The Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Scientists has announced the winners of the 2019 Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young Scientists. Supporting outstanding postdoctoral scientists from academic research institutions across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut since 2007, the Blavatnik Regional Awards recognize outstanding researchers in three scientific disciplinary categories: Life Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Chemistry. One winner in each category is awarded $30,000 in unrestricted funds. The foundation is chaired by Len Blavatnik, the founder and chair of Access Industries. The awards have been given out since 2007.
This year, two of the three winners are women.
Laura Duvall is now an assistant professor of neuroscience at Columbia University in New York City. She had been conducting postdoctoral research at Rockefeller University in New York. Her research is focused on identifying molecules that control mosquito blood-feeding behavior and breeding, which can have a worldwide impact on controlling mosquito populations that spread diseases such as dengue and Zika. Dr. Duvall is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and holds a Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis.
Netta Engelhardt is an assistant professor of theoretical physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She had been conducting postdoctoral research at Princeton University in New Jersey. Dr. Engelhardt’s research at the interface of general relativity and quantum field theory is seeking answers to the complex questions about the fundamentals of our universe, including the remarkable explanation for the origin of black hole entropy. Dr. Engelharst is a graduate of Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara.