We are thrilled to announce the Spring 2026 recipients of the De Lille Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics!
Awarded twice each year, these grants support graduate students and postdoctoral researchers as they take important next steps in their careers. Whether it’s attending a scientific conference, taking a lab course, or building connections within the genetics community.
The award celebrates the legacy of Dale Nassar, a visionary leader and dedicated mentor whose decades of service at the National Science Foundation helped shape the field of genetics. An early-career scientist and a passionate advocate for bold, innovative research, Nasser inspired generations of researchers through his unwavering commitment to “true genetics.”
Please join us in congratulating this season’s award recipients!
Leah Anderson
University of Washington
Research Topic: I use experimental evolution and genomics to investigate antifungal resistance in yeast through a research-educational partnership that engages high school students in authentic scientific discovery.
Ram Burton
University of Georgia
Research Topic: I investigate how changes in meiotic proteins affect fertility outcomes in female fruit flies.
Isaac Chizek
Cornell University
Research Topic: I investigate how mismatches arise between DNA repair genes in yeast and how they can be suppressed.
Logan Adolson
University of Rochester
Research Topic: I study the mechanistic diversity of complex meiotic driver haplotypes in inducing spermatogenesis and their consequences for the evolution of gametogenesis.
Glaphyra ermakova
University of British Columbia
Research Topic: I study how the nuclear hormone receptor NHR-49 regulates the stress response. C. elegans.
Marco Gontejo
Duke University
Research Topic: I study how genetic adaptation allows Mycobacterium tuberculosisthe bacterium that causes human tuberculosis, resists immune defenses and persists in the body.
Yi Han (daughter) Huang
Johns Hopkins University
Research Topic: I study how genetic variations affect gene expression.
Emily Longman
University of Vermont
Research Topic: My research seeks to advance our understanding of the mechanisms and consequences of adaptive variation in unmodeled marine systems.
Daniel Shaw
University of Montana
Research Topic: By studying animals living in extreme environments and comparing the genomes of all species, I investigate how evolution rewires DNA to solve biological challenges and create biodiversity.
Chi Wee
Old Dominion University
Research Topic: I study a long-term monitored population of Acorn Woodpeckers in central coastal California, investigating how movement between groups and environmental conditions shape genetic diversity and population structure in this socially complex bird species.
