by Alex Ambrico | Aug 5, 2024 | Cambridge, News, NIH, OxCam, Oxford, Past Events
From time to time, individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program are singled out to receive special recognition with the “Director’s Award.” Honorees are selected based on their dedication to the mission of cultivating the next generation of scientists and their selfless service to the Scholars Program.
The 2024 Director’s Award was presented to Dr. Michael Lenardo.
Dr. Lenardo is not only an accomplished immunologist, having led his group to discover four distinct diseases and helped advance diagnostics and therapies for many more, but he is also a world-recognized international biomedical research leader. A AAAS Fellow, a Member of the National Academy of Science and the National Academy of Medicine, a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Great Britain, and an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) conferred by Queen Elizabeth II, he remains a trailblazer in immunology and biomedical research, as well as an incredible mentor and supporter of trainees at the NIH and collaborating universities.
Dr. Lenardo co-founded the NIH-Oxford Cambridge Scholars Program, the NIH-UPenn Immunology Program, the NIH-Marshall Scholars, the NIH-Rhodes Scholars, the National M.D./Ph.D. Partnership Program, and the NIH-Institut Pasteur Infectious Disease and Immunology Program. He was also instrumental in catalyzing the creation of the International Biomedical Research Alliance and remains an advisor, ally, and advocate for our organization, a role we hope he continues for many years to come.
Additionally, Dr. Lenardo has been a dedicated mentor and friend to many in the Program. His infectious energy and spirit have inspired countless students, including those who joined the top PhD program in the world due to his influence. Dr. Lenardo will soon begin his new role as Chief Scientific Officer at Calico Labs.
Congratulations to Dr. Michael Lenardo on this well-deserved honor!
by Alex Ambrico | Aug 1, 2024 | Cambridge, News, NIH, OxCam, Oxford, Past Events
Acclaimed American poet, educator, civil rights activist, and autobiographer, Maya Angelou, once said that in order to be an effective mentor, one must care. She went on to say that an effective mentor should care about what they know, and care about the person they are sharing it with.
A mentor can serve different purposes on different days, but they are endlessly interested in the quality of the learning experience and the well-being of their mentee. In short, they care.
It has been a long-standing tradition of the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program to pause each year to recognize an outstanding mentor among the many faculty members who serve the Program across the NIH and at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Nominations for this honor come from those who are the fortunate recipients of outstanding mentoring – the mentees.
This year’s nominees were Armin Raznahan, Baris Turkbey, Daniel Reich, Elodie Ghedin, Ludovica Griffanti, Masaki Terabe, Michael Sack, and Robin Stanley.
Dr. Robin Stanley was named the 2024 Outstanding Mentor Award recipient.
Dr. Stanley excels in supporting trainees’ evolving career paths, whether they choose a traditional academic route or not, always remaining fully present and supportive. She actively recognizes and celebrates her trainees’ achievements, big or small. Her personable nature fosters strong mentor-mentee relationships built on trust, which she views as crucial. Robin cares deeply about her trainees’ personal lives, understanding that balance enhances scientific work. Her support during significant life events, such as marriage and starting a family, exemplifies this commitment. She values training young scientists and believes her lab’s legacy is best measured by the scientists it produces. Her dedication to this aspect of her career is remarkable and deserving of this mentoring award.
Congratulations, Dr. Robin Stanley, on this well-deserved honor!
by Alex Ambrico | Jul 31, 2024 | Cambridge, News, NIH, OxCam, Oxford, Past Events
Recognizing Outstanding Service and Commitment to Community Well-Being
The Building a Better Community Through Service Award is given to a Scholar who demonstrates exceptional dedication to the well-being of their community. This award honors individuals who are committed to social responsibility, investing their time and talent to elevate and inspire others, and ultimately uplift the community as a whole.
The nominees for the 2024 Building a Better Community Through Service Award include Anagha Krishnan & Hannah Dada, Jasmine Mack, Lauren McCormick, Nisita Dutta, Poorva Jain, and Theressa Ewa.
We are pleased to announce that the 2024 Building a Better Community Through Service Award is presented to Anagha Krishnan and Hannah Dada.
While this award traditionally recognizes service to the NIH OxCam community, Anagha and Hannah were honored for their exceptional work with the Science Unlocked Initiative. They have made a profound impact by bringing hands-on science experiences to incarcerated youth in Washington D.C. Their program has grown to include over thirty volunteers, including several OxCam students, who collectively tutor nearly three hundred prison-impacted youth.
Anagha and Hannah have not only expanded their scientific work into meaningful community engagement but have also helped train a diverse next generation of scientists. Their commitment to blending science education with social responsibility embodies the true spirit of this award.
They shared, “Science Unlocked is grateful for this award and recognition. We would like to thank IBRA, those that nominated us, as well as the other nominees. Being leaders and participants in service is such a rewarding task. We share this award with the other nominees and those involved in service. Through Science Unlocked, we have grown as scientists, contributors to society, and most importantly, friends. This journey has been met with challenges but remembering our passion for improving outcomes for the incarcerated population and demystifying science empowers us to push through these challenges. We enjoy the challenge of building a stronger initiative and community even in the face of backlash and adversity. The endurance from serving our community has translated into our day to day as scientists and we are thankful for the lessons and growth through the program. We want to thank the Petey Greene staff and our volunteers for seeing our vision and supporting us. Lastly, and certainly not least, we want to thank the students of the Science Unlocked program for exercising so much grace and tolerance with us as we build this program with them. They have taught us insurmountable patience and humility.”
Congratulations to Anagha Krishnan and Hannah Dada for their outstanding contributions and dedication.
by Alex Ambrico | Jul 30, 2024 | Cambridge, News, NIH, OxCam, Oxford, Past Events
The Outstanding Recent Graduate Award recognizes the noteworthy and distinctive achievements of an individual who has graduated from the Scholars Program within the last two years. The honoree embodies the values of scientific innovation and collaboration leading to seminal biomedical discoveries at an early stage in their career.
This year’s nominees were: Aaron Bernstein, David Cruz Walma, Matthew Mulè, Olive Jung, and Sean Corcoran.
We are thrilled to announce that the 2024 Outstanding Recent Graduate Award is presented to:
Dr. Matthew Mulè
Matt conducted his PhD research under the guidance of John Tsang (NIH/Yale) and Ken Smith (Cambridge), making significant contributions to systems immunology. He developed the first computational framework dedicated to denoising single-cell protein expression data from multimodal single-cell technologies—a groundbreaking achievement that combined experimental insights with computational ingenuity. Matt also ensured the software, named “dsb,” was accessible to the community, complete with excellent documentation. As a result, the package has been widely adopted and cited in over 100 high-profile publications.
In addition to this, Matt led two other significant projects:
- He developed a multi-level framework to integrate human and single-cell variations, revealing a naturally adjuvanted baseline immune state in humans that predicts better vaccine responses.
- He integrated single-cell data with clinical information, discovering that iron dysregulation and inflammatory stress are linked to poor long-term outcomes in COVID-19 patients.
Matt has another paper under revision, where he uses multimodal single-cell analysis to identify a baseline predictor of adverse outcomes to cancer immunotherapy. As a superb MD-PhD student and a rising star in systems immunology, Matt is truly deserving of this award.
Currently completing his medical training at UNC, Matt was unable to join us for the Colloquium.
Congratulations, Dr. Matthew Mulè, on this well-deserved honor!
by Alex Ambrico | Jul 29, 2024 | Cambridge, News, NIH, OxCam, Oxford, Past Events
Recognized for Outstanding Service and Leadership within the Community
To be recognized for outstanding service and leadership within your community is an honor, but when this recognition comes from your peers – those who have the most focused view of you and your efforts – that is truly a distinction to be cherished.
The Roy and Diana Vagelos Leadership Award
The Roy and Diana Vagelos Leadership Award is presented to an individual who exemplifies the highest standards of leadership. The recipient is a role model for their peers and possesses the ability to inspire others to be better and do better by encouraging creativity, cooperation, promoting respect for others, emphasizing collaboration, and demonstrating initiative. This outstanding leader has a keen sense of organization and embodies leadership in all that they endeavor, combining clarity in thought with humility of character. The nominees for the 2024 Roy and Diana Vagelos Leadership Award are Hallie Gaitsch, Jasmine Mack, Kelsey Lowman, Ray Smith, and Yasemin Cole.
We are delighted to announce that the 2024 award goes to Hallie Gaitsch.
As President of this year’s SLB, Hallie Gaitsch has demonstrated exceptional leadership that goes beyond the duties of her role. She is diplomatic, organized, and clear in her goals, ensuring every SLB meeting is well-run, respectful, and productive. Hallie is trusted by the students for her approachability and is well-liked and respected by both peers and program leadership. She handles all her responsibilities with kindness, humility, and grace. Hallie is admired for her fair and non-judgmental approach, and her peers have learned a lot from her exemplary leadership.
“It is a great honor to receive this award from my peers. My time in the NIH OxCam Program has been transformative, both scientifically and personally. I feel very privileged to not only be a member of this community, but to give back to it through service on the Student Leadership Board. It is a credit to the Program that its leaders set aside regular, dedicated time to hear student concerns and to discuss strategies for continuous improvement. I would like to acknowledge my fellow SLB members, our Program administrators, the Executive Committee, and IBRA for their drive to make the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program the best that it can be,” remarked Hallie.
IBRA and the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program extends heartfelt congratulations to Hallie Gaitsch for her outstanding achievements. Her exceptional leadership and dedication make her a deserving recipient of the Roy and Diana Vagelos Leadership Award.
Stay tuned for more updates and news on outstanding leaders from the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program. For more information on Hallie Gaitsch’s work and the Roy and Diana Vagelos Leadership Award, please visit our website.
by Alex Ambrico | Jul 25, 2024 | Cambridge, News, NIH, OxCam, Oxford, Past Events
Endowed by NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program Co-Founder, Dr. Michael Lenardo, in loving memory of his brother, Gregory Paul Lenardo
We are delighted to announce Benjamin Lee as the recipient of the 2024 Gregory Paul Lenardo Basic Science Award for Discoveries in Cellular and Molecular Biology. This prestigious award recognizes groundbreaking discoveries in fundamental cellular, molecular, or genetic processes using model systems, advancing our scientific understanding of biological processes in higher organisms.
About the Award
The Gregory Paul Lenardo Basic Science Award is dedicated to honoring researchers who have made significant contributions to our understanding of cellular and molecular biology. Endowed by Dr. Michael Lenardo in loving memory of his brother, Gregory Paul Lenardo, the award reflects the commitment to fostering innovation and excellence in scientific research.
Meet the Winner: Benjamin Lee
Benjamin Lee has developed a pioneering “big data” strategy for viroid discovery, utilizing a completely novel approach that has significantly impacted the field. His groundbreaking work, published in Cell, has revolutionized our understanding of the number, diversity, and host ranges of viroid-like agents.
Key Achievements:
- Innovative Approach: Benjamin’s novel strategy for viroid discovery leverages big data, offering a fresh perspective and new methodologies in the field.
- Significant Impact: His research has dramatically expanded our knowledge of viroid-like agents, including their diversity and host interactions.
- Accessible Tools: Benjamin has created a comprehensive database and tools that are accessible to the wider scientific community, promoting further research and discovery.
- Published Work: His influential findings have been published in Cell, one of the most prestigious journals in the field of molecular biology.
- Future Contributions: Benjamin has been invited to submit a review on viroid discovery for the journal Nucleic Acids Research, indicating the high regard in which his work is held.
Recognizing Excellence
“I am deeply honored to receive the Gregory Paul Lenardo Basic Science Award. This research would not have been possible without the generous support of the NIH Oxford-Cambridge program and the tireless mentorship of my advisors at both NIH and Oxford, Eugene Koonin and Peter Simmonds. My work has opened a whole host of questions that I am eager to explore in my upcoming fellowship back at NIH in Bethesda. We have now shown that the world of viroids and viroid-like RNAs is much bigger than was previously known, but the full extent and diversity of these agents is clearly yet to be explored,” shared Benjamin.
Benjamin is currently focused on completing his degree and his dedication to advancing scientific knowledge and his innovative contributions make him a deserving recipient of the Gregory Paul Lenardo Basic Science Award.
IBRA and the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program extend heartfelt congratulations to Benjamin Lee for his outstanding achievements. We also commend the other nominees, Hannah Duffy and Matthew Berns, for their exceptional contributions to the field of cellular and molecular biology.
Stay tuned for more updates and news on groundbreaking research from the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program. For more information on Benjamin Lee’s work and the Gregory Paul Lenardo Basic Science Award, please visit our website.
