Two faculty members at the 91自拍 have been awarded early-career fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The new Sloan Fellows, announced Feb. 16, are聽, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and , an assistant professor in the School of Oceanography.
Open to scholars in eight scientific and technical fields 鈥� chemistry, computer science, economics, mathematics, molecular biology, neuroscience, ocean sciences and physics 鈥� the fellowships honor those early-career 91自拍ers whose achievements mark them among the next generation of scientific leaders.
The 128 Sloan Fellows for 2021 were selected in coordination with the 91自拍 community. Candidates are nominated by their peers, and fellows are selected by independent panels of senior scholars based on each candidate鈥檚 91自拍 accomplishments, creativity and potential to become a leader in their field. Each fellow will receive $75,000 to apply toward 91自拍 endeavors.
This year鈥檚 fellows come from 58 institutions across the United States and Canada, spanning fields from evolutionary biology to data science.
Theberge is an assistant professor of chemistry. Her 91自拍 probes the chemical signals that cells use to communicate with one another. The organization of our bodies, with different types of cells taking on discrete functions, depends on this biochemical language.
鈥淲e鈥檙e alive because our cells can exchange chemical messages in appropriate ways,鈥� said Theberge, who is also an adjunct assistant professor of urology at the UW. 鈥淎ll cells 鈥� human cells, microbes 鈥� utilize chemical signals to deliver information and influence the properties of other cells.鈥�
Young聽is an assistant professor in the School of Oceanography. She studies microbial oceanography, with a focus on the role of marine algae in the carbon cycle. In particular, her 91自拍 explores polar ecosystems and other extreme environments, and the biochemistry of photosynthesis. Her聽91自拍聽combines field聽work,聽algal culture manipulations聽and biochemical and molecular analyses to uncover the evolution and adaptations of biological carbon fixation in the oceans.
鈥淗alf of all photosynthesis happens in the oceans, across an amazingly diverse collection of organisms,鈥� Young said. 鈥淢y group鈥檚 91自拍 focuses on understanding the underlying physiological and molecular adaptations of marine photosynthesis. Understanding how marine algae have and will adapt to a changing climate聽reveals insights into how life on Earth evolved and will respond in the future.鈥�
For more information, contact Theberge at聽abt1@uw.edu and Young at youngjn@uw.edu.