PNI graduate student Priscilla Louis, and her advisors, PNI associate director and associate professor Tim Buschman, Ph.D. and PNI assistant professor Jesse Gomez, Ph.D., have been awarded a 2024 Gilliam Fellowship from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Louis is one of just 50 graduate trainees selected for the 2024 cohort, which received a record-breaking number of entries from 163 different institutions.

“Together, these brilliant minds represent the future of science – a future in which individuals of diverse backgrounds and experiences come together to move science forward for the betterment of all,” said Blanton Tolbert, HHMI’s vice president of science leadership and culture, in a press release(Link is external).

Gilliam Fellows are chosen for their commitment to advancing equity and inclusion in science. As a Fellow, Louis and her advisors will receive an annual award of $53,000 to support their research for up to three years.

Louis will use her funds to continue her work with Buschman and Gomez on how cognition and cortex develop in children and adults, using brain imaging techniques such as functional MRI and MEG.

Since its inception in 2004, the Gilliam Fellows Program has supported 501 fellows. In addition to research funding, student-adviser pairs participate in leadership training, professional development, and other opportunities to promote healthy mentorship in science.