Honoring early-career excellence in the categories of Life Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Chemical Sciences, the Regional Awards celebrate the most promising postdoctoral scientists in the Tri-State area’s academic institutions. This year’s honorees were selected from a highly competitive pool of 149 nominations representing 26 institutions.
The announcement coincides with the National Postdoctoral Association’s 16th annual celebration of National Postdoc Appreciation Week, which recognizes the significant contributions that postdoctoral scholars make to scientific research and discovery. A distinguished jury of leading regional scientists and engineers selected one Laureate per category, each receiving a $30,000 unrestricted award, along with two Finalists per category, who will each receive $10,000 in unrestricted funds.
The 2025 Blavatnik Regional Awards Laureates and Finalists will be honored on Tuesday, October 7, at the annual Blavatnik Awards Ceremony held at the American Museum of Natural History. The 2025 Blavatnik Regional Awards Laureates are:
Life Sciences: Veena Padmanaban, PhD, nominated by The Rockefeller University
Recognized for discovering a molecular mechanism allowing sensory neurons to communicate with breast cancer cells to drive metastasis and uncovering novel actionable therapeutic targets.
Physical Sciences & Engineering: Valentin Crépel, PhD, nominated by the Flatiron Institute
Recognized for advancing theories describing stacked, single-atom-thick materials, enabling easier control of their behaviors for applications in quantum technology and opening up new avenues for developing materials useful in novel quantum computing platforms.
Chemical Sciences: Xiao Xie, PhD, nominated by Princeton University
Recognized for pioneering chemical biology tools to map protein phase separation and copper signaling, which uncover molecular mechanisms underlying cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Xie is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of 2015 Blavatnik National Awards Laureate, Christopher Chang, PhD.
Len Blavatnik, Founder of Access Industries and the Blavatnik Family Foundation stated, “The Tri-State area is a vibrant hub for world-class science as exemplified by these exceptional young researchers. We honor their achievements to date and look forward to their future contributions to scientific discovery.”
Nicholas B. Dirks, The New York Academy of Sciences’ President and CEO, said: “Postdoctoral researchers are the unsung heroes behind many of today’s scientific advances, and they play a critical role in the pipeline of talent and discovery in the sciences. Their dedication and innovation will continue to drive progress across disciplines — from medicine to engineering. As we celebrate National Postdoc Appreciation Week, the Academy is especially proud to recognize the 2025 Blavatnik Regional Awards Laureates and Finalists for their extraordinary achievements and exciting future contributions.”
The following postdoctoral researchers have been named Finalists in their respective categories:
LIFE SCIENCES
Maria Cecilia Campos Canesso, PhD, nominated by The Rockefeller University
Recognized for advancing our understanding of food allergies and inflammatory bowel disease by developing new tools to uncover how immune cells communicate in the intestine, laying the foundation for more effective treatments.
Ipshita Zutshi, PhD, nominated by New York University
Recognized for discovering how the brain integrates dynamic goals with sensory inputs (sound, vision) to guide memory and decision-making — providing a framework for understanding cognitive dysfunction in psychiatric disorders.
PHYSICAL SCIENCES & ENGINEERING
Ore Gottlieb, PhD, nominated by the Flatiron Institute
Recognized for shifting the paradigm describing neutron star mergers, giving scientists a roadmap for finding and studying these rare events.
Viraj Pandya, PhD, nominated by Columbia University
Recognized for groundbreaking discoveries on early galaxy evolution, reshaping our understanding of how galaxies formed and challenging longstanding theories of the early universe.
CHEMICAL SCIENCES
Lucien Dupuy, PhD, nominated by Rutgers University, Newark
Recognized for developing quantum-classical and machine learning simulations that elucidate how molecules respond to light, crucial to understanding diverse topics like DNA stability, photocatalysis, and energy conversion. Dupuy is the first Blavatnik Awards honoree from Rutgers University, Newark, NJ.
Yunjia Lai, PhD, nominated by Columbia University
Recognized for pioneering mass spectrometry innovations to map and screen environmental exposures and biological changes that drive neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
About the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists
The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, established by the Blavatnik Family Foundation in 2007 and independently administered by The New York Academy of Sciences, began by identifying outstanding postdoctoral scientists in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. In 2014, the Blavatnik National Awards were created to recognize faculty-rank scientists throughout the United States. In 2017, the Awards were further expanded to honor faculty-rank scientists in the UK and Israel. To follow the progress of the Blavatnik Awards, please visit the Awards’ website (www.blavatnikawards.org) or follow us on Facebook and X (@BlavatnikAwards).
About the Blavatnik Family Foundation
The Blavatnik Family Foundation provides many of the world’s best researchers, scientists and future leaders with the support and funding needed to solve humankind’s greatest challenges. Led by Len Blavatnik, founder of Access Industries, the Foundation advances and promotes innovation, discovery and creativity to benefit the whole of society. Over the past decade, the Foundation has contributed over US$1.3 billion to more than 250 organizations. See more at www.blavatnikfoundation.org.
About The New York Academy of Sciences
The New York Academy of Sciences is an independent, not-for-profit organization that since 1817 has been committed to advancing science for the benefit of society. With more than 16,000 members in 100 countries, the Academy advances scientific and technical knowledge, addresses global challenges with science-based solutions, and sponsors a wide variety of educational initiatives at all levels for STEM and STEM-related fields. The Academy hosts programs and publishes content in the life and physical sciences, the social sciences, nutrition, artificial intelligence, computer science, and sustainability. The Academy also provides professional and educational resources for researchers across all phases of their careers. The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists is part of a series of prominent awards and scholarship programs that the Academy and its partners present each year to accomplished early-career and established scientists worldwide. These initiatives, along with education and professional development programs for students and young scientists, reflect the Academy’s broader commitment to strengthening and diversifying the pipeline for skilled and talented scientists globally. Please visit us online at www.nyas.org.
Media contact
The New York Academy of Sciences – Media@nyas.org
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