Every year, the Joshua E. Neimark Memorial Travel Assistance Award provides financial support for early career scholars invited to present research posters at the AAAS Annual Meeting. The award, established by AAAS Fellow Edith Neimark in honor of her brother Joshua Neimark, is intended to assist young scientists attain a career in their chosen fields. Learn more about 2023’s six award recipients and their research below.
Roxanne Evande, University of Delaware
Tell us about your research.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) currently infects approximately 14 million new Americans every year. It is the causative agent of cervical cancers, and most recently has also been linked to head and neck cancers. Despite the availability of the current HPV vaccine, Gardasil 9, there are still no treatments or cures for people with existing HPV infections. My research focuses on a conserved sequence-specific protein (E2) that plays a role in the oncogenesis of various cancers and aids in several functions in the viral life cycle. My project aims to understand the strength of the E2-DNA interaction through observing binding kinetics. It is important to understand this interaction because it is a great molecular target for drug development and may aid in determining if an existing HPV infection may lead to cancer.
AAAS’ new strategic vision seeks to create a boldly inclusive, mobilized, and global scientific community that ignites, enables, and celebrates scientific excellence and science-informed decisions and actions. How does your work support this goal?
The spread of this virus is solely based on societal factors. Gaining better knowledge of the virus may aid individuals in making informed decisions when it comes to their sexual health, thus reinforcing science-informed decisions and actions.
What did winning the Neimark award mean to you?
Winning the Neimark award made me feel seen and worthy. It helped me financially and also helped me feel included at a conference I have wanted to attend for ages. Additionally, winning the award made me feel like my future plans and aspirations were worthwhile.
Nika Hajari, University of Washington
Tell us about your research.
When Zika virus emerged in 2015, we learned that babies born to mothers infected with Zika virus are at an increased risk of intellectual and physical disabilities. My research focuses on how Zika disrupts the connection between the mother and her developing baby to cause these abnormalities. While Zika can be devastating, the information we gain through its study demonstrates not only how viruses influence pregnancy, but also provides an avenue for novel findings that could lead to healthier pregnancies in all women.
AAAS’ new strategic vision seeks to create a boldly inclusive, mobilized, and global scientific community that ignites, enables, and celebrates scientific excellence and science-informed decisions and actions. How does your work support this goal?
In my research, I hope to shed light on a virus that disproportionately affects people from low-income countries and has a high disease burden on the families of children born with congenital Zika virus syndrome. Furthermore, Zika virus is a flavivirus, and a deeper understanding of this virus can help us better understand other flaviviruses that are critical to human health, such as Dengue virus, a neglected tropical disease that is also common in low-income countries. Climate change has made it possible for mosquitoes that can carry Zika virus to establish themselves in new territories, including the United States. Hence, it is critical to gain a deeper understanding of this virus before we also experience an epidemic in the US. Through my research, we will be able to protect not only those at risk worldwide but also the future of the American people.
Kayla Hurd, University of Notre Dame
Tell us about your research.
As a biocultural anthropologist, I examine how people’s perceptions about food and their actual dietary choices become embodied in localized and situated contexts. More specifically, my research addresses the entanglement of social, cultural, political, and economic factors that often construct what people consider to be edible—particularly, insects and other meat-like substitutes—as well as how these structural and social forces shape and constrain people’s agency regarding health, wellbeing, and their ability to obtain food. My research is a dynamic examination of meaning-making surrounding food, perceptions of edibility, and how people use food to cope with unexpected crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
AAAS’ new strategic vision seeks to create a boldly inclusive, mobilized, and global scientific community that ignites, enables, and celebrates scientific excellence and science-informed decisions and actions. How does your work support this goal?
I conducted my fieldwork working with and learning from women in Oaxaca, Mexico, and much of my work centers around scholars and voices from the Global South. I am passionate about making all knowledge accessible and inclusive. I regularly give public presentations about my work in schools to excite children about STEM education and to showcase what it means to be a woman in STEM and an anthropologist who incorporates various fields and approaches into my work.
What did winning the Neimark award mean to you?
I am beyond grateful to have received the Neimark award to attend the AAAS Annual Meeting for the first time in my career. Being able to connect with so many like-minded thinkers who are passionate about science communication, policy and engagement was the ideal way for me to end my time in graduate school and move into a career in scientific grant administration.
As AAAS celebrates its 175th anniversary this year, what does “igniting progress for the next 175 years” mean to you and how do your career aspirations fit into that?
To me, “igniting progress for the next 175” means paving the way for new and innovative scientific breakthroughs through nuanced methodologies and approaches by diverse voices in science. As a current fellowship advisor for graduate students at my university, I aspire to, one day, be a leading voice in federal grant administration, advocating for funding for research in STEM and the social sciences.
Pratusha Reddy, Drexel University
Tell us about your research.
My research primarily focuses on understanding changes elicited by cognitive and systemic stimuli on cerebral hemodynamics and evaluating functional near infrared spectroscopy’s ability to assess cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) in healthy adults and patients suffering from traumatic brain injuries. CVR is a measure of the brain microvasculature’s ability to change caliber in response to changes in partial arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2). It offers increased sensitivity to disease progression and greater precision in quantifying effects of therapeutic intervention aimed at improving cerebrovascular function than cerebral blood flow. Yet, CVR assessment has not been implemented into the routine clinical practice due to the prohibitive cost of existing techniques and the lack of practical methods and sensors which are reliable.
What did winning the Neimark award mean to you?
I am very thankful to have received the Joshua E. Neimark Travel Assistance Award. Winning the award allowed me to present my work to a diverse group of individuals and gave me significant insights into how to better communicate my work to a general audience and how to spark interest about my research within non-scientific communities. Additionally, attending the conference enabled me to network with academic entrepreneurs and learn more about how to translate research prototypes into clinical products that could be used in health care settings to improve patient care.
As AAAS celebrates its 175th anniversary this year, what does “igniting progress for the next 175 years” mean to you and how do your career aspirations fit into that?
Over the last decade, artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly prevalent in our society. However, its applicability in healthcare has been limited to research settings. I believe this is going to quickly change in the coming years. As a biomedical engineer and a data scientist, I get to work on setting up this platform and developing AI-related technologies with the purpose of improving patient care.
Emily Schafer, Northwestern University
Tell us about your research.
I work in bioelectronics, where we use organic conducting polymers to build electronic medical devices that are safer and more effective for the human body. More specifically, I develop biochemical sensors that can detect important target analytes like neurotransmitters and ions. My goal is to create bioelectronic tools that allow us to understand the complex processes of the brain and design better treatments when those processes go awry.
AAAS’ new strategic vision seeks to create a boldly inclusive, mobilized, and global scientific community that ignites, enables, and celebrates scientific excellence and science-informed decisions and actions. How does your work support this goal?
Outside of my doctoral research, I am a passionate advocate for building science literacy amongst the broader public and training peer early-career researchers in science communication. Through those projects, I hope to contribute to the mission by helping build a society that appreciates science and uses evidence-based decision-making.
As AAAS celebrates its 175th anniversary this year, what does “igniting progress for the next 175 years” mean to you and how do your career aspirations fit into that?
Igniting progress doesn't just mean leading exciting new scientific research—it also means building a culture of scientific research that is welcoming to people of all backgrounds, skills and goals. No matter my future career path, I want to use my position to build an environment that celebrates all types of contributions to science.
Shreya Soni, Drexel University
Tell us about your research.
My research focuses on developing biomaterial-based therapies as a treatment modality for chronic inflammatory diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. We’ve developed inflammatory cell-targeting nanoparticles for systemic delivery, as well as injectable hydrogels for local delivery of anti-inflammatory therapeutics.
What did winning the Neimark award mean to you?
Winning the Neimark award allowed me to showcase my research in front of my peers and esteemed researchers in both my field and related disciplines. Discussing issues plaguing various scientific fields and reveling in the innovation and creativity happening all over the world was an incredible experience. Scientific and engineering marvels do not happen overnight; rather, they take many brilliant minds to accomplish. Belonging to this collective effort is something I am privileged to be a part of and hope to continue in the future.
As AAAS celebrates its 175th anniversary this year, what does “igniting progress for the next 175 years” mean to you and how do your career aspirations fit into that?
During the early days of my graduate research, I saw the COVID-19 pandemic wreak havoc across the globe, causing death and misfortune to millions. While the virus was spreading, I also saw one of the greatest feats of modern scientific and engineering innovation in the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. As my own research focuses on targeted drug delivery, this rapid mobilization of progress inspired me tremendously. Science has substantially advanced in a short amount of time, and I hope to contribute to similar discoveries in my future research endeavors.