Research Triangle Park, NC, June 11, 2024—The Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Postdoctoral Diversity Enrichment Program (PDEP) awards. This program is designed to enhance the diversity of the biomedical research community by providing support to underrepresented minority postdoctoral fellows as they pursue independence and secure an academic faculty position.
This year, BWF has selected 30 exceptional postdocs for the Postdoctoral Diversity Enrichment Program Award, including five supported through a partnership with the Charles H. Revson Foundation. Each award includes a three-year grant totaling $60,000, which will be used to support their research, enrich their training experiences, and foster their professional development.
The 2024 awardees are:
Mikal Woods Acevedo, PhD
University of Pittsburgh
Microbiota Regulation of Viral Neuropathogenesis
Mentor: Terence Dermody, MD
Román Ramos Báez, PhD
University of Chicago
On the Inception and diversification of molecular glue hormone signaling pathways
Mentor: Joseph Thornton, PhD
Ismary Blanco, PhD
Vanderbilt University
Salt-sensitive hypertension impairs neuronal activity in the hippocampus and basolateral amygdala.
Mentors: Monica Santisteban, PhD and Erin Calipari, PhD
Amanda Buch, PhD
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Closing the Interspecies Gap: Breakthrough Methods for Comparative Molecular Neurodynamics
Mentor: Logan Grosenick, PhD
Revson Scholar
Jasmine Burrell, PhD
Morehouse School of Medicine
Role of smooth muscle cell-derived serum and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1 in adipose tissue physiology and pathophysiology
Mentor: Sharon Francis, PhD
Christian Cazares, PhD
University of California-San Diego
Developing multimodal biomarkers of cognitive ability in a genetic model of neurodevelopment
Mentors: Bradley Voytek, PhD and Alysson Muotri, PhD
Noele Certain, PhD
Yale University
Investigating the mechanism underlying cholinergic function in a TRIO-deficient mouse model of neurodevelopmental disorders
Mentor: Anthony Koleske, PhD
Revson Scholar
Kevin Muñoz Forti, PhD
University of Chicago
Single Cell Phenotyping of the Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) Tumor Metabolic MicroEnvironment (TMME)
Mentor: Simon Schwörer, PhD
Sasha Fulton, PhD
Columbia University
Defining the role of social touch somatosensory neurons in stress response: A novel skin-brain pathway for resilience
Mentor: Ishmail Abdus-Saboor, PhD
Revson Scholar
Joshua Gills, PhD
New York University Grossman School of Medicine
The impact of Circadian Rhythm Dysfunction on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia Pathology using the Health Disparities Framework
Mentor: Omonigho Bubu, M.D., PhD
Revson Scholar
Aurian P. Garcia Gonzalez, MD, PhD
Duke University School of Medicine
Fecal diversion as a model for host-microbe interactions.
Mentor: Lawrence David, PhD
Cellas Hayes, PhD
Stanford University
The Contribution of Alzheimer’s Disease to White Matter Hyperintensities
Mentor: Michelle Odden, PhD
Greisha Lee Ortiz Hernandez, PhD
City of Hope, Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences Affiliate
Investigating the role of the IGF1 signaling pathway modulator, CYR61, in prostate cancer health disparities
Mentor: Susan Neuhausen, PhD
Victoria Honnell, PhD
Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School Affiliate
Identification of cell-type specific epigenetic mechanisms in cocaine addiction
Mentor: Yi Zhang, PhD
Bianca Islam, MD, PhD
Case Western Reserve University
Dissecting the role of T-cells in a TNF-mediated model of Crohn’s Disease-like ileitis
Mentor: Fabio Cominelli, MD, PhD
Kristine Lyon, PhD
Salk Institute for Biological Studies, University of California San Diego Affiliate
Astrocyte Sema3c in neurodevelopment and Rett Syndrome
Mentor: Nicola Allen, PhD
Jordan Moore, PhD
Stanford University
Injectable drug-delivery system to repair the blood-brain-barrier after ischemic stroke
Mentors: Marion Buckwalter, M.D., PhD and Sarah Heilshorn, PhD
Crystal Colón Ortiz, PhD
Duke University School of Medicine
Astrocyte-synapse interactions in demyelination and myelin repair
Mentor: Cagla Eroglu, PhD
Xilal Rima, PhD
Ohio State University
Bioengineered Microsystems to Investigate Adipocyte Signaling in Lobular Metastasis
Mentor: Willa Hsueh, MD
Cosette M. Rivera-Cruz, PhD
Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati Affiliate
The role of ERBB2 signaling in HPV-induced pathologies
Mentor: Susanne Wells, PhD
Loranzie Rogers, PhD
Harvard University
Exploiting amphibian metamorphosis to understand cellular adaptation and function
Mentor: Nicholas Bellono, PhD
Joel Encarnacion Rosado, PhD
Salk Institute for Biological Studies, University of California San Diego Affiliate
Dissecting the cell-autonomous and non-autonomous mechanisms of adaptation to autophagy inhibition in pancreatic cancer
Mentor: Christina Towers, PhD
Ayana Ruffin, PhD
Emory University
The role CD2/CD48 axis in adoptive cell therapy
Mentor: Chrystal Paulos, PhD
Amanda Ruiz, PhD
Massachusetts General Hospital, Affiliate of Harvard
Elucidating Immunodominance Mechanisms using Protein Engineering Techniques to Inform Rational Vaccine Design
Mentor: Aaron Schmidt, PhD
Stephanie Sandoval-Pistorius, PhD
University of California-San Francisco
A multi-scale investigation into the physiology of monogenic Parkinson’s disease
Mentors: Philip Starr, M.D., PhD and Melanie Morrison, PhD
Elizabeth Sneddon, PhD
University of California-San Diego – Health Sciences
Sex Differences in Cocaine Self-Administration: Unraveling the Impact of Sex Steroids and Nicotinic Receptors
Mentor: Olivier George, PhD
Kristina Solorio-Kirpichyan, PhD
University of California-San Diego
Unraveling the Structural Dynamics of Rhomboid Proteins in the ER-Associated Degradation Pathway
Mentor: Sonya Neal, PhD
Claire Stewart, PhD
Stanford University
Exploring Bacterial Lipoproteins as a Novel Biomaterial for the Modular Design of Immunotherapies
Mentor: Naima Sharaf, PhD
Jared Tangeman, PhD
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Uncovering gene regulatory networks that drive salamander retina regeneration
Mentor: Seth Blakshaw, PhD
Chase Webb, PhD
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Single Molecule Investigation of the Kinetic Basis of Efficacy of Novel Opioid Small Molecules
Mentor: Jonathan Javitch, M.D., PhD
Revson Scholar
“We are honored to support these outstanding postdoctoral fellows whose research represents the cutting edge of biomedical science,” said Alfred Mays, Chief Diversity Officer of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. “Their contributions will not only advance their respective fields but also help to diversify the scientific community, bringing a wider range of perspectives and ideas to biomedical research.”
The PDEP aims to promote diversity within the biomedical sciences by providing necessary funding and support to underrepresented minority researchers at a critical career stage. Since its establishment, the program has supported numerous fellows, many of whom have significantly contributed to science and medicine.
For more information about the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the Postdoctoral Diversity Enrichment Program, please visit www.bwfund.org.
About the Burroughs Wellcome Fund:
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund is an independent, private foundation dedicated to advancing the biomedical sciences by supporting research and education. Through its various funding programs, the BWF fosters innovation, collaboration, and the development of new knowledge to improve human health.
About the Charles H. Revson Foundation:
The Charles H. Revson Foundation is an independent, nonprofit grantmaking organization founded in 1956 with a commitment to “the spread of knowledge” and “the improvement of human life,” making grants in the areas of urban affairs, education, Jewish life, and biomedical research.
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