ISSCR Outstanding Young Investigator Award

The ISSCR Outstanding Young Investigator Award recognizes the exceptional achievements of an investigator in the early part of their independent career in stem cell research.

Current Winner

  • 2022 ISSCR Dr. Susan Lim Award for Outstanding Young Investigator

    Jennifer E. Phillips-Cremins

    Jennifer E. Phillips-Cremins, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Deans’ Faculty Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, Departments of Genetics and Bioengineering, is the 2022 ISSCR Dr. Susan Lim Award for Outstanding Young Investigator honoree. The award is supported by the Dr. Susan Lim Endowment for Education and Research Ltd.

    Dr. Phillips-Cremins is a pioneer in understanding how chromatin works through long-range mechanisms to govern stem cell differentiation into neurons and neural circuits. She developed molecular and computational technologies to dissect how genomes fold at ultra-fine-scale resolution, discovering that: (i) mammalian genomes are folded hierarchically into TADs, subTADs and loops, (ii) loops/subTADs are reconfigured and functionally linked to gene expression during neural differentiation, somatic cell reprogramming, and circuit stimulation, (iii) short tandem repeat instability causes severe genome misfolding, acquisition of Megabase-scale heterochromatin domains, and pathological interchromosomal interactions. She also pioneered tools to engineer loops, catalyzing insight into the genome’s structure-function relationship.

    Dr. Phillips-Cremins presented her work during ISSCR 2022 San Francisco + Virtual, the world’s leading meeting of global innovators in stem cell science and regenerative medicine. More.
     

Criteria

 

  • Nominees must be independent investigators conducting original research in basic science or clinical development and translation in the field of stem cell research.

  • Nominees must be seven or fewer years out from their first full-time assistant professorship or equivalent position in an academic, industrial or clinical research setting at the time of the nomination deadline.**
  • Nominations that reflect the full diversity of the membership of ISSCR are strongly encouraged.
  • Nominees must be an ISSCR member in good standing.
  • Nominees must be nominated by two (or more) ISSCR members in good standing.
  • Nominees must be available to attend the ISSCR Annual Meeting if they are selected as the award recipient.


    **Assessment of 'equivalent position' is at the discretion of the award selection committee. Comparable titles in the international academic community might include but are not limited to Lecturer, Senior Scientist or Team Leader. Position titles in other research settings such as industry are recognized to be diverse.

Award

  • $15,000 USD personal award plus a complimentary registration to the ISSCR Annual Meeting where they will be honored.
  • The award recipient will be honored at the ISSCR Annual Meeting and give a featured presentation during a plenary session at the ISSCR Annual Meeting.

Nomination Process

Nominations must be sponsored by two or more people. Nomination letters may be submitted individually or as a single, co-signed letter. Nomination letter(s) (up to two pages) should provide the following:

  • a statement of up to 100 words highlighting the most important accomplishment(s) of the nominee
  • an overview of the nominee’s contributions to the field of stem cell research
  • a statement of the nominee’s status as an independent investigator

A copy of the nominee’s CV and listing of up to five of their most relevant publications must also accompany the nomination letter. Include an electronic version of these publications where possible. 

Past Winners

  • 2021 ISSCR Dr. Susan Lim Award for Outstanding Young Investigator

    Madeline Lancaster

    Madeline Lancaster, PhD, The Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology, UK is the 2021 Dr. Susan Lim Award for Outstanding Young Investigator Award honoree. The prize recognizes the exceptional achievements of an investigator in the early part of their independent career in stem cell research. The award is supported by the Dr. Susan Lim Endowment for Education and Research Ltd.

    Dr. Lancaster is a pioneer in the field of stem cell biology and was the first scientist to develop cerebral organoids as a model to study human brain development and disease. Her seminal breakthrough as a postdoctoral fellow inspired others and opened up a new area of research. Dr. Lancaster has published findings that demonstrate her combined knowledge of development, neuroscience, bioengineering, and application of new technology to generate more mature brain organoid models with impressive properties of long-distance connectivity. These models are needed in order to transition the field into investigation of human neuronal circuits and move the field forward in compelling ways. More.

  • 2020 Winner

    Allon M. Klein

    The 2020 ISSCR Dr. Susan Lim Award for Outstanding Young Investigator was awarded to Allon M. Klein, PhD, Associate Professor, Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. As a multidisciplinary scientist, Dr. Klein has made ground-breaking contributions to the fields of stem cell and developmental biology. His achievements range from the formulation of novel approaches to understand and further explain adult stem cell self-renewal, to the invention and application of an innovative cell-isolation and analysis system (inDrop) to transcriptionally profile individual cells in very high number.The Award is supported by the Dr. Susan Lim Endowment for Education and Research Ltd and will be presented Wednesday, 24 June during the Machine Learning and Computational Approaches plenary lecture at ISSCR 2020 Virtual.

  • 2019 Winner

    Barbara Treutlein, PhD

    The 2019 ISSCR Dr. Susan Lim Award for Outstanding Young Investigator will be presented to Barbara Treutlein, PhD, ETH Zurich, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Switzerland at the 2019 Annual Meeting. Dr. Treutlein has done transformational work in single-cell transcriptomics, a technology used to study gene expression in single cells within organisms. Treutlein was one of the first to reconstruct the development of a complex mammalian tissue, and to provide a molecular description of individual cell regeneration in the axolotl limb. Dr. Treutlein will speak in Plenary VI on Saturday, 29 June, at 10:50.

  • 2018 Winner

    Shuibing Chen, PhD

    The ISSCR Dr. Susan Lim Award for Outstanding Young Investigator was presented to Shuibing Chen, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Surgery and Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, U.S. in recognition of her innovative chemical approaches in pluripotent stem cell research, with major contributions in drug screening techniques, and in human disease modeling, genetic testing, and organoid development.

  • 2017 Winner

    Jayaraj Rajagopal, MD

    Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School
    Supported by the Dr. Susan Lim Endowment for Education and Research, Ltd.      

     

  • 2016 Winner

    Fernando Camargo, PhD

    Boston Children's Hospital, USA
    Supported by the Dr. Susan Lim Endowment for Education and Research, Ltd.

  • 2015 Winner

    Paul Tesar, PhD

    Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, USA
    Supported by BD Biosciences

  • 2014 Winner

    Valentina Greco, PhD

    Yale University, USA
    Supported by BD Biosciences

  • 2013 Winner

    Marius Wernig, MD, PhD

    Stanford University, USA
    Supported by the University of Pittsburgh-McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine

  • 2012 Winner

    Cédric Blanpain, MD, PhD

    Université Libre De Bruxelles, Belgium 
    Supported by the University of Pittsburgh-McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine

  • 2011 Winner

    Robert Blelloch, MD, PhD

    University of California, San Francisco, USA
    Supported by the University of Pittsburgh-McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine

  • 2010 Winner

    Joanna Wysocka, PhD

    Stanford University School of Medicine, CA
    Supported by the University of Pittsburgh-McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine

  • 2009 Winner

    Konrad Hochedlinger, PhD

    Harvard University/Massachusetts General Hospital, USA
    Supported by the University of Pittsburgh-McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine