Indian-origin scientist named 2025 Pew biomedical scholar

Vignesh Kasinath joins 2025 Pew Scholars Program, receiving four years of funding for genetic research.

Vignesh Kasinath. / University of Colorado Boulder

Vignesh Kasinath, an Indian assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, has been selected as one of 22 early-career researchers to join the 2025 Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences. The Pew Charitable Trusts announced the new class on Aug.13 marking the program’s 40th group of awardees since its launch in 1985.

The scholars, chosen from 209 applicants nominated by leading U.S. academic institutions, will receive four years of funding to pursue fundamental research on human health and disease. They will also join a network of more than 1,000 Pew-funded scientists and meet annually to exchange ideas and foster interdisciplinary collaborations.

Dr. Kasinath, who earned his B.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, a Ph.D. in biochemistry and biophysics from the University of Pennsylvania, and completed postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley, will study how cells “silence” transposons — genetic elements whose movement within the genome can disrupt normal gene function. His expertise includes chromatin biology, electron cryo-microscopy, epigenetics, gene regulation, and structural biology.

“For 40 years, Pew has supported young, talented researchers as they take creative approaches to solving big scientific questions,” said Donna Frisby-Greenwood, Pew’s senior vice president for Philadelphia and scientific advancement. “This new class continues that legacy, and we look forward to seeing where their discoveries lead.”

Lee Niswander, a 1995 Pew scholar and chair of the program’s national advisory committee, said Pew-funded scientists have long contributed to breakthroughs that improved human health. “I’m confident this new class of scholars, with their innovative and creative approaches to scientific research, will continue this tradition,” she said.

This year’s class includes researchers examining topics ranging from the role of gut bacteria in combating metabolic diseases to understanding how the human brain develops over time and applying new technologies to prevent and treat illnesses.

Five of the 2025 scholars will receive additional support from the Kathryn W. Davis Peace by Pieces Fund for research on brain health in aging.

Kasinath’s previous honors include the NIH Pathway to Independence Award (2019), a Helen Hay Whitney Foundation postdoctoral fellowship (2015), and the Saul Winegrad Outstanding Dissertation Award from the University of Pennsylvania (2014).

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