The Next Generation of Global Health Innovators: Michelson Prize Winners Announced
- Michelson Medical Research Foundation and Human Immunome Project announce the recipients of the 2022 Michelson Prizes: Next Generation Grants.
- Dr. Noam Auslander, Dr. Jenna Guthmiller, Romain Guyon, and Dr. Brittany Hartwell were selected by a distinguished committee of internationally recognized scientists and represent the next generation of innovators in human immunology and vaccine research.
- The $150,000 Michelson Prizes are awarded annually to support early-career investigators working to advance human immunology, vaccine discovery, and immunotherapy research for major global diseases.
- These distinguished scientists comprise the 5th class of Michelson Prize laureates, joining an international group of researchers charting the future of human health.
Los Angeles/New York City (January 24, 2023)— The Michelson Medical Research Foundation and the Human Immunome Project award Dr. Noam Auslander, Dr. Jenna Guthmiller, Romain Guyon, and Dr. Brittany Hartwell with the Michelson Prizes: Next Generation Grants.
The $150,000 Michelson Prizes are awarded annually to support early-career investigators working to advance human immunology, vaccine discovery, and immunotherapy research for major global diseases.
The four recipients were selected by a distinguished committee of internationally recognized scientists and represent the next generation of innovators in human immunology and vaccine research. Their proposals were chosen based on their innovation and potential impact, which aim to significantly accelerate scientific discoveries for global health challenges. Each recipient will receive $150,000 to conduct vital research in human immunology and vaccine development.
“It is beyond difficult for young scientists to get funding to conduct their own research and to pursue out-of-the-box, potentially high-risk, high-reward ideas that will disrupt the status quo. The Michelson Prizes are changing this dynamic,” says Dr. Gary K. Michelson, founder and co-chair of Michelson Philanthropies and the Michelson Medical Research Foundation. “When we empower brilliant minds and invest in bold, creative research, it is with the belief that a single breakthrough discovery could improve the lives of billions.”
The Michelson Prizes were established in 2017 and have since grown into a widely sought honor, attracting researchers from all over the world.
“It is inspiring to see so many young scientists with a passion for innovation and courage to think creatively,” says Dr. Wayne Koff, president and CEO of the Human Immunome Project. “I look forward to seeing how their research contributes to our understanding of the human immune system – and helps further our mission to develop the first AI model of the human immunome, transforming the way we diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases for everyone.”
Dr. Auslander, Dr. Guthmiller, Mr. Guyon, and Dr. Hartwell will be honored at a virtual award ceremony in collaboration with Keystone Symposia on March 24, 2023, at 8:00 AM PST. Register here.
Applications for the 2023 Michelson Prizes: Next Generation Grants will open on April 3, 2023. For more information, visit Human Immunome Project or Michelson Medical Research Foundation.
Credit: John Chow
Brittany Hartwell, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota
“Engineering albumin-hitchhiking intranasal vaccines with enhanced transmucosal uptake to promote immunity.”
To combat the global HIV epidemic and evolving threats such as SARS-CoV-2, immunization strategies are needed that elicit protection at mucosal portals of entry to halt transmission. Immunization directly through airway surfaces is effective in driving mucosal immunity, but poor vaccine uptake across mucosal barriers is a major limitation. Dr. Hartwell’s winning proposal uses a strategy of ‘albumin hitchhiking’ that enables an intranasal vaccine to efficiently bypass mucosal barriers in the nose in order to promote stronger mucosal immunity.'
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