Featured Scholar
Katherine Turk
Katherine Turk, MD, PhD 2025 Toffler Scholar | Assistant Professor of Neurology, Boston University FIND ME ON Biography Katherine Turk traces her scientific identity to a single afternoon in college. As an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, she enrolled in a required science course taught by a practicing neurologist. One day, the professor brought…
Read MoreJudy Lee
Judy Lee, PhD Candidate 2024 Toffler Scholar | PhD Candidate, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Biography Judy Lee’s path into science began long before she understood what research was. Born in Madison, Wisconsin, to parents who had come from Korea for graduate study, she spent her earliest years immersed in…
Read MoreHanxi (Mark) Chen
Hanxi (Mark) Chen 2024 Toffler Scholar | Master’s Student in Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles FIND ME ON Biography Hanxi Chen’s interest in science began not just with equations or code, but with a genuine desire to make a social impact. Born in a small town in China and raised across multiple cities, Chen…
Read MoreZachary Sorrentino
Zachary Sorrentino, MD, PhD Physician–Scientist | Neurosurgery Resident | Leadership Grant Recipient (2020) | KTCT Research Grant Recipient (2025), University of Florida FIND ME ON Biography Zachary Sorrentino’s path into neuroscience was shaped as much by lived experience as by academic ambition. Raised in South Florida by two emergency room physicians, he grew up with…
Read MoreWanhao Chi
Wanhao Chi, PhD 2025 Toffler Scholar | Postdoctoral Researcher, Northwestern University FIND ME ON Biography Wanhao Chi’s scientific curiosity began not in a classroom, but outdoors. She grew up in a small town on China’s east coast, where her grandparents’ home included a modest yard filled with trees and insects. As a child, Chi spent…
Read MoreSung Soo Kim
+Sung Soo Kim, PhD 2025 Toffler Scholar | Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, UC Santa Barbara FIND ME ON FIND ME ON Biography From an early age, Sung Soo Kim imagined himself as a physicist. Growing up in South Korea, he excelled in physics and mathematics throughout elementary, middle, and high school, convinced…
Read MoreR. Stefan Isaac
R. Stefan Isaac, PhD 2025 Toffler Scholar | Assistant Professor, Boston University School of Medicine FIND ME ON Biography R. Stefan Isaac did not initially imagine a career in scientific research. Raised in East Tennessee, he came from a family without formal ties to academic science. His earliest exposure came primarily through his mother, a…
Read MorePrabesh Bhattarai
Prabesh Bhattarai, PhD 2024 Toffler Scholar | Associate Research Scientist, Columbia University Irving Medical Center FIND ME ON Biography Prabesh Bhattarai’s journey into neuroscience began far from the laboratories and research centers where he now works. He was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal. In this city, opportunity concentrates amid striking natural beauty and profound…
Read MoreJie Yang
Jie Yang, PhD 2024 Toffler Scholar | Research Assistant Professor, Boston University School of Medicine FIND ME ON Biography Jie Yang grew up in a rural region of eastern China, near Confucius’s birthplace, where education was highly valued. Despite modest circumstances and a lack of academic background, his perseverance and cultural values inspire admiration and…
Read MoreJessica Rexach
Jessica Rexach, MD, PhD 2024 Toffler Scholar | Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neurogenetics, University of California, Los Angeles FIND ME ON Biography Jessica Rexach’s path to science reflects a blend of curiosity, resilience, and an enduring drive to understand how complex systems fail and how they might be strengthened. Although she did not initially…
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