Dylan Mortimer, an internationally exhibited artist and two-time double lung transplant recipient living with CF.
Dr. Amaral is an alumna of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and the Gulbenkian Institute of Science, a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization and the Portuguese Academy of Sciences, and the author of more than 200 international scientific publications. She also serves on EE’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), lending her expertise to help guide the organization’s research strategy and scientific investments for the final 10% of the CF community. Her contributions to biomedical and CF research have been recognized with numerous honors, including the Pfizer-SCML Award for Basic Biomedical Research and the Annual Award of the European Cystic Fibrosis Society.
“Dr. Margarida Amaral embodies what it means to be a true scientific trailblazer,” said Emily Kramer-Golinkoff, MBE, co-founder of EE. “For more than two decades, she has paired rigorous scientific discovery with an unwavering commitment to translating that knowledge into meaningful progress for people with CF. Her leadership , persistence, and ability to bridge fundamental biology with therapeutic potential have moved the field forward and expanded what we believe is possible for those in the final 10% who are still waiting for lifesaving breakthroughs.”
“Receiving the Dr. Carolyn Denning Trailblazer Award from Emily’s Entourage is a tremendous honor,” said Dr. Amaral. “While we have witnessed extraordinary advances, our work is not finished until every person with CF can benefit from transformative, lifesaving therapies. I am deeply grateful to Emily’s Entourage for its relentless commitment to the final 10% and proud to continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible alongside this remarkable community.”
À propos de l'entourage d'Emily
Emily’s Entourage (EE) est une organisation innovante de type 501(c)3 qui accélère la recherche de nouveaux traitements et d’un remède pour les personnes atteintes de mucoviscidose (CF) qui ne tirent aucun bénéfice des thérapies ciblant les mutations actuellement disponibles. Depuis 2011, EE a octroyé des millions de dollars de subventions de recherche, lancé une société spécialisée dans la thérapie génique de la mucoviscidose au stade clinique, développé une base de données mondiale de patients et un programme de mise en relation pour les essais cliniques afin d’accélérer le recrutement des participants, et mené des initiatives à l’échelle mondiale pour favoriser la recherche à fort impact et le développement de médicaments. L’organisation a fait l’objet de reportages dans les médias nationaux, notamment le New York Times, STAT, CNN, People et bien d’autres. Pour en savoir plus, rendez-vous sur emilysentourage.org.
Contact presse
Hannah Kleckner
Directeur du marketing et de la communication
hannah@emilysentourage.org
