In the News Empowering future scientists and advancing healthy aging research
Empowering future scientists with Prebys Foundation support
The Salk Institute received a generous gift from the Prebys Foundation as part of a rapid-response funding initiative to safeguard San Diego’s biomedical research ecosystem. This funding will support three years of Salk’s cornerstone education pipeline and training programs: Heithoff-Brody High School Summer Scholars, Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), Salk Edge Program, Discover Symposium, and Rising Stars Symposium.
“This support from the Prebys Foundation affirms the importance of nurturing the next generation of scientific leaders,” says Gerald Joyce, Salk Institute president. “We are grateful for this investment, which ensures our ability to provide transformative training experiences to students and early-career scientists, from high school students to postdoctoral trainees.”
The funded programs span the entire STEM education pipeline:
Heithoff-Brody High School Summer Scholars Program: An eight-week, paid summer internship that introduces high school students to laboratory research, providing early mentorship and exposure to real-world science.
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF): A fully paid, 10-week internship offering college undergraduates immersive biomedical research experience, mentorship, and professional development.
Salk Edge Program: A two-week intensive training for graduate students on emerging technologies, complemented by pilot grants that allow students to implement what they’ve learned back in their home labs.
Discover Symposium: A unique platform for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to present their work, network with potential mentors, and explore interdisciplinary collaborations at Salk.
Rising Stars Symposium: A recognition and recruitment initiative for outstanding postdoctoral scholars, designed to spotlight talent and foster faculty development pathways.
Salk’s education pipeline programs are rooted in the Institute’s mission to drive high-impact science, which requires motivated and well-trained researchers at all levels. These programs have consistently opened doors for students from all backgrounds, offering them unparalleled access to mentorship, resources, and world-class science.
For more information about Salk’s education pipeline and training programs, including application information, please visit www.salk.edu/training.
Salk Institute and La Mer launch unique fellowship to advance healthy aging research
The Salk Institute recently announced a landmark partnership with luxury skincare brand La Mer. Through the new La Mer Fellowship in Healthy Aging, the company will fund a three-year postdoctoral position to study human aging at the molecular level.
Postdoctoral researcher Ankita Chadda is the first recipient of the La Mer Healthy Aging Fellowship.
The inaugural fellowship has been awarded to Ankita Chadda, a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Assistant Professor Agnieszka Kendrick. Kendrick’s team studies cellular transport—the system of microscopic highways and specialized protein vehicles that move nearly everything inside a cell. This system is indispensable to cellular function and survival. With La Mer’s support, Chadda will use cutting-edge technologies to explore how aging disrupts cellular transport in neurons. This work may reveal new strategies to prevent or reverse transport-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
“At the Salk Institute, we are driven by the pursuit of fundamental discoveries that improve human health,” says Salk President Gerald Joyce. “We are deeply grateful to La Mer for supporting this mission by funding research into aging at a molecular level and empowering the next generation of scientists. Through this unique partnership, we can apply our scientific expertise to explore new frontiers in healthy aging.”
Postdoctoral trainees like Chadda are essential to biomedical science. These trainees have recently earned a PhD, MD, or both. With a faculty mentor, they assist in or lead their own research projects as they take steps toward establishing their careers as independent investigators. Postdoctoral researchers and their work are typically funded by federal or private grants or fellowships, making the new La Mer-funded fellowship a unique approach to empowering the next generation of scientific leaders.
“La Mer has always believed in the power of bioenergetics to enhance skin’s natural renewal,” says Sandra Main, global brand president of La Mer. “Our partnership with the Salk Institute reflects our deep commitment to advancing the science of cellular energy, ensuring that our innovations continue to push the boundaries of aging science. As a brand founded by a true visionary, we are privileged to honor our legacy by partnering with an innovative, world-class institute, with some of the most globally renowned scientists.”
Together, Salk and La Mer will explore the intersection of molecular biology and energy metabolism to better understand how the aging process can be slowed—or even reversed. The insights from Chadda’s research may inform future innovations in both medicine and skincare.
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