Today, the Pew Charitable Trusts announced that four UC Berkeley researchers will be recognized as 2025 Pew Scholars. The early-career biomedical scientists will receive multi-year research grants and join a rich network of more than 1,000 Pew-funded scientists.
Ana Paula Arruda and Cara Brook — an assistant professor of nutritional science and toxicology and an assistant professor of integrative biology, respectively — were selected as two of the 22 Pew Scholars in the Biomedical Sciences. Arruda will explore how cells reprogram their metabolism by reorganizing subcellular architecture, while Brook will design vaccines to immunize wild bats against viruses that can be transmitted to the human population. Pew Biomedical Scholars receive four years of funding to uncover fundamental insights about human health and disease.
Iain Clark, an assistant professor of bioengineering, was selected as one of five Pew-Stewart Scholars for Cancer Research. Clark will examine the genetic underpinnings of mixed phenotype acute leukemia, one of the most lethal and poorly understood forms of the disease. Pew-Stewart Scholars receive four-year grants to conduct innovative research projects spanning cancer development, diagnosis, and treatment.
Alex Inague, a postdoctoral researcher in James Olzmann’s lab, was selected as one of 10 Pew Latin American Fellows. Inague will investigate the molecular pathways involved in the metabolism of selenium, an essential mineral, and evaluate their potential as therapeutic targets in cancer. He will receive two years of funding to conduct research in the United States. Pew Latin American Fellows who choose to return to Latin America to launch their own research labs will receive additional funding, helping to cultivate a robust biomedical research community in Latin America.
“This new group of fellows embodies the curiosity and talent driving scientific innovation today,” said Eva Nogales, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at UC Berkeley and the national advisory committee chair for the Pew Latin American Fellows Program in the Biomedical Sciences. “I look forward to watching where their efforts lead.”
