Simons Fellows of the Life Sciences Research Foundation

2016 Simons Fellows of the Life Sciences Research Foundation

Scott Behie, Ph.D.
Decoding Microbial Interspecies Interactions for Natural Products Discovery
University of California, Berkeley, laboratory of Matthew Traxler

Tin Chi Solomon Chak, Ph.D. (Expected 6/16)
Genome and social complexity: coevolutionary dynamics of genome size and eusociality
Columbia University, laboratory of Dustin R. Rubenstein

Romain Darnajoux, Ph.D.
Deciphering the genomic and metabolic heterogeneity of biological nitrogen fixation in boreal ecosystems
Duke University, laboratory of Francois Lutzoni

Sarah Davies, Ph.D.
Investigating the ‘weak link’ paradigm: Can hosts regulate their symbiont’s environment to buffer the effects of climate change?
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, laboratories of Karl Castillo and Adrian Marchetti

Michele LeRoux, Ph.D.
Investigating the role of toxin-antitoxin systems in bacterial persistence
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, laboratory of Michael Laub

Hoong Chuin Lim, Ph.D.
Unraveling the Mycobacterial envelope biogenesis using Corynebacterium glutamicum as a model organism
Harvard Medical School, laboratory of Thomas Bernhardt

Longfei Shu, Ph.D.
Proto-farming and the carried microbiome in a social amoeba
Washington University in St. Louis, laboratory of David C. Queller

2015 Simons Fellows of the Life Sciences Research Foundation

Thomas Boothby, Ph.D.
Using water bears to identify novel methods for the dry storage of biomaterials
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, laboratory of Gary Pielak

Ricardo Laranjeiro, Ph.D.
C. elegans as a model for molecular genetic analyses of exercise benefits to healthy aging
Rutgers University, laboratory of Monica Driscoll

Dipti Nayak, Ph.D.
Synthetic biology and lab-based evolution for methanogenesis from non-natural substrates
University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, laboratory of William Metcalf

Lena Pernas, Ph.D.
Manipulation of mitochondrial fusion: a new microbial strategy?
University of Padua, laboratory of Luca Scorrano

Benjamin Ross, Ph.D.
Investigation of interbacterial competition via type VI secretion between members of the gut microbiota
University of Washington, laboratory of Joseph Mougous

Josep Vilarrasa-Blasi, Ph.D.
Identification and characterization of water sensing mechanisms in plants
Carnegie Institution for Science, laboratory of Jose Dinneny

Christopher Whidden, Ph.D.
Developing statistical algorithms to infer the evolutionary history of viruses, antibodies, and cancer cells
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, laboratory of Frederick Matsen IV

2014 Simons Fellows of the Life Sciences Research Foundation

Aakash Basu, Ph.D.
Biophysical studies of protein: nucleic acid interactions involved in genomic maintenance
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, laboratory of Taekjip Ha

Rogier Braakman, Ph.D.
Metabolic Driving Forces in the Adaptive Dynamics of Marine Microbial Ecosystems
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, laboratory of Sallie W. Chisholm

Robert Jinkerson, Ph.D.
Transforming Our Understanding of Plant Lipid Metabolism with a Novel Functional Genomics Strategy
Carnegie Institution for Science, laboratory of Martin Jonikas

Caroline Runyan, Ph.D.
The Transfer and Representation of Sensory Information During Decision-Making
Harvard Medical School, laboratory of Christopher Harvey

2013 Simons Fellows of the Life Sciences Research Foundation

Wei-Ting Liu, Ph.D.
Gaining Molecular Insight Into Fecal Transplantation for the Treatment of Clostridium difficile-Associated Diarrhea
Stanford University, laboratory of David A. Relman

James Marshel, Ph.D.
Probing and Manipulating Cortical Circuit Learning in vivo
Stanford University, laboratory of Karl Deisseroth

Constance Richter, Ph.D.
Peptidergic Control of Sleep Regulation in Zebrafish
Harvard University, laboratory of Alex F. Schier

Joshua Weinstein, Ph.D.
Dissecting the Role of Protocadherin Diversity in Synaptic Plasticity and Memory Formation
Broad Institute, MIT, laboratory of Feng Zhang

Rayka Yokoo, Ph.D.
Fluorescent Biosensors for High Resolution Imaging of Metabolism in Live Animals
University of California, Berkeley, laboratory of David Savage

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