Skip to main content
Vilcek Foundation
  • About
    • About

      The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and fosters appreciation of the arts and sciences.

    • Our Mission
    • Our Founders
    • Our Team
    • Press Center
    • Contact
  • Prizes
    • Prizes

      The Vilcek Foundation Prizes celebrate extraordinary achievements in the arts and sciences.

    • About the Prizes
    • Prize Recipients
    • Vilcek Prizes

      Awards immigrants with a legacy of major accomplishments.

    • Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise

      Recognizes young immigrant professionals for outstanding achievements.

    • Vilcek Prize for Excellence

      Celebrating intellectual and cultural leaders in the United States.

    • Marica Vilcek Prize in Art History

      Honors art historians, curators, and fine arts professionals.

  • Art
  • Grants
    • Grants

      Grants awarded to 501(c)(3) cultural, educational, and philanthropic organizations in the United States.

    • Grants

      Learn more and apply for a grant.

    • Grants History

      Explore a list of past Vilcek Foundation grantees.

  • Events
  • News
Sign Up Search
Home > News > Vilcek Foundation honors immigrant scientists with $250,000 in prizes

Vilcek Foundation honors immigrant scientists with $250,000 in prizes

News | October 18, 2022
Download Press Release PDF
Tags
2023 VFP bioimaging biology biomedical science cancer cellular regeneration cognitive neuroscience endocrinology genetics metabolism neurology neuroscience physics stem cells
Share this page
Share this page on X Share this page on Facebook Share this page on LinkedIn

The Vilcek Foundation is delighted to announce the recipients of the 2023 Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Biomedical Science. Totaling $250,000 in awards, the prizes honor the contributions of foreign-born scientists to scientific research, discovery, and innovation, and raise awareness of the value of immigration for intellectual and cultural life in the United States.

The Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Biomedical Science comprise the Vilcek Prize and three Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise. Join us in congratulating the recipients of the 2023 prizes:

  • Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado (b. Venezuela)
  • Edward Chouchani (b. Canada)
  • Biyu J. He (b. China)
  • Shixin Liu (b. China)

Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science

The Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science recognizes an immigrant scientist whose career achievements represent a legacy of major accomplishment, and whose work will have a lasting impact in their field. The prize includes a cash award of $100,000 and a commemorative trophy.

Portrait of Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado.

Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado

Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado receives the Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science for his contributions to the field of regeneration—from the identification of crucial genes that control regeneration in living organisms, to the potential for regenerative medicine to address how we treat disease in humans. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Sánchez Alvarado immigrated to the United States to pursue his bachelor’s at Vanderbilt University, before going on to complete his PhD in pharmacology and cell biophysics at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine. An elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, Sánchez Alvarado is executive director and chief scientific officer of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.

 

The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science

The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science are awarded to immigrant scientists whose early-career work demonstrates outstanding achievement and has the potential to leave a significant impact on their field. Prizewinners each receive a cash award of $50,000, and a commemorative certificate. Edward Chouchani, Biyu J. He, and Shixin Liu are the recipients of the 2023 Creative Promise Prizes.

 

Portrait of Edward Chouchani.

Edward Chouchani

Edward Chouchani receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science for his work to decipher the molecular mechanisms that drive metabolic disease, with the aim of developing therapeutic interventions targeted at the molecular drivers of metabolism within cells. Chouchani is an associate professor of cancer biology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an associate professor of cell biology at Harvard Medical School. He is a cofounder and board member of Matchpoint Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on the development of precision medicine. Born in Ottawa, Canada, Chouchani earned his bachelor’s at Carleton University and his PhD in biological sciences at the University of Cambridge.

 

Portrait of Biyu J. He.

Biyu J. He

Biyu J. He receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science for her research leadership in the field of cognitive neuroscience, and for her groundbreaking work on the biological bases of perceptual cognition and subjective experience. She is the principal investigator of the Perception and Brain Dynamics Laboratory at NYU Langone Health, and an assistant professor of neurology, neuroscience and psychology, and radiology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Born in Xinxiang, China, Biyu J. He immigrated to the United States to pursue her PhD in neuroscience at Washington University in St. Louis.

 

Portrait of Shixin Liu.

Shixin Liu

Shixin Liu receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise for applying cutting-edge biophysical tools to directly visualize, manipulate, and understand the physiological function of nanometer-scale biomolecular machines including DNA replication and transcription complexes at the single-molecule level. Liu is an associate professor at The Rockefeller University, where he has been the head of the Laboratory of Nanoscale Biophysics and Biochemistry since 2016. Born in Anhui province in China, he immigrated to the United States to pursue his PhD in chemistry at Harvard University.

Tags
2023 VFP bioimaging biology biomedical science cancer cellular regeneration cognitive neuroscience endocrinology genetics metabolism neurology neuroscience physics stem cells
Share this page
Share this page on X Share this page on Facebook Share this page on LinkedIn

Related News

February 3, 2025

Vilcek Foundation Awards $250,000 to Immigrants in Biomedical Science

Meet the recipients of the 2025 Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Biomedical Science: Marianne Bronner, Elham Azizi, Guosong Hong, and Maayan Levy.
Four diagonal splices featuring portraits of Marianne Bronner, Elham Azizi, Guosong Hong, and Maayan Levy, against a red background.
April 13, 2023

Edward Chouchani seeks to understand the role of metabolism in disease

Born in Canada, biochemist and cell biologist Edward Chouchani uses mass spectrometry to illuminate the metabolic pathways that drive cellular function and disease.
A portrait of Edward Chouchani smiling.
March 29, 2023

Biyu J. He: “Conscious experience is the root of who we are”

Born in Xinxiang, China, cognitive neuroscientist Biyu J. He is driven to understand the neurobiological bases of human cognition and subjective experience.
A portrait of Biyu J. He in front of an MRI machine.

You may also be interested in

Edward Chouchani

Edward Chouchani receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science for his work to decipher the molecular mechanisms that drive metabolic disease, with the aim of developing therapeutic interventions targeted at the molecular drivers of metabolism within cells.
Portrait of Edward Chouchani.

Biyu J. He

Biyu J. He receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science for her leadership in the field of cognitive neuroscience, and for her groundbreaking discoveries on the biological bases of perceptual cognition and subjective experience.
Portrait of Biyu J. He.

Shixin Liu

Shixin Liu receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise for applying cutting-edge biophysical tools to directly visualize, manipulate, and understand the physiological function of nanometer-scale biomolecular machines including DNA replication and transcription complexes at the single-molecule level.
Portrait of Shixin Liu.

Join our mailing list

Sign Up
Vilcek Foundation
21 East 70th Street
New York, New York 10021

Phone: 212.472.2500

Email: info@vilcek.org

  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Our Founders
    • Our Team
    • Press Center
    • Contact
  • Prizes
    • Prize Recipients
    • Vilcek Prizes
    • Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise
    • Vilcek Prize for Excellence
    • Marica Vilcek Prize in Art History
  • Art
  • Grants
    • Grants History
  • Events
  • News
  • Careers
Connect with us
  • Connect with the Vilcek Foundation on Facebook
  • Connect with the Vilcek Foundation on Instagram
  • Connect with the Vilcek Foundation on X
  • Connect with the Vilcek Foundation on LinkedIn
  • Connect with the Vilcek Foundation on Youtube
  • Connect with the Vilcek Foundation on Vimeo
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
© 2025   Vilcek Foundation
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok