The PhRMA Foundation congratulates our 2023 award recipients in the areas of drug discovery, drug delivery, translational medicine, and value assessment and health outcomes research. The Foundation awarded 40 researchers a total of $3 million in 2023 fellowships and grants.
The awards include predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships, and early- and mid-career faculty grants. Predoctoral fellowships provide $25,000 a year for up to two years. Postdoctoral fellowships provide $60,000 a year for two years. Faculty grants provide $100,000 for one year.
Drug Discovery
Predoctoral Fellowships
Sarah Bernhard
Washington University
in St. Louis
Project: Structure, Function and Pharmacology of Delta Opioid Receptor Bitopics
Rhashanda Haywood
University of Maryland,
Eastern Shore
Project: Early Drug Discovery of Novel Meta-substituted N-benzamide Enaminones as Potential Anti-seizure Agents
Aakanksha Rajiv Kapoor
Weill Medical College
of Cornell University
Project: Determine Mechanisms by Which Club Cell Factor/s Inhibit Myeloid-derived Suppressor Cells to Increase Efficacy of Immunotherapy in Lung Cancer
Made Harumi Padmaswari
University of Arkansas
Project: Targeted Genome Integration Strategies in Novel Safe-Harbor Sites for DMD
Jacqueline Plau
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Project: Expansion of the First-in-Class Drug Candidates Targeting Cellular Retinol-binding Protein 1
Katelyn Reeb
Drexel University
College of Medicine
Project: Positive Allosteric Modulation of EAAT2 for the Treatment of Neurological Disorders
Kinza Rizwan
Baylor College of Medicine
Project: Development of a First-in-class Inhibitor of SPOP to Suppress Highly Aggressive Prostate Cancer
Claire Shudde
University of Michigan
Project: Development of STAT Activators to Enhance T-cell Therapie
Postdoctoral Fellowships
Lydie Debaize, PhD
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Project: Targeting the Persister States in Indolent Lymphomas
Yongbin Liu, PhD
Houston Methodist Research Institute
Project: Discovery of Macromolecular Pt-based Drugs to Eradicate Chemo-resistant Cancer and Improve Cancer Immunotherapy
Piyusha Pagare, PhD
Virginia Commonwealth University
Project: Mu-opioid Receptor Modulators to Counteract Synthetic Opioids
Melanie Uguen, PhD
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Project: Multimodal Approaches for the Development of SETDB1-targeting Cancer Treatment
Joshua Walker, PhD
University of California, Berkeley
Project: Protein-Natural Product Chimeras for Protease-resistant Antibody Therapies
Faculty Starter Grant
Swarup Mitra, PhD, MSc
Marshall University Research Corporation
Project: Novel Psychoplastogen Therapeutics in Alleviating Oxycodone Abuse
Drug Delivery
Predoctoral Fellowships
Neil Baugh
Stanford University
Project: Cell and Protein Codelivery with Drug-Loaded Liposome-Hydrogels
Cynthia Choi
University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center
Project: Immunomostimulatory Effects of Low Dose Radiolabeled Monoclonal Antibody Dinutuximab in Preclinical Studies
Leora Goldbloom-Helzner
University of California, Davis
Project: Engineered EVs for Improved Spinal Cord Injury Targeting and Regeneration
Cydney M. Martell
Northwestern University
Project: High-throughput Discovery of the Determinants of Stress-induced Aggregation in Miniproteins for Hyper-stable Therapeutic Design
Vladimir Molchanov
Van Andel Research Institute
Project: Developing SEEK&HEAL Technology for Targeted Stem Cell Therapy of Degenerative Diseases
Postdoctoral Fellowship
Rogerio A. Bataglioli, PhD, Virginia Tech
Project: Microbial Gene Delivery for the Modulation of the Gut Microbiota
Faculty Starter Grants
Ashlee Brunaugh, PhD
University of Michigan
Project: Development of Repurposed Adjuvant Studded Particles to Enhance Inhaled Antibiotic Activity Against Extensively Drug Resistant Pathogens
Fatima Rivas, PhD
Louisiana State University
Project: Development of Drug Delivery Methods for Terpenoid Compounds
Kevin Yehl, PhD
Miami University
Project: A Generalizable Biomineralization Strategy for Improving Formulation and Delivery of Phage Therapies
Translational Medicine
(Awardee photos coming soon)
Postdoctoral Fellowships
Christina Michalski, PhD Emory University
Project: Understanding the Role of Neuroinflammation in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome
Nir Pillar, MD, PhD
University of California, Los Angeles
Project: Investigation of Amyloidosis Using Label-Free Microscopy
Jake Rhodes, PhD
Emory University
Project: Inflammatory Plasma Cytokines & Chemokines as Predictors of HIV Acquisition Susceptibility
Faculty Starter Grants
Shengqing (Stan) Gu, PhD
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Project: Novel Approach to Sensitize Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) to Immunotherapy
Liangliang Hao, PhD
Boston University
Project: CRISPR-Cas-Amplified Biomarkers for Disease Detection and Monitoring at the Point of Care
Value Assessment-Health Outcomes Research
(Awardee photos coming soon)
Predoctoral Fellowships
Christopher Cadham, MPH
University of Michigan
Project: Incorporating Equity Considerations into the Cost-Effectiveness of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems for Smoking Cessation through the Elicitation of Direct Equity Weights
Ruiqi Jin, RN, MSN
Emory University
Project: Theory-based Analysis of Financial Toxicity in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Survivors
Karlon Johnson, MPH
University of Miami
Project: The Effect of Discharge Education on Post-Stroke Outcomes in the Transitions of Care Disparities Study
Ding Quan (Quinton) Ng
University of California, Irvine
Project: Value Assessment of ACUpuncture analGESia In Cancer: A Real-World Data Analysis (ACU-GESIC)
Helen Omuya, MPA
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Project: Deprescribing Intervention Quality Improvement (DIQI) Instrument
Huilin Tang, MS
University of Florida
Project: Newer Glucose-Lowering Drugs and Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia
Stephanie Zawada, MS
Mayo Clinic
Project: In Situ Mood Monitoring after Transient Ischemic Attack
Faculty Starter Grants
Kelly Anderson, PhD, MPP
University of Colorado, Denver
Project: Improving the Measurement of the Effects of Prior Authorization Policies
Norah Crossnohere, PhD
The Ohio State University
Project: Evaluating Racial Differences in Preferences for Multi-Cancer Early Detection Tests (MCEDs)
Jarratt Pytell, MD
University of Colorado, Denver
Project: Association of Nonprescribed Buprenorphine Use with Opioid-Related Outcomes Using Near Real-Time, Nationally Representative Data
Mid-Career Faculty Grants
Surachat Ngorsuraches, PhD
Auburn University
Project: Incorporating Equity and Efficiency Considerations in a Preference-Based Value Assessment
Karen Mulligan, PhD
University of Southern California
Project: Patient Preferences for Risk over Health and Willingness to Pay for Treatments for Diabetic Macular Edema: An Application of Generalized Risk-Adjusted Cost-Effectiveness (GRACE)