Inaugural Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Poised To Make Great Advances In Science And Equity

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) recently announced the inaugural cohort of Freeman Hrabowski Scholars. These 31 individuals, according to HHMI, are “exceptional early career faculty who have potential to become leaders in their research fields and to create diverse and inclusive lab environments in which everyone can thrive.” Named for renowned leader and educator Freeman Hrabowski — whose career is dedicated to diversifying and bringing equity to science — the Scholars cut across 22 institutions.

Each Scholar receives up to $8.6 million over a 10 year period, including a salary, benefits, an extensive research budget, and scientific equipment. In addition, the Scholars will benefit from participation in professional development aimed at advancing their leadership and mentorship skills. The Scholars are appointed for a five-year term, which is renewable for a second five-year term with a successful progress evaluation.

HHMI Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer Leslie Vosshall shared “Each of our Freeman Hrabowski Scholars has demonstrated their unique potential to advance cutting-edge science and carve out pathways for the inclusive development of postdocs, students, and other researchers.” HHMI, which is the largest private biomedical institution in the United States, aims to support 150 Scholars over the next 20 years with the program. The organization has a long-term goal of diversifying science research and opening doors to opportunity in the nation’s scientific labs.

One of the Freeman Hrabowski Scholars is Ishmail Abdus-Saboor, an assistant professor at Columbia University. His research works to “understand how the brain generates the perception of pain and pleasure based on sensory stimuli applied to the skin.” He and his research team are integrating the peripheral and central nervous systems, hoping to uncover genes and neural circuits for somatosensation — or in layman’s terms — the ability of the body to sense things such as pain, pressure, temperature, or joint pain. Abdus-Saboor is also focused on ensuring that science is explored by a highly diverse team in terms of race and gender. He also focuses on motivating his team to do their best work, lauding them on social media on a regular basis.

Chantell Evans, another Scholar and assistant professor at Duke University, is poised to combat neurodegenerative diseases. By studying healthy nerve cells and cells from individuals with neurodegenerative diseases, she hopes to discover how neurons perform important quality control and how these pathways may compensate for one another in disease backgrounds. According to Evans, “It is especially meaningful to get an award that honors Dr. Hrabowski, who has made exceptional contributions to the advancement of underrepresented scientists.” She added, “I look forward to continuing to work with HHMI, and I am encouraged by their commitment to diversifying science.”

Elizabeth “Liz” Johnson, an assistant professor at Cornell University, was also named a Freeman Hrabowski Scholar. Her research focuses on gut bacteria — the kind that can lead to the “optimal development of infant immunity and digestion.” She wants to know which “specific nutrients promote the development of the infant gut microbiome and how the microbial transformation of dietary inputs impacts infant health.” Johnson is hoping that this information will help parents and other caregivers to make better and more informed decisions about what to feed their infants to support lifelong microbiome-dependent health.

Across the Freeman Hrabowski Scholars there is great hope for solving some of the world’s most pressing scientific problems. The extensive fellowship will bolster opportunities for a highly talented and diverse group of Scholars, allowing them the freedom to pursue their dreams and to cultivate a diverse team to join in this important scientific work.

A list of the 31 Freeman Hrabowski Scholars is on the left.