Exceptional Early-Career Scientists Named Pew Scholars in the Biomedical Sciences

PHILADELPHIA—The Pew Charitable Trusts today named 22 exceptional early-career scientists as Pew scholars in the biomedical sciences. The 2016 class of Pew biomedical scholars is drawn from prestigious institutions across the country, with each scholar receiving four years of flexible funding to pursue foundational, innovative research.

“For more than thirty years, The Pew Charitable Trusts has proudly supported outstanding biomedical researchers at the start of their careers, encouraging the kind of creativity that leads to remarkable discoveries,” said Rebecca W. Rimel, president and CEO of The Pew Charitable Trusts. “The members of this exemplary group join a community of scientists that they will learn with, and learn from, for the rest of their lives.”

Pew’s 2016 biomedical scholars become part of a thriving community of scientists dedicated to collaboration and mentorship: Each year, scholars meet to discuss their research among peers, explore different areas of biomedical science, and spark ideas.

“Today, funding for basic research is more important than ever,” said Craig C. Mello, Ph.D., a 1995 Pew scholar, 2006 Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine, and chair of the national advisory committee for the scholars program. “But early-career scientists require support in other ways, too. The Pew biomedical programs provide new scholars with a wealth of practical advice and encouragement from other scientists—which we all need to be successful.”

Among the 22 scholars, five were selected for their dedication to studying the human brain as it ages, with support from the Kathryn W. Davis Peace by Pieces Fund. The research conducted by these scholars will improve scientific understanding of health challenges connected with the inevitable process of growing older.

The 2016 Pew scholars in the biomedical sciences are:

Christopher D. C.  Allen, Ph.D.
Sandler Asthma Basic Research Center
University of California, San Francisco
Immunology

Kristian G. Andersen, Ph.D.
Scripps Research Institute
Immunology

Martha W. Bagnall, Ph.D.
Washington University School of Medicine
Neuroscience

Trevor Bedford, Ph.D.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Virology

Donita C. Brady, Ph.D.
University of Pennsylvania
Cancer biology

Gloria A. Brar, Ph.D.
University of California, Berkeley
Molecular biology

Marco Gallio, Ph.D.
Northwestern University
Neuroscience

Wendy R. Gordon, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota
Biochemistry

Jun R. Huh, Ph.D.
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Immunology

Lauren Parker Jackson, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University
Cell biology; structural biology

Roozbeh Kiani, M.D., Ph.D.
New York University Langone Medical Center
Neuroscience

Peter W. Lewis, Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Biochemistry

Dengke Ma, Ph.D.
University of California, San Francisco
Physiology

Eyleen J. O’Rourke, Ph.D.
University of Virginia
Genetics; physiology

Nitin Phadnis, Ph.D.
University of Utah
Genetics; evolutionary biology

Maksim V. Plikus, Ph.D.
University of California, Irvine
Developmental biology

Lei S. Qi, Ph.D.
Stanford University
Bioengineering

Katherine S. Ralston, Ph.D.
University of California, Davis
Parasitology

Dragana Rogulja, Ph.D.
Harvard Medical School
Neuroscience

Mikhail G. Shapiro, Ph.D.
California Institute of Technology
Bioengineering

Radhika Subramanian, Ph.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Biochemistry; molecular biophysics; cell biology

Michael M. Yartsev, Ph.D.
University of California, Berkeley
Neuroscience

Visit the program page to read the scholars’ full abstracts and learn more about the program.

The 2016 classes of Pew-Stewart scholars for cancer research and Pew Latin American fellows were also announced today.

The Pew Charitable Trusts is driven by the power of knowledge to solve today’s most challenging problems. Learn more at www.pewtrusts.org.