2021 Michelson Prizes Push New Frontiers in Human Immunology

LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michelson Medical Research Foundation and the Human Vaccines Project are pleased to announce the winners of the 2021 Michelson Prizes: Next Generation Grants.

The $150,000 grants are awarded annually to early career innovators who apply disruptive research to advance human immunology, vaccine discovery, and immunotherapy.

The winners are Dr. Camila Consiglio, postdoctoral researcher at Karolinska Institutet; Dr. Rong Ma, postdoctoral fellow at Emory University; and Dr. Nicholas Wu, assistant professor at the University of Illinois.

The pandemic has provided a dramatic illustration of the importance of cutting-edge research on human immunology and vaccines.

"We need disruptive thinkers and doers who dare to change the trajectory of the world for the better," says Dr. Gary Michelson, founder, and co-chair of the Michelson Medical Research Foundation. "Yet promising young researchers too often lack the opportunities, resources, and freedom to explore their bold ideas. With the Michelson Prizes, we aim to provide early-career investigators a vital boost for their forward-thinking approaches."

The winners were selected by a committee of internationally recognized scientists who reviewed their proposals.

"It is inspiring to see their passion for innovation and their courage to think out of the box," said Dr. Wayne Koff, CEO and president of the Human Vaccines Project. "I look forward to their future breakthrough discoveries and how their research can contribute to the Human Vaccines Project's mission of developing the first AI model of human immunity."

The Michelson Prizes will be awarded March 10 at the HVP Global Lab.

Applications open April 1. Click here to learn more.

About the #MichelsonPrizes Winners

Camilia Consiglio, Karolinska Institutet

Dr. Consiglio's research provides a novel approach to understanding differences in human immune responses between sexes by studying individuals undergoing sex-re-assignment therapy with sex hormone treatment. Her research could offer insights on the sex-differences in immune responses and help optimize vaccine strategies and immunomodulatory therapies.

Rong Ma, Emory University

Dr. Ma's research is based on novel mechanotechnology which measures and interprets the mechanical forces involved in the human immune system, which could greatly advance personalized cancer treatment.

Nicholas Wu, University of Illinois

Dr. Wu's research attempts to interpret the complexity of the human antibody repertoire, by establishing a sequence-based approach for epitope prediction. Dr. Wu's research sits at the convergence of high-throughput biology, molecular biology, structural immunology, and bioinformatics.

Press Contact:
Eddie North-Hager / 213-220-1806 / [email protected]

SOURCE Michelson Medical Research Foundation