Aaron Gitler began his scientific career as an undergraduate at Pennsylvania State University, where he volunteered in a lab washing dishes. Despite the less-than-glamorous work, he loved being there. Eventually, he realized that if he finished his dishwashing early enough, he could observe students and postdocs doing their research experiments. In time, they let him do experiments of his own. “In retrospect, none of the experiments really worked out,” says Gitler, “but I learned a lot and had a lot of fun. It prepared me for my next research experiences.”

Major grants will support five pioneering early-career biomedical scientists.

Alejandro Sweet-Cordero’s journey into research and medicine began during his high school years in Mexico City, where he volunteered as a paramedic, providing medical aid to people injured in car crashes and other emergencies. Sweet-Cordero’s volunteer work, combined with a scholarly interest in biology (and science in general), led…

The Aspen Institute’s Science and Society Program, in collaboration with GOOD Worldwide and LeapsMag recently released a digital magazine, The Future of Science in America: The Election Issue, which explores the intersections between science, politics, policy and the election through diverse perspectives, including articles and comments from members of the…

Rodney D. Priestley, Vice Dean for Innovation and Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Princeton University, has been elected to the Rita Allen Foundation Board of Directors. Rodney Priestley (Photo: David Kelly Crow) Priestley, whose term begins immediately, is a leading researcher in the field of complex…

Emmanuelle Passegué had a rather unglamorous introduction to research as a young college student in France. Initially attracted to the field by fascinating papers filled with beautiful images of clean, unambiguous molecular mechanisms, the realities of working with fruit flies for biological research turned out to be quite different.

Four pioneering early-career scientists will receive support to uncover the biology of pain.

A new report identifies priorities for strengthening the relationship between science and society

Major grants will support five pioneering early-career biomedical scientists. The Rita Allen Foundation has named its 2020 class of Rita Allen Foundation Scholars, celebrating five early-career leaders in the biomedical sciences whose research holds exceptional promise for revealing new pathways to advance human health. The selected Scholars will receive…

As part of the 2020 Media Impact Forum, Elizabeth Christopherson, President and CEO of the Rita Allen Foundation, interviewed Science Philanthropy Alliance Civic Science Fellow Karen Andrade about lessons funders can take from civic science. The below is adapted and expanded from their conversation. Elizabeth Christopherson: Karen, could…