Tomasz Nowakowski receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science for the development of technologies to identify and track the regenerative capacity of neural stem cells and neural progenitor cells in the human brain.

“I grew up in a city where Hevelius drew the first map of the surface of the moon,” he says “I often compare our cell atlasing efforts to those of early cartographers trying to set the stage for future explorations.”

Nowakowski grew up in a working-class family in Gdańsk, Poland. His passion for science started in high school, but he truly found his vocation while volunteering at a hospice and caring for a patient with schizophrenia. This experience made him realize how little we know about the complexity of the human mind.

After completing high school in 2004, he traveled to the United Kingdom where he earned his BSc in Physiology, followed by an MSc in Life Sciences, and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences; it was during his studies at Edinburgh that Nowakowski honed his research focus on neurobiology, with a focus on the different types of brain cells and the role of genetics in their development. He immigrated to the United States in 2012 to pursue postdoctoral work in neurology at the University of California, San Francisco, where he is now an associate professor. 

At UCSF, Nowakowski and his research team investigate the mechanisms by which neural stem cells generate and organize in the human brain. Believing that neurological and mental health disorders are rooted in the dysfunction of cell types and circuits, he is convinced that by illuminating these dysfunctions and their causes, scientists can develop targeted therapies.

Nowakowski is passionate about using his role as a research leader to advance and support promising scientists from diverse backgrounds, with a particular focus on  supporting historically underserved communities and scientists from Poland and Ukraine.

Awards and Accomplishments

Joseph Altman Award in Developmental Neuroscience (2023)
New York Stem Cell Foundation – Robertson Investigator (2022)
Laboratory for Genomics Research Innovation Award (2022)
Shurl & Kay Curci Foundation Scholar Award (2022)
Daniel X. Freedman Prize, Honorable Mention (2021)
Sontag Foundation Distinguished Scientist Award (2021)
Klingenstein-Simons Fund Fellowship Award in Neuroscience (2021)
Allen Institute for Brain Science Next Generation Leader (2018)
Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator (2018)
Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology, Finalist (2018)
NARSAD Young Investigator Award (2018)
Cajal Club Krieg Cortical Explorer Award (2017)
Broad Foundation Innovation Award (2017)
Simons Foundation for Autism Research Bridge to Independence Award (2017)
Distinction in Life Sciences, MSc, The University of Edinburgh (2008)
Wellcome Trust 4-Year PhD Studentship (2007)
Distinction in Biological Sciences with Honors in Physiology, BSc, the University of Edinburgh (2007)
The Nuffield Foundation Undergraduate Bursary (2006)
Wellcome Trust Undergraduate Studentship (2006)