Fred Hutch announces 12 recipients of the annual Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award

Award recognizes innovative research by graduate students in biological sciences

2026-02-27

(Press-News.org) SEATTLE — Feb. 26, 2026 — Fred Hutch Cancer Center announced 12 recipients of the Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award, which honors the exceptional achievements of graduate students in the biological sciences.

Representing research institutions across the United States, this year’s award recipients explored a range of scientific topics including tumor metabolism, sensory reception and DNA replication.

“These awardees stood out for their scientific originality, rigor and dedication to asking important scientific questions. They reflect the strength and promise of the next generation of scientific leaders,” said Jihong Bai, PhD, a professor in Fred Hutch’s Basic Sciences Division and director of the Weintraub awards committee. He added, “Their achievements remind us of the enduring and inspiring power of science.”

Award recipients will be honored at the Weintraub Symposium on Friday, May 1 at Fred Hutch.

The namesake award honors Dr. Harold “Hal” Weintraub, a molecular biologist who helped establish Fred Hutch’s Basic Sciences Division and died of brain cancer in 1995. Now in its 27th year, the award has supported 361 graduate students across the world.

Led by Bai, the selection committee, comprised of faculty, postdoctoral and graduate students at Fred Hutch, selects award recipients from an international pool of applicants. Winning applicants are awarded for the impact and originality of their research.

“Our applicants represent impactful work that has not yet been addressed scientifically. They are identifying new insights and creating important milestones within each of their fields,” Bai said.

The award is supported by the Weintraub/Groudine Fellowship for Science and Human Disease, which aims to foster intellectual exchange through programs for graduate students.

2026 Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award recipients:

Keene Abbott
PhD; Biology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Gabriella Chua
PhD; Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology
Rockefeller University

Lifei Jiang
PhD; Molecular Biology
Princeton University

Won Jun Kim
PhD; Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences,
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program

Ruchita Kothari
PhD; Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology (BCMB) Graduate Program
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Ayush Midha
PhD; UCSF Tetrad Graduate Program
University of California, San Francisco

Rohith Rajasekaran
PhD; Integrated Program in Biochemistry
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Yusha Sun
PhD; Neuroscience Graduate Group / Medical Scientist Training Program
University of Pennsylvania

Andrea Terceros
PhD; David Rockefeller Graduate Program
Rockefeller University

Wendy Valencia Montoya
PhD; Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
Harvard University

Zachary Walsh
PhD; Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular and Biomedical Studies
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Peter Yoon
PhD; Molecular and Cell Biology
University of California, Berkeley

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Media contact:
Shayla Ring
sring@fredhutch.org

Fred Hutch Cancer Center unites individualized care and advanced research to provide the latest cancer treatment options while accelerating discoveries that prevent, treat and cure cancer and infectious diseases worldwide.

Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is an independent, nonprofit organization and the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington. We have earned a global reputation for our track record of discoveries in cancer, infectious disease and basic research, including important advances in bone marrow transplantation, immunotherapy, HIV/AIDS prevention and COVID-19 vaccines. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy and related services. Fred Hutch also serves as UW Medicine’s cancer program.

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Fred Hutch announces 12 recipients of the annual Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award

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