The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has named Simón(e) Sun, a postdoc in Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Associate Professor Jessica Tollkuhn’s lab, a 2023 Hanna Gray Fellow.
Since 2017, the Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program has worked to increase diversity among early-career researchers in the biomedical and life sciences. The fellowship provides Sun up to $1.5 million for up to eight years. This funding will support her studies on the effects of sex hormones on the brain during adolescence.
“I’m honored to be named a Hanna Gray Fellow and to be a part of this esteemed community of scientists,” Sun says. “In this time when the civil rights and freedoms of sex and gender minorities are under attack, I hope my research into the neurobiology of gonadal hormones, supported by HHMI and CSHL, can advance the social and material conditions of those of us impacted by attempts to use science as a tool of oppression.”
Sun is a senior fellow at the Center for Applied Transgender Studies, a 2022 Leading Edge Fellow, and a vocal advocate for transgender rights.
“I am thrilled to see Simón(e) recognized for her achievements and vision,” Tollkuhn says. “The Hanna H. Gray Fellowship is transformative. It allows brilliant scientists like Simón(e) to pursue their evolving research goals and connects them with a stellar community of colleagues with which to form lasting relationships.”
Written by: Nick Wurm, Communications Specialist | wurm@cshl.edu | 516-367-5940