Two PhD students awarded HHMI Gilliam Fellowship

Two PhD candidates in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) program, Jordan Polster and Denethi Wijegunawardana, were recently selected as recipients of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Gilliam Fellows Program.

The program launches promising PhD students into impactful scientific research careers while fostering inclusive training environments.

Through the program, HHMI supports both graduate students and their faculty thesis advisors. Fellows receive up to three years of PhD dissertation support alongside numerous opportunities to connect with peers, program alumni, and HHMI scientists at every career stage. Both students and advisors benefit from tailored professional development programming and become part of HHMI’s vibrant scientific community. The program honors the contributions and service of the late James H. Gilliam, Jr., a charter trustee of HHMI and a respected business and civic leader.

Jordan Polster, a third-year PhD student in Microbiology, studies immune responses to mosquito-borne viruses and their vaccines, specifically dengue, which primarily impacts Latin America, the Caribbean, and parts of Southeast Asia.

As an undergraduate, Polster knew she wanted to pursue science. The human connection of biology appealed to her and the Covid-19 pandemic underscored the importance of global public health. The field also dovetailed with her interest in foreign language and cultures (she’s fluent in Spanish and double-majored in French). A 10-week internship at Rockefeller University helped set her on the path to PhD studies at Yale.

“Jordan is perseverant, brilliant, passionate, and kind. Jordan has been a catalyst for deep thinking in the lab. It’s nice to see her brilliance recognized by the Gilliam Fellowship. It’s a well-deserved accolade,” said David Martinez, assistant professor of immunobiology and microbial pathogenesis and Polster’s advisor.

“Jordan is not only an outstanding graduate student, but she also cares about helping to build a lab environment where all individuals are welcome and can thrive. Jordan has been a key driver in helping me set up a kind, collaborative, rigorous, and supportive lab environment,” added Martinez, who is also involved with the HHMI network.

“Being around other outstanding scientists in a similar career stage (and at more advanced career stages) is inspiring, and it pushes you to ask bold questions and to be fearless,” he added.

Polster said she’s particularly excited about the opportunities to connect with fellow scientists through the Gilliam Fellows Program and the broader HHMI network. Fellows are invited to attend an annual meeting plus one HHMI science meeting every year for the next three years. She’s looking forward to meeting people who are at a later career stage—the network includes younger researchers like herself plus post-docs and early career research faculty—and learning about “all the different possibilities after your PhD—how other people are having an impact on the world.”

“This also gives me a voice to communicate importance of the work that I’m doing, something that’s more important now than ever. I hope my work can contribute to improving of lives of people around the world,” Polster said.

“Dengue is coming into our part of the world soon – particularly in Florida, where I’m from. People think of it as a tropical disease, but it’s relevant to the U.S.”

For Denethi Wijegunawardana, a fourth-year PhD student in the Department of Neuroscience, being named an HHMI Gilliam Fellow is both humbling and exhilarating.

“To be selected as a Gilliam Fellow represents validation of my work and acknowledgement of my commitment to equity in science. Being recognized as a scientist by HHMI is an absolute honor, and I will strive to embody the values of scientific excellence, leadership, community engagement, and inclusivity that this recognition represents,” she said.

Wijegunawardana studies RNA dysregulation in human neurons to identify therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). She traces her scientific passion back to her postbaccalaureate work in the lab of Dr. Pallavi Gopal, a Yale neuropathologist, where she studied ALS and FTD and published several papers, including a first-author manuscript in Developmental Cell. A native of Sri Lanka, Wijegunawardana graduated high school at just 16 before moving to the United States to study Microbiology at The Ohio State University.

Now in Professor Junjie Guo’s lab, she continues to explore how RNA metabolism goes awry in neurodegeneration, with the goal of translating fundamental discoveries into therapies.

“To me, the human brain is the most sophisticated object in the universe,” she said. “Yet with over 60 million people worldwide living with dementia, and someone developing dementia every three seconds, there is a pressing need for therapeutic advances.”

“Since joining my group, Denethi has made many contributions to ongoing projects while also developing her own research ideas. When existing systems fell short of answering her questions, she proactively initiated collaborations and introduced new approaches to the lab. Her creativity and perseverance set her apart and position her to launch an impactful career in neurodegeneration research,” said Guo.

“She is passionate, motivated, creative, and community-minded — an exceptional young scientist with strong leadership potential,” he said.  

Wijegunawardana emphasizes that the fellowship’s impact goes beyond financial support. “It invests in holistic professional growth, cultivates a powerful community of scientists, and provides mentorship training for advisors to foster inclusive environments,” she said.

“It reinforces my responsibility to push the boundaries of neurodegenerative disease research while mentoring the next generation of scientists,” she said. “Years of late nights, failed experiments, and small breakthroughs have all led to this moment. The fellowship leaves me both validated and inspired to take bold new steps in research. It shines a light on the urgent need for progress in ALS and FTD and provides me with a platform to advocate for patients and families affected by these devastating conditions.”

She plans to use part of her Gilliam funding to launch NeuroConnect @ Yale, an annual event bringing together patients, clinicians, and scientists to share knowledge and lived experiences in neurodegeneration. 

Outside the lab, she serves on the Graduate Student Assembly, the Committee for Collaborative Excellence, and Women in Science at Yale. After Yale, she hopes to pursue a postdoctoral position and eventually lead her own lab at the intersection of molecular neuroscience and therapeutic discovery.

“My vision is to build a lab culture rooted in rigorous science, collaboration, and inclusivity,” she said. “I want to drive breakthroughs in neurodegeneration research while also developing the human potential of every scientist who joins me on that journey.”