Winners of the 2022 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists announced

Three national laureates – a neurobiologist from UCLA, a synthetic chemist from Caltech and a biomedical and mechanical engineer from Harvard – will each receive $250,000

NEW YORK, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences announced today a neurobiologist, a synthetic chemist and a mechanical engineer as the laureates of the 2022 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists.

Each will receive $250,000, the largest unrestricted scientific award for America’s most innovative, young faculty-ranked scientists and engineers. The winners and their distinguished research:

• Elaine Y. Hsiao, Ph.D., a neurobiologist at the University of California, Los Angeles for discoveries that expand the understanding of how the gut microbiome – the community of microorganisms that live in intestines – interacts with the nervous system. Her work could help improve maternal-fetal health and predict risk for neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Hosea M. Nelson, Ph.D., a synthetic chemist at the California Institute of Technology, for developing a technique that will help organic chemists design and synthesize new molecules. Nelson has pioneered microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED) as a tool to determine the positions of atoms within small molecules with unprecedented detail. Resulting insights can help accelerate development of new drugs and commercial chemicals.
• Conor Walsh, Ph.D., a biomedical and mechanical engineer at Harvard University, for reshaping how humans can interact with machines through the development of a new class of lightweight, flexible and soft wearable robot technologies. This could dramatically improve mobility for disabled people, including people with ALS and those who have experienced a stroke.

“This award was created to inspire and encourage young, talented scientists to take risks and push the boundaries of science. We admire the laureates’ dedication and tenacity and look forward to many more future discoveries,” said Len Blavatnik, founder and chairman of Access Industries. He is head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation and a member of the President’s Council of the New York Academy of Sciences.  

Nicholas B. Dirks, president and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences, said, “This year’s laureates have each conducted research that will benefit human health. Major developments in science and medicine are usually the result of major investments in research. We thank the Blavatnik Family Foundation for its generous philanthropic support of early-career scientists with this prestigious award.”

The 2022 Blavatnik National Awards competition received 309 nominees from 150 research institutions across 38 states. Laureates must be faculty-level scientific researchers, 42 years of age or younger.

Three independent juries – one each for life sciences, chemistry and physical sciences and engineering – were composed of some of America’s most distinguished scientists.

The juries selected the winners from a group of 31 finalists named earlier this month. More details on the laureates’ research can be found here for Hsiao, Nelson and Walsh.

The Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists will celebrate the 2022 laureates and finalists in a ceremony on Sept. 19 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

The Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists, established by the Blavatnik Family Foundation in 2007 and independently administered by the New York Academy of Sciences, began by identifying outstanding regional scientific talent in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The Blavatnik National Awards were first awarded in 2014 and expanded in 2017 to honor faculty-rank scientists in the UK and Israel. By the end of 2022, the Blavatnik Awards will have awarded prizes totaling $13.6 million. Visit blavatnikawards.org for further information.

The Blavatnik Family Foundation is an active supporter of world-renowned educational, scientific, cultural and charitable institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel and other countries. The foundation is headed by Len Blavatnik, a businessman, philanthropist and founder and chairman of Access Industries, a privately held industrial group based in the U.S. with global strategic interests. Visit www.accessindustries.com or www.blavatnikfoundation.org for more information.

The New York Academy of Sciences is an independent, not-for-profit organization that has been committed to advancing science for the benefit of society since 1817. With more than 20,000 members in 100 countries, the Academy advances scientific and technical knowledge, addresses global challenges with science-based solutions and sponsors a wide variety of educational initiatives at all levels for STEM and STEM-related fields. The Academy hosts programs and publishes content in the life and physical sciences, the social sciences, nutrition, artificial intelligence, computer science and sustainability. The Academy also provides professional and educational resources for researchers across all phases of their careers. Please visit us online at www.nyas.org.

Media contact
Kamala Murthy, kmurthy@nyas.org, 212-298-3740

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SOURCE New York Academy of Sciences