Accolades: Researchers, Networks, and Prizewinning Science at Yale School of Medicine

Akiko Iwasaki, PhD

Sterling Professor of Immunobiology; Professor of Dermatology and of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases); Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

For years, Akiko Iwasaki, who researches immune defense mechanisms at mucosal surfaces, has been committed to public science communication, keeping active on social media, speaking regularly with journalists around the globe about her work, and explaining scientific concepts to wide audiences. She is equally committed to mentoring junior colleagues, especially women and minorities who are underrepresented in science. This commitment stems in part from her personal experiences, including observing a lack of support for women in research while a doctoral student. She has demonstrated that focusing on mentorship is not at odds with producing groundbreaking work: Iwasaki has been recognized with a Blavatnik Fund for Innovation award (2020), membership in the National Academy of Sciences (2018) and National Academy of Medicine (2019), and has been a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator since 2014.