Rita Allen Scholars

Since 1976, the Rita Allen Foundation has awarded millions of dollars in grants to early-career biomedical scholars. These grants allow them to establish labs and pursue research directions with above-average risk and promise.

Rita Allen Foundation Scholars have gone on to make transformative contributions to their fields of study, and have won recognition including the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the National Medal of Science, the Wolf Prize in Medicine, and the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. Today, Rita Allen Foundation Scholars receive up to $110,000 per year for a maximum of five years.

The Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program funds basic biomedical research in the fields of cancer, immunology, and neuroscience, as well as pain through the Rita Allen Foundation Award in Pain.

Rita Allen Foundation Scholars are distinguished by their bold approaches to basic scientific questions that address problems of global concern, as well as their potential for learning, leadership and collaboration. For application information, see our FAQs.

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2024

RITA ALLEN FOUNDATION SCHOLARS

Alexander Meeske +
University of Washington

Alexander Meeske

Assistant Professor, Microbiology

B.Sc., University of Connecticut

Ph.D., Harvard University

All organisms have evolved strategies to cope with the threat of invasion by parasites. Bacteriophages—viruses that infect and kill bacteria—impose strong pressures on their hosts, giving rise to diverse anti-viral defenses, including restriction-modification and CRISPR-Cas systems. The well-documented utility of these systems for genetic engineering, combined with the rise of facile microbial genome sequencing, has ushered in a renaissance in the study of prokaryotic immune systems. The Meeske Lab has developed native host models to investigate the interfaces between diverse immune effectors, prokaryotic hosts, and the viruses that infect them. Using these tools, we will expand our understanding of the ways in which bacterial immune systems are controlled by their hosts, the cues to which they naturally respond, and the counter-defense strategies taken by bacteriophages to overcome them. We anticipate that these efforts will refine the toolkit of modern molecular biology and inform bacteriophage-based strategies for antimicrobial intervention.
Longzhi Tan +
Stanford University

Longzhi Tan

Assistant Professor, Neurobiology

B.Sc., Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Ph.D., Harvard University

How do cells in our body develop highly specialized functions, and how do they degenerate as we age? Genome architecture—the 3D folding of 2 meters of DNA into a 10-μm nucleus to control gene expression—plays a critical role in both normal physiology and many diseases. To measure this structure, we built an optics-free “microscope” that uses DNA sequencing to measure pairwise distances between molecules, solving the first 3D structure of the human genome and discovering highly specialized genome architecture across the body (brain, nose, eye, blood, etc.) and across the life span. Most notably, we demonstrated 3D genome “structure typing” —just by looking at a cell’s DNA structure, one can tell what type of cell it is. We also found that these intricate structures drive neurodevelopment and change progressively over around 100 years. The Tan Lab’s work, therefore, reveals a new physical dimension of development and aging.
Kara Marshall +
Baylor College of Medicine

Kara Marshall

Assistant Professor, Neuroscience

B.Sc., Texas A&M University

Ph.D., Columbia University

Internal organs move, stretch, and squeeze as part of their normal functions. The mechanical forces caused by these movements are detected by the nervous system to generate important sensations, such as a full bladder, and to govern physiological processes themselves, like urination. Unfortunately, during disease, internal forces can also cause pain. The Marshall Lab seeks to understand the molecules and cell types that mediate the detection of mechanical force within the body, in both healthy and disease states. We hope to uncover fundamental mechanisms of internal mechanosensation, and potentially pave the way for new therapies targeting internal pain.
Katelyn Sadler +
University of Texas at Dallas

Katelyn Sadler

Assistant Professor, Neuroscience

B.Sc., University of Pittsburgh

Ph.D., Duquesne University

Trillions of bacteria live in and on the surface of the human body. These microorganisms and the metabolites they produce are collectively termed the microbiome and are known to interact with various host cells. We are just beginning to deconstruct the complex, bi-directional signaling that occurs between microbiomes and the peripheral nervous system, but we believe that this type of work will provide fundamental insight into sensory processes that occur in health and disease. In particular, the Sadler Lab is very interested in understanding how tissue-specific microbiomes contribute to normal sensation and how changes in the microbiome contribute to chronic pain. Using a combination of preclinical animal models, healthy human tissues, and patient samples, we ultimately aim to identify novel microbiome-related therapeutic targets for pain management.
Daniele Canzio +
University of California, San Francisco

Daniele Canzio

Milton E. Cassel Scholar

Assistant Professor, Neurology

B.Sc., University of California, Santa Barbara

Ph.D, University of California, San Francisco

The establishment of functional neural circuits relies on the ability of neurons to discriminate self from non-self. This self/non-self discrimination requires the generation of an astonishing number of cell-surface protein “barcodes” that uniquely “mark” individual neurons with their own identity. Neurons expressing the same barcodes repel one another, while neurons expressing different barcodes are allowed to interact. Given that a human brain houses billions of neurons, how this remarkable number of cell-surface barcodes is generated from a single genome remains a mystery. Research at the Canzio Lab points to a new role of genome architecture and its dynamics in the regulation of the transcriptional diversity underlying the barcoding strategy of neurons to recognize self from non-self, providing a novel mechanism to achieve cellular individuality. Our findings have broad implications, from uncovering the molecular basis of neural wiring during brain development to revealing new insights on the role of genome structure in defining cellular fate and function.
Erica Pratt +
Boston University

Erica Pratt

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering

B.Sc., Carnegie Mellon University

Ph.D., Cornell University

The peripheral circulation and other biofluids contain a variety of tumor-derived analytes, ranging from intact cells and exosomes to free nucleic acids. These ‘liquid biopsies’ offer a readily accessible and minimally invasive strategy for taking real-time snapshots of a dynamic tumor landscape. Critically, liquid biopsies can improve patient outcomes by revealing therapeutically actionable subpopulations missed using conventional tissue biopsies. However, these circulating biomarkers are extremely rare and require sophisticated strategies to isolate and characterize them. The Pratt Laboratory develops enabling technologies for ultra-sensitive multiplexed profiling of liquid biopsies for cancer monitoring and precision medicine. Our work leverages next-generation genetic tools in combination with techniques from bioengineering and chemical biology.
Elizabeth Pollina +
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Elizabeth Pollina

Assistant Professor, Developmental Biology

B.A., Princeton University

Ph.D., Stanford University

A striking feature of the nervous system is its continual adaptation to environmental cues throughout the lifespan of an animal. Environmental stimuli trigger changes in neuronal activity that, in turn, induce transcriptional programs controlling adaptive modifications to neuronal circuitry. Stimulus-induced transcription is, however, a risky endeavor. During transcription, DNA is cut, unwound, and reannealed in a process that has the potential to create mutations. Across a lifetime, a neuron may undergo this process millions of times. How do animals balance the benefits of inducible transcription for plasticity with the intrinsic risks it poses to their genetic code? Our knowledge of genome integrity derives primarily from dividing cells grown in culture conditions. We lack a fundamental understanding of how neurons repair genomic insults in vivo and how the dynamic stimuli neurons receive further impinge on the genome. The Pollina Lab leverages tools and techniques from neuroscience, epigenetics, and DNA repair to advance our knowledge of genome fidelity in the nervous system. We characterize the pathways downstream of external signaling cues that preserve neuronal genomes in short- versus long-lived species. We examine how lifestyle factors, such as diet and sleep, impact signal-dependent transcription and genome repair across time. Ultimately, we aim to use this knowledge to design strategies that prevent or even correct molecular damage in aged and diseased neurons.

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About the Rita Allen Foundation Scholars Program

What is the Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program? What are its funding priorities?
- The Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program funds basic biomedical research in the fields of cancer, immunology, and neuroscience, as well as pain, through the Rita Allen Foundation Award in Pain. The Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program has supported more than 200 scientists since 1976. The program embraces innovative research with above-average risk and groundbreaking possibilities. Scholars have gone on to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the National Medal of Science, the Wolf Prize in Medicine and the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences.
What size of grants are available to Rita Allen Foundation Scholars?
- Scholars can receive up to $110,000 per year for a maximum of five years. Recipients of the Award in Pain can be granted $50,000 per year for up to three years.
What can the grant funds be used for?
- Rita Allen Foundation Scholar grant funds may only be used for direct project expenses, including up to 50 percent of the Scholar’s compensation.
Who is eligible to apply for the Scholars program?
- For information on the Rita Allen Foundation Scholars Award in Pain application process, please visit https://www.usasp.org/rita-allen-award. Apart from the Scholars Award in Pain, specified eligible institutions are invited to submit a nomination for consideration for the Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program. The Rita Allen Foundation Scientific Advisory Committee reviews and recommends eligible institutions. One nominated candidate per eligible institution is accepted per year. The Scientific Advisory Committee reviews and selects finalists from the eligible institutions, interviews them in person, and selects the recipients.
If an institution is not on the eligible list, how can it be considered for inclusion?
- Institutions not currently eligible but interested in being considered for inclusion in the list of invited institutions should send a letter of inquiry to apply@ritaallen.org by January 31 of each year. The letter should be addressed to Elizabeth Good Christopherson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Rita Allen Foundation, and may come from the institution President, or head of the institution’s Foundation, Development/Advancement Office or Office of Research/Sponsored Programs. It should include a brief overview of the institution’s credentials and key biomedical programs; additional materials for consideration are welcome, especially if there is a particular program or department the institution wishes to highlight. The Foundation typically reviews letters of inquiry each year and in the summer will notify institutions deemed eligible to nominate.
Who is eligible to become a Rita Allen Foundation Scholar?
- To be eligible for a Rita Allen Foundation Scholars Award, candidates must either apply through the Scholars Award in Pain or be nominated by an eligible institution and have completed their training and provided persuasive evidence of distinguished achievement or extraordinary promise in research in one of the relevant fields (cancer, immunology, neuroscience. or pain). United States citizenship is not a requirement; however, awardees must be legally employed at the time of application at a U.S. degree-granting or research institution that is an invited participant in the Rita Allen Foundation Scholars Program. Awards are made to the 501(c)(3) organization; awards are not made to an individual. Scholars must perform research at a non-profit institution in the U.S. during the entire period of Rita Allen Foundation support.
Who should be nominated for the Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program?
- Institutions should consider the following when considering whom to nominate for the Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program:
  - Candidates should be independent investigators in the early stages of their careers and research.
  - The caliber of early-stage investigators suggests nominees would be appointed to tenure-track positions at their respective institutions.
  - It is preferable that candidates be in the first three years of their tenure track. (This is taken into consideration in the rating of applications by the Scientific Advisory Committee.)
  - A senior postdoc should not be a candidate; wait until s/he is in a tenure-track position, as described.
  - Associate professors should not be candidates.
  - Candidates must have received committed startup funds from their respective institutions.
  - Candidates must have lab space from their institutions.
  Rita Allen Foundation Scholars may not accept an award from the Beckman Young Investigator Program, Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences, Searle Scholars Program, or Vallee Scholars Program that would take effect beginning in year one of the RAF award. Rita Allen Scholars may apply for awards from these organizations that would take effect beginning in year two of the RAF award. Other sources of funding also may influence selection.
  
  Nominating institutions should consider the highly competitive nature of the Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program and submit their strongest nominee for consideration. The Rita Allen Foundation requests that eligible institutions share with us a description of the process they follow to nominate candidates.
  
  Further questions regarding the Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program should be directed to those responsible for the internal nominating process within a given eligible institution.

What are the key dates and deadlines for the 2025 program?

July 10 – October 16, 2024	Application period
September 4, 2024	Letter of Inquiry (LOI) deadline (11:59 p.m. ET)
October 16, 2024	Application deadline (11:59 p.m. ET)
November 2024 – March 2025	Review period
April 2025	Finalist interviews – Virtual
April 2025	Grant awards announced
April 2025	Grant contracts due
Summer 2025	Press announcement
September 2025 – August 2030	Grant period
August 31, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029	Interim reports due
December 1, 2030	Final report due

For dates for the Scholars Award in Pain program, please visit https://www.usasp.org/rita-allen-award.

What is the nomination and application process?
- The nomination must be completed by a senior official at the nominating institution and must be completed online through Fluxx, a Web-based grant application system. Nominations should include the following required support materials:
  - Identification of the candidate and an official letter of nomination;
  - An assessment of the candidate; and
  - A description of the procedure used by the institution to identify the nominee.
  Institutions are limited to submitting one nomination per review cycle.
  
  Once the nomination is complete and has been approved by the Foundation, candidates are required to complete the grant application in Fluxx and provide application support materials.
- For the application process for the Scholars Award in Pain program, please visit https://www.usasp.org/rita-allen-award.
What reports are required of Rita Allen Foundation Scholars?
- Successful grant recipients are required to provide complete annual narrative and financial reports detailing their expenditure of the grant funds and progress made toward the goal(s) of the grants. Grant reports also must be submitted online through Fluxx.

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Rita Allen Scholars

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Announcing the 2024 Rita Allen Foundation Scholars

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About the Rita Allen Foundation Scholars Program