Corey Allard, assistant professor of cell biology in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS, has been named a 2026 Vallee Scholar by the Vallee Foundation. The Vallee Scholarship recognizes early-career investigators whose pioneering research exemplifies the foundation’s mission to support innovative, curiosity-driven science with the potential to transform human health.
Allard’s lab investigates how evolution has shaped cells and molecules to generate the remarkable diversity of traits and behaviors found in nature. His lab uses unconventional model organisms — including unusual fish, sea slugs, jellyfish, and cephalopods — to uncover fundamental principles of physiology and reveal how new biological traits emerge.
Each Vallee Scholar receives $400,000 in funding over four years. Allard’s funding will support his research project “Mechanisms Governing Foreign Organelle Function in Animal Cells.”
Adapted from Vallee Foundation materials.
Christine and Jonathan Seidman are the recipients of the 2026 David and Beatrix Hamburg Award for Advances in Biomedical Research and Clinical Medicine from the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). The Seidmans were recognized for their fundamental contributions over the past three decades in the field of cardiovascular genetics that have advanced clinical management of genetic heart diseases.
Christine Seidman is the HMS Thomas W. Smith Professor of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Jonathan Seidman is the Henrietta B. and Frederick H. Bugher Foundation Professor of Genetics in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS.
Together, the Seidmans transformed the understanding and treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) by identifying genetic mutations that cause the disease, enabling gene-based diagnosis, new models for studying disease mechanisms, and advances in treatment. Their subsequent discoveries of factors that suppress HCM manifestations helped pave the way for a new class of drugs that has reduced symptoms for thousands of patients.
“Christine and Jonathan Seidman’s seminal discoveries in cardiovascular genetics have not only enabled the identification of genetic risk and vast improvement of care for people with heart muscle diseases but also established a foundation for developing genetic therapies,” said NAM President Monica Bertagnolli.
“The Seidmans’ groundbreaking research, coupled with their dedication to training and mentorship of the next generation of investigators in their lab, make them most deserving of this prestigious recognition,” Bertagnolli added.
The Seidmans will be recognized with a medal and a $50,000 prize at the NAM annual meeting in October in Washington.
Two early-career scientists from the HMS community are among the 18 finalists for the 2026 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists. Established in 2007 by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS), the award recognizes scientific advances made by researchers in the United States in life sciences, chemical sciences, and physical sciences and engineering. The three winning laureates will each be awarded $250,000 in unrestricted funding.
“The discoveries of the scientists we honor today remind us that investing in outstanding early-career researchers is essential to advance scientific progress, fuel innovation, and help ensure a better future for all people,” said Len Blavatnik, head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation.
The two finalists from HMS in the field of life sciences are:
- Edward Chouchani, HMS professor of cell biology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who was recognized for discovering how molecules produced when nutrients are broken down by cells act as signals to control fundamental biological processes, opening new paths to treat cancer and metabolic diseases.
- Ryan Flynn, associate professor of stem cell and regenerative biology at Harvard University and HMS assistant professor of pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital, who was recognized for uncovering a new class of RNA molecules on cell surfaces, reshaping scientific understanding of cell communication, immunity, and cancer.
The three 2026 Blavatnik National Awards Laureates will be announced on Oct. 6 at a ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
Adapted from Blavatnik Awards materials.
Two physician-scientists from the HMS community have been recognized with 2027 Laureate Awards from the Endocrine Society. Established in 1944, the Endocrine Society’s Laureate Awards recognize the highest achievements in the endocrinology field, including groundbreaking research and innovations in clinical care.
The two laureates from HMS are:
- Shalender Bhasin, HMS professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who will receive the Roy O. Greep Award for Outstanding Research. Bhasin was recognized for groundbreaking research that has transformed the understanding and clinical use of testosterone therapy. Through landmark clinical trials and fundamental discoveries in hormone biology, Bhasin established key standards for diagnosing and treating hypogonadism, clarified the benefits and risks of testosterone therapy, and advanced the development of new treatments for muscle loss associated with aging and disease. His influential research, clinical guidelines, and leadership have shaped endocrine practice worldwide and improved care for millions of patients.
- Stephanie Seminara, HMS professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, who will receive the Gerald D. Aurbach Award for Outstanding Translational Research. Seminara’s research utilizes genetics and novel peptide probes to generate novel insights into sexual maturation and develop new diagnostic tools for reproductive disorders. Her research focuses on hypothalamic pathways that control human reproduction, including the genetic architecture of human puberty and fertility.
Bhasin, Seminara, and their fellow laureates will be recognized at the Endocrine Society’s 2027 annual meeting in June in Toronto.
Adapted from Endocrine Society materials.
Timothy Springer, the HMS Latham Family Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Boston Children’s Hospital, has been named a 2026 Citation Laureate by Clarivate Plc. Springer and the other 21 laureates were recognized for their pioneering contributions that continue to shape science and society.
The Citation Laureate is considered a possible Nobel precursor: 89 Citation Laureates have gone on to win Nobel Prizes.
“The Citation Laureates program recognizes researchers whose discoveries demonstrate the extraordinary value of fundamental research,” said Bar Veinstein, president of academia and government at Clarivate.
“Many of the advances we honor this year, from GLP-1 medicines to precision gene editing and optical medical imaging, began as scientific questions explored decades ago. Today, they are improving lives, informing policy, and helping shape the future,” added Veinstein.
Springer was recognized for his research identifying key adhesion receptors in the immune system. He was the first to show that lymphocytes and leukocytes express adhesion molecules. He has since expanded that foundational work by investigating how these receptors interact and shift between structural states, using techniques including X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy, and laser-tweezer force spectroscopy.
Adapted from Clarivate and Boston Children’s Hospital materials.
Susan Dymecki, the George Fabyan Professor of Genetics in the Field of Comparative Pathology in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS, has been awarded a Discovery Research grant from Breakthrough Discoveries for Thriving With Bipolar Disorder (BD²). The Discovery Research grants support innovative research that deepens our understanding of bipolar disorder and paves the way for improved treatment.
Dymecki and her cohort of grant recipients will research biological mechanisms driving mood state switching: sudden transitions between emotional states such as depression and mania experienced by the vast majority of people living with bipolar disorder.
“Understanding why and how mood states switch is essential to developing more precise, effective treatments,” said Daniel Pham, head of science and innovation at BD².
“We’re proud to support this work as part of our long-term commitment to helping people with bipolar disorder lead thriving lives,” Pham added.
Dymecki’s $4.5 million grant will support her lab’s research into a neural circuit linking the brain’s master circadian clock to mood and arousal centers, which shifts its signaling in response to changes in light exposure. People with bipolar disorder are highly sensitive to changes in day length, jet lag, and nighttime screen exposure — all of which can trigger mood-switch episodes. The team will now test whether dysfunction in this neural circuit drives light-triggered mood episodes, and whether targeting it could help stabilize mood.
Pradeep Natarajan, HMS professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, has been named to receive the Population Research Prize from the American Heart Association (AHA).
“Natarajan’s innovative research has helped bridge genomic discovery with clinical application, advancing precision medicine while improving our understanding of cardiovascular risk across diverse populations,” said Manesh Patel, the AHA’s volunteer president.
Natarajan’s research has identified genetic mechanisms involved in lipid disorders, coronary artery disease, and clonal hematopoiesis, and advanced the development of polygenic risk prediction tools that could help identify people at increased cardiovascular risk earlier in life. His work integrates genomics, multi-omics, electronic health records, and large population biobanks to uncover new disease mechanisms, improve cardiovascular risk prediction, and identify potential therapeutic targets.
The Population Research Prize recognizes important contributions to cardiovascular disease research and prevention at the population level. Natarajan will receive the award during the Presidential Session of the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions this November in Chicago.
Allon Klein, professor of systems biology at HMS, has been named a 2026 Schmidt Science Polymath. The award provides up to $2.5 million over five years for researchers to pursue questions beyond their established areas of research.
Klein, who is one of eight award recipients this year, has focused on understanding how cells acquire and change fates during development and in adult tissues. He plans to use the Polymath award to explore several new directions, including investigating immunity in invertebrates, with the aim of uncovering new biology in largely unexplored territory. If successful, the results could inspire new treatments for disease.
“Each of these researchers has already shown a real range and originality in their work. Now they’re ready to bring that to an entirely new set of questions,” said James Ricci, director at Schmidt Sciences, the nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing science and technology for positive global impact that confers this award.
