Vanderbilt Prize Student Scholar

Nominations for the Vanderbilt Prize Student Scholar are closed.

 

Candidates for the Vanderbilt Prize Student Scholar are graduate students in biomedical sciences at Vanderbilt (Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. track) who have completed the qualifying exam and have at least one year left to complete the Ph.D. degree. Competitive nominees are those who demonstrate excellent leadership qualities through their research and service to the scientific community, as well as characteristics that exhibit outstanding potential to impact medicine through research during their careers.

The Vanderbilt Prize Student Scholar receives a $1,000 cash prize and is afforded the distinct opportunity to be mentored for a year by the corresponding recipient of the Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science – a scientist of national reputation who has a stellar record of research accomplishments and is known for their mentorship. Additionally, the Vanderbilt Prize Student Scholar is eligible to receive up to $1,000 reimbursement to be used for travel expenses related to advancing their professional development.

This cycle’s Scholar will be mentored by the 2024 Vanderbilt Prize recipient, Dr. Sarah Tishkoff, David and Lyn Silfen University Professor in Genetics and Biology, University of Pennsylvania and Director, Penn Center for Global Genomics & Health Equity in the Perelman School of Medicine. 

The Vanderbilt Prize Student Scholar will be recognized during Dr. Tishkoff's Discovery Lecture. 

 

Nominee eligibility:

  • Graduate student in biomedical sciences at Vanderbilt (Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. track)
  • Must have at least one year left to complete the Ph.D. degree
  • Must have completed the qualifying examination

 

Nomination process:

Nominations are accepted from department Chairs and Program Directors in the biomedical sciences, as well as Directors of graduate studies and faculty mentors.

 

Nomination materials should be submitted as a single PDF to vumcresearchenterprise@vumc.org.

  • Nominee's CV
  • Nomination letter from the faculty mentor, advisor or nominator
  • Copy of the nominee's thesis proposal
  • Committee report from the nominee's qualifying examination

 

Questions? Contact vumcresearchenterprise@vumc.org.

 

 

Vanderbilt Prize Student Scholars

2024

Kimberlyn Ellis

Mentor: Sarah Tishkoff, PhD

Kimberlyn Ellis is a graduate student in the Training Program in Human Genetics. Her doctoral dissertation research project aims to quantify the effects of genetic ancestry, sex and social risk factors on chronic disease in populations with significant proportions of African ancestry.

See the VUMC Reporter article.

 
  

2023: Yasminye Pettway (Mentor: Professor Frances Ashcroft)

2022: Catherine Shelton (Mentor: Ruth Lehmann, Ph.D.)

2021: Paige Vega (Mentor: Aviv Regev, Ph.D.)

2020: Katherine Amidon Paulin (Mentor: Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D.)

2019: Megan Rasmussen (Mentor: Christine Seidman, M.D.)

2018: Alissa Guarnaccia (Mentor: Angelika Amon Ph.D.)

2017: Katherine Rothamel (Mentor: Lynee Maquat, Ph.D.)

2016: Chloe Snider (Mentor: Elaine Fuchs, Ph.D.)

2015: Lisa Poole  (Mentor: Huda Zoghbi, M.D.)

2014: Jessica Moore  (Mentor: Susan Lindquist, Ph.D.)

2013: Lisa Funkhouser-Jones  (Mentor: Laurie Glimcher, M.D.)

2012: Jacci Claus  (Mentor: Joan Steitz, Ph.D.)

2011: Bianca Sirbu  (Mentor: Titia de Lange, Ph.D.)

2010: Emily Anderson  (Mentor: Nancy Andrews, M.D., Ph.D.)

2009: Elizabeth Nguyen Dong  (Mentor: Susan Taylor, Ph.D.)

Learn more about our incredible mentors, the Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science Winners, here.