Division of Biology and Medicine
Program in Biology
Date October 8, 2025
All News

Brown University Names Third Cohort of Blavatnik Family Fellows

Brown University has announced the next cohort of students to receive the Blavatnik Family Graduate Fellowship in Biology and Medicine, which is made possible through a generous, multi-year donation from the Blavatnik Family Foundation.

The eight Blavatnik Family Fellows were selected based on outstanding academic achievement and demonstrated potential for producing original research that advances scientific knowledge and understanding in the basic and clinical life sciences. The fellows are doctoral candidates in the Brown Division of Biology and Medicine’s graduate programs. 

“It’s a great pleasure to welcome the new Blavatnik Family Fellows, selected for their achievements to date and exceptional future promise. We look forward to their continued success and innovative research in the years ahead,” said Len Blavatnik, founder of Access Industries and the Blavatnik Family Foundation. 

This is the third cohort of the fellowship, which was first awarded in 2023. Each fellow receives one academic year of support, as well as a research fund. 

“We are very grateful to the Blavatnik Family Foundation for their continued support of graduate education in the Division of Biology and Medicine,” said Mukesh K. Jain, MD, senior vice president for health affairs and dean of medicine and biological sciences at Brown University. “Financial support that makes the training of the next generation of scientists possible is incredibly important for the future of both science and society. The need has never been greater and to have their promised recognized and to have their promise recognized with this generous funding is very meaningful for our students.”

“We are excited to welcome another cohort of Blavatnik Family Fellows,” said Elizabeth Harrington, PhD, associate dean of graduate biology doctoral education in the Division of Biology and Medicine at Brown University. “They are studying fields as diverse as ecology to anti-CRISPR technologies, and advancing our understanding of an array of diseases from leukemia to ALS. They represent the next generation of scientists full of promise.”

2025 Blavatnik Family Fellows

  • Kaitlyn Cortez

    Kaitlyn Cortez

    Kaitlyn studies the role of dosage compensation in development and aging, as well as how genome activation (GA)-binding transcription factor protein occupancy may affect DNA conformation and gene expression. Her mentor is Erica Larschan, PhD.

  • Hannah Hoff

    Hannah Hoff

    Hannah Hoff, Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology Graduate Program. Hannah studies the causes and consequences of large herbivore (e.g., bison, elk) foraging decisions at Yellowstone National Park. Her mentor is Tyler Kartzinel, PhD.

  • Maxfield Kelsey

    Maxfield Kelsey

    Maxfield Kelsey, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry Graduate Program. Maxfield uses long-read sequencing to develop computational methods to understand how retrotransposons, virus-like sequences that make up nearly half of the human genome, impact disease and aging. His mentor is John Sedivy, PhD. 

  • alexa knight

    Alexa Knight

    Alexa Knight, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry Graduate Program. Alexa is investigating the inhibitory mechanism of an anti-CRISPR protein on a thermophilic, heat tolerant, Cas9, with a dual interest in elucidating the biological context of their interaction and exploring how we might leverage the inhibitory characteristics of anti-CRISPRs as a molecular editing tool. Her mentor is George Lisi, PhD.

  • Melanie Martinsen

    Melanie Martinsen

    Melanie Martinsen, Pathobiology Graduate Program. Melanie is developing neutrophil progenitors as an “off-the-shelf” cellular therapy to provide temporary immune defense in immunocompromised hosts. Her mentor is Craig Lefort, PhD.

  • Makayla Pardo

    Makayla Pardo

    Makayla Pardo, Pathobiology Graduate Program. Makayla studies the influence of the bone marrow microenvironment on treatment response and resistance in acute myeloid leukemia, AML. Her mentor is Patrycja Dubielecka-Szczerba, PhD.

  • Noah Wake

    Noah Wake

    Noah Wake, Therapeutics Sciences Graduate Program. Noah’s research focuses on how certain proteins organize and regulate function under normal conditions and how changes in their behavior contribute to neurodegenerative diseases like ALS and dementia. His mentor is Nicolas L. Fawzi, PhD.

  • Morgan Woodman Sousa

    Morgan Woodman-Sousa

    Morgan Woodman-Sousa, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry Graduate Program. Morgan focuses on the molecular mechanisms behind oocyte quality and ovarian aging, aiming to shed light on idiopathic female infertility and reproductive health. Her mentor is Kathryn Grive, PhD.