New England Biolabs® Announces 2026 Passion in Science Awards® Recipients

Eleven scientists have been recognized for their inspiring achievements in science mentorship, environmental stewardship, humanitarian efforts and the arts.

IPSWICH, Mass., Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- New England Biolabs, Inc. (NEB^®), today announced the winners of its fifth Passion in Science Awards, which recognizes scientists for contributions that enrich the arts, humanitarian service, environmental stewardship, and science mentorship. On October 7^th, 2026, NEB will host award recipients from around the world at its Ipswich, MA, US headquarters, where they will receive their awards and share their personal stories of success and inspiration.

Passion in Science awardee Kehinde Abereoje witnessed a combined lack of reproductive health education and resources among Nigerian women and girls in underserved communities. She applied her scientific background and founded an evidence-based and peer-led sexual and reproductive health education program to close this knowledge gap and promote autonomy.

Working at a school serving many rural, low-income students, awardee Professor Anne-Frances Miller saw that chemistry was a barrier to their success – so she redesigned her introductory course to provide an on-ramp instead. Her students now explore chemical concepts through hands-on projects with natural dyes, including from native plants and investigation of the chemistry at work in artisanal techniques.

Awardee Alexandra-Teodora Szabo recognized the challenges that graduate students face when pursuing a PhD in science, and founded a podcast titled PhD: The Experience to provide perspective on these struggles through meaningful discussions with peers.

"Scientists have unique opportunities to apply what they know to solve today's challenges in creative, thoughtful ways," said Salvatore Russello, Chief Executive Officer at NEB. "We're honored to recognize the accomplishments of this year's Passion in Science Awards recipients, and the values they embody: passion, humility, creativity and being genuine."

The full list of Passion in Science Awardees is as follows:

Category: Science Mentorship and Advocacy Award^®

• Richard O'Rorke (University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand):  co-led The DNA Drive (DNADRV) project, which explores the distribution and biodiversity of insects found in Aotearoa, New Zealand by swabbing for DNA traces that remain after insects collide with car number plates.
• Alexandra-Teodora Szabo (University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany): founder of the podcast PhD:The Experience, which provides real experiences, expert interviews & practical advice to help scientists navigate doctoral life and thrive in academia.
• Hemanshi Galaiya (The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia): founder of Young Stripes (YS), an organization that delivers practical STEM education, mentorship and science communication programs that empower underrepresented students to see STEM education and careers as accessible, fun, creative and transformative.

Category: Arts and Creativity Award^®

• Saurja DasGupta (University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN): Alongside collaborator, Argha Manna, Saurja developed the graphic novel and science-comics exhibition "A Pilgrimage to Life's Beginning", which combines scientific rigor with compelling narrative and accessible visual art to tell Life's origin story.
• Julianna "Jules" Ho (Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI): Creator of Charismatic Critter Club, which uses character design, storytelling, and worldbuilding to translate biodiversity and ecological relationships into imaginative, scientifically grounded experiences.
• Anne-Frances Miller (University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY): Developed courses that embed understanding of chemical concepts in practices of textile art, to engage rural and under-prepared students with hands-on projects that use dyes from native plants, and investigate artisanal traditions.
• Haolun (Allen) Tian (HZNU, China and Queen's University, Ontario, Canada): Creator of Algal Blooms: Aerial Brushstrokes, which captures the abstract beauty of algal blooms through drone photography. The project blends molecular ecology research with visual art to foster public environmental empathy and stewardship.

Category: Environmental Stewardship Award^®

• Homere Alves Monteiro (University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA): Conducted a population-genomic survey of ~1,000 Hypoponera ants across Madagascar, using low-cost whole-genome sequencing to delimit cryptic species and record an island fauna before deforestation erases it.
• Chukwudi Ikegwu (Howard University, Washington, D.C.): Advanced amphibian conservation in Nigeria using eDNA and bioacoustics to non-invasively monitor biodiversity, detect threatened species, and support sustainable ecosystem protection.

 Category: Humanitarian Duty Award^®

• Kehinde Abereoje (University of Oxford, Oxford, UK): Founder of Purple Pact Initiative, a non-profit that uses evidence-based and peer-led sexual and reproductive health education programs to close knowledge gap and promote autonomy among Nigerian women and girls in underserved communities.
• Rojelio Mejia M.D. (Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas): Founder of My Poverty and Parasite Nexus project, which mentors trainees and collaborators across countries to connect parasites, poverty, climate change, sanitation, and child health through science and advocacy.

More information on the winners will be available at www.neb.com/passioninscience following the event.

About New England Biolabs:

For over 50 years, New England Biolabs (NEB) has pioneered the discovery and production of innovative products tailored for molecular biology research. Our commitment to scientific discovery is evident in all that we do, including our ever-expanding product portfolio, investment in our basic and applied research program, and support of customers' research in academia and industry, including cutting-edge technologies for use in molecular diagnostics and nucleic-acid vaccines development. Guided by our founding principles, NEB proactively invests in efforts to improve the well-being of our employees, surrounding communities, as well as the future of our planet. NEB remains a privately held company with global reach, supported by our headquarters in Ipswich, MA, USA, subsidiary offices in 11 countries, and over 60 distribution partners around the world. For more information about New England Biolabs, visit www.neb.com.
NEB^®, NEW ENGLAND BIOLABS^®, PASSION IN SCIENCE AWARDS^®, SCIENCE MENTORSHIP AND ADVOCACY AWARD^®, ARTS AND CREATIVITY AWARD^®, ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARD^®, and HUMANITARIAN DUTY AWARD^® are registered trademarks of New England Biolabs, Inc.

SOURCE New England Biolabs, Inc.