Meet the fellows
This program provides up to two years of funding to the most promising PhD students.
Selected by Harvard Medical School leadership, the fellows are also enrolled in the Therapeutics Graduate Program (TGP), a new curriculum that focuses on pharmacology, toxicology, and drug discovery, emphasizing research in both HMS labs and real-world internships.
Amerria M. Causey, MS
Virology PhD Program
My research focuses on the fascinating intersection of the vaginal microbiome and Herpes Simplex virology. Specifically, I am investigating how Lactobacillus-dominated communities in the vaginal microbiome correlate with reduced genital herpes acquisition and fewer instances of viral reactivation. This work aims to identify anti-herpetic compounds produced by Lactobacillus bacteria, offering promising new avenues for antiviral therapies. I am working in the Knipe Lab at Harvard Medical School and the Gopinath Lab at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Where are you from, where did you study prior to this, and what brought you to HMS?
I am from Hollandale, Mississippi—a small town located in the heart of the Mississippi Delta. I completed my Bachelor of Science degree in biology at Jackson State University, and I went on to complete my Master of Science at Towson University. It was during my master’s degree that I was introduced to virology research, which inspired me to apply to the virology program at Harvard.
How does your research hold promise for therapeutic innovation?
By leveraging the natural capabilities of beneficial bacteria, my goal is to develop innovative treatment approaches that could transform how we manage various viral infections.
What was your reaction when you learned you were named a Fujifilm Fellow?
I was absolutely elated to get the news! I immediately dropped a screenshot of the email in my lab’s Slack channel. They were all so immensely proud, and we celebrated with cheesecake (my favorite)!
Jessica Chen
Virology PhD Program
I am a fourth-year graduate student in Duane Wesemann’s lab at Harvard Medical School. The Wesemann Lab utilizes mouse models, molecular and cellular biology, transcriptomics, and computation to study fundamental questions in B cell biology. My research is focused on evaluating the structural stability of structurally divergent antibodies - namely variable lymphocyte receptors (VLRs) and immunoglobulins.
Where are you from, where did you study prior to this, and what brought you to HMS?
I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. At the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM), I studied Molecular Cell Biology and Studio Art. For my Honors Thesis, I studied luciferase and opsins in bioluminescent zooplanktons. After graduating from UHM, I was a postbaccalaureate fellow at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), where I characterized and developed vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
How does your research hold promise for therapeutic innovation?
My research focuses on evaluating the biophysical features of antibodies that allow antibodies to maintain structural integrity through mutation. This can provide valuable information for biologics stability and design.
What was your reaction when you learned you were named a Fujifilm Fellow?
I was deeply honored and excited when I first learned I was named a Fujifilm Fellow. Immediately, I screenshot the notification email and send it to Duane to share my excitement! I am excited about the opportunities the fellowship would bring to further my work and contributions to the community.
Winiffer D. Conce Alberto
Immunology PhD Program
My dissertation project focuses on the design and validation of a lentiviral antigen-specific targeting approach to deliver the lineage-defining gene, FOXP3, to pathogenic T cells responsible for orchestrating the disease pathology associated with Celiac disease. My scientific interests lie in infectious diseases, cancer immunology, and T cell biology. I am a PhD student in Stephanie Dougan’s lab at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Where are you from, where did you study prior to this, and what brought you to HMS?
I was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to New York City at a young age. I later moved to the Hudson Valley, New York, for my Bachelor of Science in molecular and cellular biology. As an undergraduate student, I participated in multiple research projects primarily focused on studying infections in multinucleated eukaryotes. Post-graduation, I became a technician in an HIV research lab at Weill Cornell Medicine, where I became interested in immunology. I decided to join Harvard Medical School for my PhD in immunology because of the highly collaborative environment and wide range of immunology topics being studied.
How does your research hold promise for therapeutic innovation?
In delivering these FOXP3 pathogenic T cells, I aim to generate functionally suppressive antigen-specific regulatory T cells capable of suppressing the immunogenic response to gluten. My research aims to expand our understanding of T cell resistance to immune suppression and provides a novel therapeutic approach using antigen-specific adoptive cell therapy to combat celiac disease.
What was your reaction when you learned you were named a Fujifilm Fellow?
Upon learning I was a recipient of the fellowship, I was both ecstatic and honored. I am grateful to have been chosen and know that the support provided by the Fujifilm fellowship contributes immensely to the success of therapeutic innovations here at HMS.
Frank Obeng Addae
Biological Sciences in Public Health PhD program
I am a third-year PhD student in Professor Manoj Duraisingh's lab in the Immunology and Infectious Diseases Department at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. My research is focused on exploring Plasmodium epigenetic factors as novel targets for antimalarial drugs.
Where are you from, where did you study prior to this, and what brought you to HMS?
I am originally from Ghana, West Africa. I did my undergraduate studies in biochemistry and cell and molecular biology at the University of Ghana and conducted my thesis work on Plasmodium falciparum. I developed a deep passion for malaria research during my thesis work, and thus, I decided to apply to Harvard University for my PhD to study the disease further. I was drawn to the BPH Program at Harvard because of the significant number of faculty doing malaria research. I saw the environment as a great place to be trained and contribute to the fight against malaria.
How does your research hold promise for therapeutic innovation?
Malaria is a significant public health challenge. It is one of the leading causes of death of children under five years in Africa, where I come from. With the emergence of resistance against the current antimalarial drugs, there is a need to identify new antimalarials with novel mechanisms of action and less susceptibility to resistance. So, for my PhD, I am interested in exploring some of the less studied Plasmodium epigenetic factors as novel targets for antimalarial drugs. I hope to identify new molecular targets in the Plasmodium parasite for which new therapeutics could be developed.
What was your reaction when you learned you were named a Fujifilm Fellow?
When I first learned about the Fujifilm Fellowship, I eagerly desired to become a fellow. On December 31, 2023, I wrote a prayer to be nominated for the fellowship. So, when I saw the email, it was a dream come true for me. However, I was still very surprised. I am deeply grateful to Fujifilm and the Therapeutics Graduate Program for this honor. As an international student with limited fellowship opportunities, I am delighted and honored to receive this prestigious fellowship. It motivates me to keep working harder and believing that my dreams are valid regardless of my background.
Timothy O’Meara
Chemical Biology PhD Program
I am a third-year PhD student in Phil Cole’s laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. My research interests center around serine/threonine protein kinases, with a focus on developing chemical rescue as a tool for rapid induction of kinase activity to study downstream kinase signaling and identify novel kinase-substrate relationships.
Where are you from, where did you study prior to this, and what brought you to HMS?
I grew up in Plano, Texas, and moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, for my undergraduate studies at Harvard, where I studied chemistry. During college, I worked in two laboratories, where I studied the genetics of neurofibromatosis type 1 and developed new tools for control of protein glycosylation. After college, I worked as a research assistant in a laboratory at Boston Children’s Hospital, where I developed and evaluated COVID-19 vaccines using mouse models. I came to HMS because of the breadth and depth of research opportunities and the collaborative research community, which will help me grow my scientific abilities.
How does your research hold promise for therapeutic innovation?
Kinase signaling is dysregulated in many disease areas, ranging from cancers to neurodegeneration to cardiovascular disease. As a result, kinase inhibitors have become a prominent class of drugs both in development and in the clinic. However, despite the importance of kinases in cell biology and disease, most identified cellular phosphorylation events cannot be attributed to a specific kinase. My work aims to develop and implement a new method for kinase-substrate profiling, improving our understanding of kinase signaling and allowing for the identification of potential new drug targets associated with these kinases of interest.
What was your reaction when you learned you were named a Fujifilm Fellow?
I was surprised and excited to be selected for this fellowship. I’m extremely grateful to Fujifilm and the Therapeutics Graduate Program for establishing this program and allowing me to be a part of it. I look forward to continuing my research under their support.
Nancy K. Pohl
Biological Sciences in Public Health
I am a fourth-year PhD student in Naama Kanarek’s lab at Boston's Children’s Hospital. I study the cellular signaling and metabolic response to one-carbon metabolism perturbation in erythroid cells.
Where are you from, where did you study prior to this, and what brought you to HMS?
I am from Houston, TX. I did my undergraduate studies at Mount Holyoke College and worked as a research assistant in the Blackwell Lab at the Joslin Diabetes Center before joining my PhD program.
How does your research hold promise for therapeutic innovation?
While antifolate therapies are given to patients with some cancers or with autoimmune diseases, the effects of folate deprivation at the cellular level are not well described. My project can improve our understanding of the signaling pathways essential for cellular survival during one-carbon metabolism perturbation via folate deprivation.
What was your reaction when you learned you were named a Fujifilm Fellow?
I am thrilled and honored to be named a Fujifilm Fellow. I am grateful to Fujifilm for their support of my dissertation research and of therapeutics-driven innovation at Harvard.
Fabian Suri-Payer
Molecules, Cells and Organisms (MCO) PhD Program
I am a rising third-year PhD student in Anna Greka’s laboratory at the Broad Insitute. My research focuses on the protein trafficking and accumulation of mutant SERPINA1, which causes the genetic disorder alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD). I also aim to develop a therapeutic strategy for a possible treatment of AATD based on my findings.
Where are you from, where did you study prior to this, and what brought you to HMS?
I grew up in Heidelberg and Hannover, Germany. I moved to the United States to pursue my undergraduate degree in biochemistry (and minor in chemistry) at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. At UMass, I spent 1.5 years studying the heat stress response in the plant model Arabidopsis thaliana in the context of protein misfolding and chaperone activity of small heat shock proteins and how we could leverage these findings to agriculture in a global warming crisis. At Harvard University, I am able to combine the training of MCO in studying the mechanisms of basic biology with the expertise in human medicine, diseases, and therapeutic development found in TGP and the rest of HMS to develop myself as a researcher at the forefront of future therapeutic development.
How does your research hold promise for therapeutic innovation?
My research into the trafficking and accumulation of alpha-1 antitrypsin in disease holds promise for identifying new therapeutic targets to abrogate the disease-causing accumulation of misfolded protein. My work focuses on TMED cargo receptors, which have been implicated in other protein accumulation diseases. Developing a TMED-targeting strategy could allow for the development of therapeutics not only for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency but possibly a larger slew of rare genetic diseases lacking therapies.
What was your reaction when you learned you were named a Fujifilm Fellow?
I was just returning from vacation and actually thinking of reaching out to the Therapeutics Graduate Program management to learn more about the Fujifilm Fellowship when I got the news. I was very positively surprised!