On January 8, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) announced its most recent Hanna Gray Fellows cohort “of 25 outstanding early career scientists who have demonstrated a commitment to making foundational discoveries while building an inclusive culture in academic science.”
This year’s cohort of fellows includes 15 scientists affiliated with AAU institutions; their research spans a wide range of issues affecting human health, including sleep disorders, nerve injuries, and cancer cells that resist treatment.
Founded in 2016, the Hanna Gray Fellowship supports scientists from a broad array of backgrounds as they conduct cutting-edge research, go through postdoctoral training, and establish independent labs. Each fellow will receive up to $1.5 million over the course of up to eight years.
“HHMI is committed to investing in scientists who dare to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our lifetime,” said HHMI Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer Leslie Vosshall. She added: “Our Hanna Gray Fellows are not only exceptional scientists, but they are also leaders who have proven their dedication to creating a more inclusive future for science.”
The fellowship is named after former University of Chicago President Hanna Holborn Gray, who chaired HHMI’s board of trustees from 1997 to 2010.
Newly announced Hanna Gray Fellows affiliated with AAU universities include:
- Jhullian J. Alston, Boston Children’s Hospital (affiliated with Harvard Medical School)
- Brittany J. Bush, Stanford University
- Peiwei Chen, Cornell University
- Cori Fain, The University of Iowa
- Sasha Fulton, Columbia University
- Colin Kim, Harvard University
- Grace Liu, University of California, Berkeley
- Juliet M. Mwirigi, Washington University in St. Louis
- Julianne N. Peláez, Brandeis University
- Loranzie Rogers, Harvard University
- Daniela C. Soto, University of California, Santa Barbara
- Whitney A. Stevens-Sostre, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Jared Tangeman, The Johns Hopkins University
- Tiffany C. Taylor, University of Pittsburgh
- Victoria Watson-Zink, Stanford University
Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe is editorial and communications assistant at AAU.