MGM alum Hannah Brown Harding, who trained with Dr. Andrew Alspaugh, is one of only seven researchers to receive a 2024 BroadIgnite Award.
Hannah is studying how the immune system responds to fungal pathogens.
Fungal pathogens, such as Candida albicans, cause some of the most prevalent and deadliest infections in patient populations. Yet there are only a few effective antifungal therapeutics. Hannah is working to change this. With her BroadIgnite award, she will profile fungal extracellular vesicles—membrane-bound particles secreted by fungi that help infect the host—and investigate how the host immune system responds to them. This work can yield crucial insights into the biology of fungal pathogens, pointing researchers toward new antifungal strategies.
BroadIgnite is an innovative Broad Institute program that connects early-career philanthropists with early-career scientists to build connections and fund science that may be too risky to receive funding from other sources. Award recipients receive $40,000 in direct-cost research funding. Recipients also receive professional development training in leadership, budget management, and science communication.
Click here to read more about the 2024 BroadIgnite Award recipients.