Pew Charitable Trusts Names 21 New Biomedical Scholars for 2026, Backing Early-Career Research from Cancer Vaccines to Neuroregeneration
Key Insights
The Pew Charitable Trusts (search) announced the 2026 class of the Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences, awarding 21 early-career scientists four years of funding to explore human health and disease.
Scholars were selected from 211 applicants and will pursue diverse research including a cancer vaccine approach, glioblastoma (search) growth mechanisms, and neuronal regeneration from astrocytes.
Four scholars focused on brain aging research will receive additional support from the Kathryn W. Davis Peace by Pieces Fund.
The Pew Charitable Trusts (search) today announced the 2026 class of the Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences, selecting 21 early-career researchers who will each receive four years of funding to pursue innovative investigations into human health and disease. The scholars were chosen from 211 applicants nominated by leading academic institutions and researchers across the United States.
"For more than 40 years, Pew has proudly supported researchers pioneering approaches to help advance human health and medicine," said Donna Frisby-Greenwood, Pew's senior vice president for Philadelphia and scientific advancement. "This incoming class of biomedical scholars bridges new technologies with creative approaches to biomedical research, and we're thrilled to support their innovative work."
The 2026 class joins a legacy of more than 1,000 scientists who have received awards from Pew since 1985. During their tenure, scholars will have opportunities to meet annually with fellow Pew-funded scientists to forge connections and cultivate community across a wide variety of disciplines.
"Scientific discovery is moving at a rapid pace, and now more than ever we need curious and creative researchers leading the charge," said Lee Niswander, Ph.D., a 1995 Pew scholar and chair of the program's national advisory committee. "These new biomedical scholars are prepared to meet that challenge, and I look forward to watching their research unfold."
Diverse Research Portfolio Spanning Oncology, Neuroscience, and Immunology
This year's class includes scientists harnessing new technology to examine human health and behavior, studying the building blocks of immunity, and engineering new methods to treat disease.
In oncology, several scholars are pursuing novel therapeutic strategies. Magnus Hoffmann, M.Pharm., Ph.D., of the Gladstone Institutes (search) aims to develop a cancer vaccine approach that tricks tumor cells into stimulating the immune system to eliminate them. Christina Tringides, Ph.D., of Rice University will characterize the molecular and mechanical signals that promote the growth of glioblastoma (search), a primary brain cancer in adults. Jessalyn Ubellacker, M.D., Ph.D., of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health will research how lymph nodes offer a protective environment for metastatic cancer cells that can foster progression.
Neuroscience and brain health feature prominently in the cohort. Thanh Hoang, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan will explore how to regenerate functional neurons from astrocytes—abundant support cells in the brain. Osama Harraz, Ph.D., of the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont will study the mechanisms that protect naked mole rats against neurodegeneration. Sergey Stavisky, Ph.D., of the University of California, Davis will dissect how the brain encodes speech and language, with the goal of designing prosthetic devices to facilitate communication.
Focus on Brain Aging Research
Four members of the 2026 class, who were selected for their commitment to investigating health challenges relating to the brain as it ages, will receive awards with support from the Kathryn W. Davis Peace by Pieces Fund. These scholars will contribute to understanding the mechanisms underlying age-related cognitive decline and neurodegeneration.
Immunology and Infectious Disease
Several scholars are advancing understanding of immune function. Andrew Flyak, Ph.D., of Cornell University aims to design an effective vaccine against the hepatitis C virus (search). Andrew Monteith, Ph.D., of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville will study how elevated temperatures enhance immune function and the elimination of infection. Harikesh Wong, Ph.D., of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Ragon Institute will investigate how groups of immune cells come to a "communal decision" about whether to tolerate or attack a particular target.
Additional research areas include Whitney Henry, Ph.D., of MIT examining how a stress-induced cell-death program called ferroptosis contributes to injury and regeneration in the liver, and Michael Skinnider, M.D., Ph.D., of Princeton University training artificial intelligence to characterize the "dark matter" of the human metabolome.
Program Legacy and Structure
The Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences provides four years of flexible funding designed to enable early-career scientists to take calculated risks and pursue foundational discoveries. Scholars are nominated by leading academic institutions and selected through a rigorous review process. The program has operated continuously since 1985, building a robust network of investigators whose work has contributed to advances across the biomedical spectrum.