The Allen Institute for Cell Science, a division of the Allen Institute, has launched a “Junior Fellows” Program, appointing three early-career cell scientists to interact with and advise the Institute.

The Cell Science Junior Fellows Program will engage emerging scientific experts to provide advice to the Allen Institute for Cell Science, introduce them to the Institute’s science and culture, and, at the same time, offer the fellows new opportunities for scientific development and potential research collaborations with the Institute.

“We wanted to have a mechanism for junior investigators to interact and synergize with us in a way that is useful for both sides. Their perspective is important and we’re excited to have them join our Advisory Councils,” said Susanne Rafelski, Ph.D., Director of Assay Development and a Deputy Director of the Allen Institute for Cell Science. “These three researchers are really on the cutting edge of biology and we have no doubt they will be leaders in their fields.”

The Junior Fellows will serve a three-year term, participating in the Allen Institute for Cell Science’s existing scientific advisory councils. The Institute plans to appoint new fellows yearly. They will also be invited to present their research at the Allen Institute’s annual Seattle Cell Science Symposium.

“The researchers at the Allen Institute for Cell Science are doing such phenomenal work and I’m thrilled to be a part of this community and do what I can to help them fulfill their mission,” said Johannes Schöneberg, Ph.D., a computational and experimental cell biologist who just started a new faculty position as an Assistant Professor at the University of California San Diego and is one of the inaugural Junior Fellows. “It’s also a great opportunity for me to interact with established, senior scientists and learn more about the advisory council process.”

The 2020 Junior Fellows are:

• Martin Kampmann, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the University of California, San Francisco
• Johannes Schöneberg, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the University of California San Diego
• David Van Valen, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the California Institute of Technology

The Allen Institute for Brain Science, another division of the Allen Institute, also has a comparable initiative, the Next Generation Leaders Program, a special advisory council comprised of neuroscientists in early stages of their career that is now in its seventh year. This program aims to identify exceptional scientists and give them scientific advisory experience early in their careers.