Corinne Martin Awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Corinne Martin, a Fischell Department of Bioengineering senior and member of the Jewell Research Lab, was recently awarded a fellowship through the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP).

The fellowship is a five-year commitment that provides awardees with three years of financial support, including an annual stipend of $37,000, with the goal of helping to ensure the quality, vitality, and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce in the United States.

“Corinne has been on an incredible journey as she moves toward the next phase of her career,” said Chris Jewell, director of the Jewell Research Lab, MPower Professor, and Fischell Institute Fellow. “Her intellect, creativity, and enthusiasm for research and proactiveness in seeking out new experiences are traits that have put her on a very steep trajectory. Being honored with this fellowship recognizes these achievements and positions her for what we know will be a fantastic doctoral experience and highly impactful career beyond.”

The fellowship allows Martin to enter her Ph.D. program with funding already secured, which positions her as a stronger candidate for labs she might want to join. She plans to use the funds to research the genetic circuits that influence immune cell behavior and develop ways to manipulate these systems for cell-based immunotherapies to treat autoimmune diseases and cancer.

“Developing my application was a hugely valuable learning experience in the grant writing and revision process,” Martin explained. “I’m thankful to have had amazing support from Dr. Senta Kapnick and Dr. Jewell in my lab, as well as Dr. Francis Duvinage in the university’s National Scholarships Office, who all offered tons of guidance and continuous rounds of feedback throughout the writing process.”

In her future career, Martin hopes to lead a research group at either an academic institution or a biotech company.

“I’m extremely honored to have been awarded this fellowship,” Martin said, “especially from a pool of such extraordinary other candidates. I’m very excited about the opportunities this will help support as I enter my graduate studies.”

Published April 12, 2024