Biomedical researchers need strong scientific communication skills to combat rising skepticism and misinformation. Robust communication skills also help secure funding, support recruitment of research staff and study participants, and increase the impact of research findings on human health. Yet few researchers are afforded the opportunity to formally build these skills. The Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation and HRiA recently embarked on an innovative approach to address the communications challenge researchers face.
Since 1991, the Smith Family Foundation has supported 218 scientists with research funding totaling $50.4 million. HRiA has partnered with the Foundation since the inception of this work, providing expert grantmaking and biomedical research consulting to optimize their investments and impact. In 2021, the Smith Family Foundation asked us to ideate new methods of researcher support, beyond financial grants. This inquiry led to the launch of a foundational communications training initiative. Through targeted scientific communications training and coaching, this endeavor equipped researchers with skills to convey their scientific ideas in clear and engaging ways. This project resulted in the production of a compelling, professional video for the researchers. The videos feature each researcher using their elevated communication skills to shine further light on the significance of their work.
We are thrilled to present the first cohort of videos featuring the Smith Family Foundation’s early-career biomedical grant recipients. These videos showcase the talent and groundbreaking research undertaken by these exceptional researchers. UPDATE 6/4/24: We added videos from the second cohort.
Excellence Awardees
The mission of the Smith Family Awards Program for Excellence in Biomedical Research is to launch the careers of newly independent biomedical researchers with the goal of achieving medical breakthroughs. Excellence awardees explore fundamental questions about biology using approaches spanning disciplines such as biology, physics, chemistry, computer science, and engineering.
Alleviating antifungal resistance to strengthen agricultural resiliency
Sibongile Mafu, PhD, 2018 Excellence Awardee
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts – Amherst
Fungal diseases are a growing threat to plants, animals, and humans in a myriad of ways. Dr. Sibongile Mafu wants to understand how plants adapt to their changing environments and use that knowledge to ensure the sustainability of our food system. “Understanding that enables us to be able to build more resilient plants that are going to be able to adapt to the different climate changes and other challenges we may be facing.”
Find out more about Dr. Mafu’s work.
Investigating the boundaries of biology by observing shapeshifting parasites
Lillian Fritz-Laylin, PhD, 2019 Excellence Awardee
Associate Professor of Biology, University of Massachusetts – Amherst
According to Dr. Lillian Fritz-Laylin, over 99% of organisms in our world are underexplored. She and her lab are evaluating the shapeshifting mechanisms of two specific parasites to find out if existing scientific knowledge applies to these parasites—or if they are governed by a completely different set of rules. “We get to see something that nobody’s ever seen before. It’s intoxicating.”
Watch Dr. Fritz-Laylin’s pitch for parasites.
Determining the trajectory of COVID-19 pathology via nasal swab
José Ordovás-Montañés, PhD, 2019 Excellence Awardee
Research Faculty, Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children’s Hospital
Dr. José Ordovás-Montañés and his colleagues did not know that they would be studying SARS-COV-2 when this work began, as it didn’t yet exist. Their work evolved to study the differences in the nasal cells collected through the nasopharyngeal swabs used to diagnose COVID-19 infections, yielding fascinating results.
Learn about Dr. Ordovás-Montañés’ discoveries.
Using microbes to prevent and treat disease
Babak Momeni, PhD, 2017 Excellence Awardee
Assistant Professor of Microbial Systems Biology, Boston College
Not all microbes are disease-carrying enemies, according to Dr. Babak Momeni. From bench science to mathematical modeling, his lab is exploring microbial interactions and how they might be useful in the prevention and treatment of antibiotic resistant illnesses.
Hear how Dr. Momeni and colleagues are figuring it out.
Investigating the intricacies of cancer cell division
Amity L. Manning, PhD, 2017 Excellence Awardee
Associate Professor, Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
“There’s still so much we don’t understand about how cells divide,” says Dr. Amity Manning. She and her colleagues are working to understand the details of cell division as well as how this process goes awry. Their findings could inform the development of powerful cancer therapies.
Learn about cell division from Dr. Manning.
Understanding the human brain through the neural patterns of fruit flies
James Jeanne, PhD, 2019 Excellence Awardee
Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, Yale University
Dr. James Jeanne believes that the future is bright for people who have lost brain function. His lab is striving to break the “neural code,” making it possible to interface with the brain. And they’re doing it by examining the neural networks of fruit flies.
Discover what drives Dr. Jeanne.
Transforming treatment for drug-resistant cancer
Bryan Q. Spring, PhD, 2017 Excellence Awardee
Professor of Biomedical Physics, Northeastern University
Professor Spring’s calm approach impacts both the energy in his interdisciplinary lab and his vision for the future of oncology.
Addressing allergic disease at the cellular level
Gowthaman Uthaman, PhD, 2021 Excellence Awardee
Assistant Professor of Pathology, UMass Chan Medical School
Could the future be one without severe allergic disease? Gowthaman Uthaman thinks so. “Our lab has discovered a cell type that is present in those severe allergic individuals that is not present in the general population,” explains Dr. Uthaman. He and his colleagues were then able to remove those cells in mouse models. Their findings could lead to better treatment and prevention of allergic disease.
Discover Dr. Uthaman’s passion for immunology.
Unearthing the secrets of DNA
Seychelle Vos, PhD, 2021 Excellence Awardee
Assistant Professor of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Freeman Hrabowki Scholar
How do all our cells use the same DNA sequence and yet end up so varied? Seychelle Vos and her colleagues are investigating this fundamental question of biology. They hypothesize that understanding how DNA works can lead to the development of targeted therapeutics for developmental disorders and cancers. “There’s so much that we don’t understand,” says Dr. Vos, “and every time we gain a little bit more knowledge, we just realize there’s a lot more out there that we have to learn.”
Break the DNA code with the Vos lab.
Investigating cellular aging in people with Type II Diabetes
Cristina Aguayo-Mazzucato, MD, PhD, 2021 Excellence Awardee
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Assistant Investigator, Joslin Diabetes Center
Researchers in the lab of Cristina Aguayo-Mazzucato have demonstrated that people with type 2 diabetes experience an accelerated rate of cellular aging. However, according to Dr. Aguayo-Mazzucato, “exercise is a very effective way to render cells to function with a younger profile.” Her lab seeks to understand the accelerated aging process of people with type 2 diabetes. Eventually, these findings may translate to clinical applications that can slow or reverse the aging process.
Explore the science of aging with Dr. Aguayo-Mazzucato.
The science of sight
Liang Liang, PhD, 2021 Excellence Awardee
Assistant Professor Neuroscience, Yale University
After seeing an optical illusion in high school, Dr. Liang Liang became curious about how the brain processes visual information. “[It] takes multiple stages of visual processing in the brain to gradually combine…simple features into something more complex and meaningful.” Her lab aims to understand visual computation to support the development of treatments for conditions like blindness.
Odyssey Awardees
The Smith Family Foundation Odyssey Award was created in 2017 to fuel creativity and innovation in junior investigators in the early-stage research. The Award supports the pursuit of high impact ideas to generate breakthroughs and drive new directions in biomedical research. Odyssey awards fund high-risk, high-reward pilot projects solicited from junior faculty in the Greater Boston area.
Investigating how mechanical forces regulate the function of proteins
Wesley P. Wong, PhD, 2019 Odyssey Awardee
Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School
“My lab develops ways to look at, visualize, and manipulate molecules in order to understand how they work and how they fail with disease,” says Dr. Wesley Wong. Their findings may lead to new treatments for a variety of diseases, including cancer and diabetes.
Discover Dr. Wong’s innovative approach.
Examining how the brain-gut connection relates to digestive disorders
Meenakshi Rao, MD, PhD, 2020 Odyssey Awardee
Boston Children’s Hospital
The digestive system has its very own branch of the nervous system. Dr. Meenakshi Rao’s lab aims to expand our understanding of how it works to inform the diagnosis and treatment of digestive disorders. “My hope is that we can build on some of these observations we’re making in the lab and apply them to advancing human health in very tangible ways.”
Exploring how nature optimizes cellular function
Gene-Wei Li, PhD, 2016 Excellence Awardee and 2020 Odyssey Awardee
Associate Professor of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
“Oftentimes, what makes a cell have a disease is the amount of proteins that are dysregulated,” says Dr. Gene-Wei Li. This is why he and his lab are working to glean information from genomic data to better understand protein production and cellular function.
The science of limb regeneration
Jessica Whited, PhD, 2013 Excellence Awardee and 2019 Odyssey Awardee
Assistant Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University
Over 2 million Americans have undergone limb loss. Nonetheless, prosthetic technology is still too limiting for Dr. Whited’s taste. Her lab’s study of salamanders could lead to the ultimate innovation—full limb regeneration.
Examining the cellular pathways by which zebrafish regenerate after injury
Jenna Galloway, PhD, 2021 Odyssey Awardee
Associate Professor of Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital
Why can a zebrafish, an organism with surprising similarities to humans, regenerate to their original form and function after injury, but a human cannot? Jenna Galloway and her colleagues aim to learn how. By identifying the differences in cell types and active pathways between zebrafish and mammals, the Galloway lab’s findings could lead to breakthroughs in orthopedic medicine.
Learn about zebrafish from Dr. Galloway.
Alleviating the impact of chronic parasitic infections
Sebastian Lourido, PhD, 2021 Odyssey Awardee
Associate Professor Biology, Whitehead Institute
In Sebastian Lourido’s native Colombia, infectious disease continues to be a major public health burden and barrier to development. By studying the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, Dr. Lourido and his colleagues have identified the process by which a parasitic infection transitions from acute to chronic. The Lourido lab is working to reverse the infection back to the treatable acute state “not only to impact global health, but to understand new fundamental aspects of biology.”
Talk Toxoplasma with Dr. Lourido.
Researching the rise of allergic and autoimmune disease
Andrew Wang, MD/PhD, AB, 2021 Odyssey Awardee
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine (Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology), Yale University
So many more people experience allergic and autoimmune disease today than in the past, and Andrew Wang and his colleagues want to find out why. The Wang lab is exploring the immune system response to changes in our environment, including sleep, food, and stress. “When we published our acute stress story,” Dr. Wang explains, “a lot of patients felt very validated that what they were experiencing, [that] there was some explanation for it.” The results of this research are likely to introduce new therapeutic possibilities.
The neuroscience of nurture in mammalian development
Marcelo Dietrich, PhD, 2021 Odyssey Awardee
Associate Professor of Comparative Medicine, Yale University
What role does nurture play in early mammalian development? Marcelo Dietrich is investigating the brain mechanisms that connect an infant and their caretaker. “Understanding early life,” says Dr. Dietrich, “can help us understand our own health and the long-term impact that early childhood has on human health.”
Embark on a journey of discovery with Dr. Dietrich.
Taking control of infectious disease transmission
Lydia Bourouiba, PhD, 2018 Odyssey Awardee
Associate Professor, The Fluid Dynamics of Disease Transmission Laboratory, Fluids and Health Network, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Existing mental models of how pathogens move from host to host while remaining virulent are outdated, according to Lydia Bourouiba. Using an interdisciplinary approach, she and her colleagues seek to shift the paradigm of understanding of the spread of infectious disease. The ultimate goal of their research is to “stop the transmission of infectious diseases and develop tools to tackle the path of transmission from one host to the other.”
Learn about Dr. Bourouiba’s approach.
The Smith Family Awards Program for Excellence in Biomedical Research and the Smith Family Foundation Odyssey Awards continue to launch careers and fuel creativity and innovation in early-career researchers. We are proud to showcase this innovative capacity building project and look forward to following the exciting research careers of these inspiring grantees.
