Current Students

Awarded Student Fellowships, 2023-24

There are many funding opportunities available for graduate students in the Biological Science Division. Approximately 11% of our students are supported by individual fellowships (nearly 50 in 2020-21).

Have you received a fellowship? Please let us know: Featuring current awardees helps students following in your footsteps to identify new funding opportunities.

Student Fellowship Research topic Degree program Advisor
Acero Bedoya,  Santiago NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Understanding the role of PTPN22 in anti-tumor immunity Cancer Biology Thomas Gajewski
Alamri, Ali National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowships Neural Basis of Perceptual Decisions  Computational Neuroscience  
Anderson, Cara Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Hypusine as a nutrient-sensing modulator of eIF5A function in β cells Molecular Metabolism Raghavendra Mirmira
Anderson, Hope NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Acquisition of effector programs in T cells Biophysical Sciences Samantha Riesenfeld
Arrelano, Nicole Minority Hematology Graduate Award   Cancer Biology Shannon Elf
Azizi, Saara-Anne Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Identifying the mechanisms and biological impact of ERK lipidation in metabolic signaling Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program – MD/PhD Bryan Dickinson
Blanc, Jennifer Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Accurate and robust inference of mutational bias across complex traits and diseases Human Genetics Jeremy Berg
Bogan, Emily NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Molecular adaptation to environmental stressors Evolutionary Biology Cathy Pfister and Joseph Thornton
Bolonduro, Busayo HHMI Gilliam Fellowship for Advanced Study Mechanisms of gene regulation for immune tolerance Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology Andrew Koh
Borregard, Megan NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Regulation of effector function in tissue-resident T cells Biophysical Sciences Bana Jabri
Busch, Silas Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Dendritic morphology, patterns of input, and calcium signal heterogeneity in a novel subpopulation of cerebellar Purkinje cells Neurobiology Christian Hansel
Chak, Bridget Google Fellowship Award Population genetics, human evolution, and global health Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology Luis Barreiro
Correa, Edgar Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award The conserved transcription factor UNC-30/PITX1-3 coordinates synaptogenesis and cell identity in C. elegans motor neurons Cell and Molecular Biology Paschalis Kratsios
Debrosse, Hadley Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award X-ray fluorescence emission tomography for imaging trace gold in mouse models Medical Physics Patrick La Riviere
Deshpande, Sarita Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Spatiotemporal dynamics of epileptic activity Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program - MD/PhD Neurobiology Wim Van Drongelen
Destain, Honorine NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Regulation of terminal selectors in neuronal identity maintenance Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology Paschalis Kratsios
Fernandez-Begne, Paula NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Genetic basis of adaptation to escalating plant defenses  Ecology and Evolution Marcus Kronforst
Fonseca, Renee Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship Polygenic scores and capture of causal genetics Human Genetics Andrew Dahl
Frith, Mary Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Microbiota-dependent early life programming of gastrointestinal motility Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program - MD/PhD Molecular Metab/Nutrit Eugene Chang
Girdler, Benton NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Lysosomal Membrane Dynamics Computational Neuroscience Yamuna Krishnan
Glauninger, Hendrik Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Understanding mRNA Condensation and Its Role in Translational Control during Stress Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program - MD/PhD Biophysical Sciences  Allan Drummond
Greaney, Marie Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Characterizing motor control and variability at the single-cell level in larval Drosophila Neurobiology Ellie Heckscher
Hamilton, Ashley NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program   Evolutionary Biology Sean Hoban
Henderson, Jake Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award How temporal transcription factors regulate guidance cues and dendrite morphogenesis in Drosophila somatosensory circuits Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology Elizabeth Heckscher
Hieromnimon, Hanna Microsoft Research Fellowship   Biophysical Sciences Samantha Riesenfeld
Hollinger, Maile Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Inhibition of Th2 responses by secreted components of a common farm bacterium Immunology Anne Sperling
Hung, Anthony Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Determining the genetic basis of responses to biomechanical strain in an in vitro model of osteoarthritis Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program – MD/PhD Yoav Gilad
Hunter, Laura NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Comparative functional morphology across extinct and extant hominoids Integrative Biology Zeray Alemseged 
Jadick, Giavanna NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Quantitative phase-contrast x-ray computed tomography for soft tissue imaging Medical Physics Patrick La Riviere
Jotte, Matthew Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Defining the pathogenesis of Del(7q) in hematopoietic stem cells Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program – MD/PhD Cancer Biology Megan McNerney
Keplinger, Amanda NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Nuclear import of nucleic acid binding proteins Cell and Molecular Biology Alexander Ruthenberg
Lake, Joash Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Exploring the role and mechanisms of action of UC puchitis-associated pathobionts (PAP) to gain insights into the etiophathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Immunology Eugene Chang
Lin, Kyle Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Investigating Biomolecular Condensates and Heat Shock Proteins in Cellular Responses to Sublethal Heat Shock and Fever Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program - MD/PhD Biophysical Sciences  David Drummond and Allison Squires
MacDonald, Margo Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Neutrophil extracellular traps and the intersection of the immune and biophysical microenvironments Biophysical Sciences Melody Swartz and Margaret Gardel
Martin, Hannah NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Adaptations for fast synaptic transmission at vestibular hair cells Neurobiology Ruth Anne Eatock
Martinez, Tanner Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Establishing CUX1 as a determinant of Hematopoietic Stem cell heterogeneity Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program - MD/PhD Immunology Megan McNerney
McDonough, Matthew HHMI Gilliam Fellowship for Advanced Study Co-transcriptional turnover of incorrectly spliced mRNA transcripts Cell and Molecular Biology Jonathan Staley
McIntire, Erik Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Single-Cell RNA Sequencing of Cardiac Organoids to Determine the Genetic Basis for Cell-Specific Responses to Anticancer Drugs Human Genetics Yoav Gilad
Molina, Andrew Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Uncovering the mechanism of potassium channel folding and assembly with implications for the molecular basis of cardiac arrhythmia Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program - MD/PhD Biophysical Sciences Tobin Sosnick and Benoit Roux
Paletta, Mia NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Motor preparation and respiratory-vocal coordination in songbirds Computational Neuroscience Daniel Margoliash
Patton, Jaeda NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Accessibility of novel phenotypes in ancestral protein sequence space Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology Joseph Thornton
Phillips, Jp NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Multi-material decomposition of dual-energy CT Medical Physics Aaron Esser-Kahn
Praljak, Niksa NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program   Biophysical Sciences Rama Ranganathan
Rhoda, Daniel NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Geometric morphometric methods & evolvability across macroevolutionary timescales Committee on Evolutionary Biology Kenneth Angielczyk & David Jablonski
Salazar, Rio HHMI Gilliam Fellowship for Advanced Study   Cell and Molecular Biology Robert Carrillo
Sepich, Caraline Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Investigating METTL5-regulated translational changes in hepatocellular carcinoma Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program - MD/PhD  Chuan He
Shangguan, Julia NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Myosin10 binding interactions  Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Tobin Sosnick
Sheehan, Colin Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Role of PDK1 in pancreatic cancer cell fitness under tumor nutrient stress Cancer Biology Alexander Muir
Sheets, Drew Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award The neural basis of stereognosis and its application to neuroprosthetics Computational Neuroscience Silman Bensmaia
Shelchkova, Natalya Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award The role of thalamus in cortical function and tactile perception Computational Neuroscience Sliman Bensmaia
Tuzlak, Leila NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program T6SS in gut Bacteroidales Microbiology Laurie Comstock
Valbuena, Fernando HHMI Gilliam Fellowship for Advanced Study Generating enhanced variants of fluorescent proteins via directed evolution and optimizing high-resolution microscopy techniques Cell and Molecular Biology Benjamin Glick
Warioba, Chisondi NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program fMRI and DTI analysis of functional connectivity loss related to cerebral arterial occlusion Medical Physics Timothy Carroll
Washington, Tatjana NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program How climate change affects wildlife’s physiological and behavioral stress responses and environmental justice policy Evolutionary Biology Ran Blekhman
Watson, Raven Minority Hematology Graduate Award Hematopoietic malignancies Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology Megan McNerney
Wheeler Fox, Gabriella NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Role of Inhibitory Interneurons in Motor Learning Computational Neuroscience Jason Maclean 
Wilkinson, Emma Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Elucidating the role of mRNA m6A methylation in tumorigenesis Cancer Biology Yu-Ying He
Wong, Caitlin Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Investigating the adaptive role of heat-induced biomolecular condensates in translational regulation Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Allan Drummond
Wright, Nathaniel Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award The role of BRWD1 to establish epigenetic states for germinal center initiation, maintenance, and exit Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program - MD/PhD Biophysical Sciences Marcus Clark
Chakraverti-Wuerthwein, Milena Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Fellowship Microbial community dynamics Biophysical Sciences Stefano Allesina
Wuerthwein Chakraverti, Milena NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Microbial community dynamics Biophysical Sciences Stefano Allesina
Zhu, Allen Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award The Effects of ERK2-Induced Phosphorylation of METTL3 on N6-methyladenosine (m6A) mRNA Methylation in Melanoma Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program - Cancer Biology Chuan He
Zhu, Ou Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Neuronal encoding of rapid categorical decisions across primate oculomotor networks Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program - Computational Neuroscience David Freedman