Biological Sciences Department Announces Annual Student Awards

The Biological Sciences Department has recently announced its annual awards, honoring eight outstanding students. 

The John S. Newberry Prize is awarded to a graduate student in the Department who, in the opinion of the faculty, is the “most promising student of the year in the field of vertebrate zoology.” The 2026 recipients of this award are Linhan Dong and Eli Gumnit.

Linhan Dong

Linhan Dong’s graduate work has centered on mosquitos, which are responsible for nearly a million deaths each year and a great burden on global public health. In the Duvall lab, Dong has studied how mosquito behaviors—like biting and egg-laying—contribute to their ability to reproduce and spread disease, with the ultimate goal of disrupting these behaviors. “Many of my research questions come from simple observations, and the results come from curiosity-driven approaches,” said Dong. Using a new system for long-term behavioral monitoring and stimulus delivery, Dong discovered that mosquito responsiveness to hosts varies with time of day, which could help ensure that interventions are deployed during the most protective window. The high-resolution behavioral and molecular techniques he pioneered continue to be used in the Duvall lab, and Dong is excited to explore new ways to disrupt the mosquito behaviors that pose risks to human health. 

Eli Gumnit

In the Tosches lab, Eli Gumnit studies how the diversity of neuron types in the vertebrate brain evolved. Gumnit develops tools that enable researchers to characterize key neuronal subtypes across species and identify gene expression differences that influence subtype evolution. “I really enjoy integrating data from a variety of techniques and fields of study,” Gumnit says. “The collaborative atmosphere of my lab, where everyone brings a unique perspective and expertise, makes this possible.” Gumnit’s work is a stepping stone towards understanding the emergence of complex brains, generally, and the specific evolutionary innovations present in the mammalian brain.

The Peter Sajovic Memorial Prize is awarded to a graduate student doing “outstanding work in biology.” The recipient of this year’s award is Anthony Desotell. 

Anthony Desotell

In the Tong lab, Anthony Desotell uses structural biology to study the specialized RNA-processing machinery that regulates histone production. Histones are proteins that are crucial for the organization and storage of DNA, and cells must make more of them when they divide. Regulation of histone production is particularly important for rapidly dividing cancer cells, so Desotell hopes to uncover targets for novel cancer therapies. Desotell first became inspired by structural biology while using cryo-EM—a microscopy technique that allows atomic-level resolution of molecules—to study how single amino acid mutations could change the structure of proteins. Apart from his work in the Tong lab, Desotell has enjoyed being part of the departmental community and watching his peers grow over time. In the future, he hopes to work in the pharmaceutical industry, where he can be closer to “the forefront of driving change.” 

The James Howard McGregor Award is awarded to a graduate student in the Department who, in the opinion of the faculty, “shows unusual promise as a teacher of zoology.” This year’s recipients are Tori Saltz and Lauren Unterreiner.

Tori Saltz

From teaching introductory neuroscience labs as an undergraduate to serving as a TA for a graduate neuroethology seminar, Tori Saltz has long loved helping students engage with new concepts and develop hands-on research skills. She is particularly passionate about supporting students doing research for the first time, teaching them wet-lab techniques as well as talking them through papers, experiments, and ideas they might pursue. These experiences have also shaped Saltz’s approach to mentoring undergraduate researchers in the Tosches lab, where her PhD research focuses on the evolution of vertebrate sensory processing. Using large-scale imaging of neuronal activity, Saltz studies how sensory modalities like touch, vision, and smell are processed in the amphibian brain. Currently serving as the department’s Lead Teaching Fellow, Saltz is excited to continue developing her teaching skills through her fellowship with the Center for Teaching and Learning and to bring more teaching resources to the Biological Sciences Department.

Lauren Unterreiner

Lauren Unterreiner started teaching as an undergraduate at Binghamton University, where she was inspired by the impact she saw teaching assistants have on students. Unterreiner continued teaching at Columbia as a TA for Lars Dietrich’s Project Lab in Microbiology, helping students turn their curiosity into hands-on wet-lab experiments. “My favorite part of teaching,” Unterreiner said, “is watching the students grow from being hesitant about lab work to independently designing scientific ideas.” In the Dietrich lab, Unterreiner studies the spatial organization and metabolism of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen that can survive across a diverse range of environments, including within the lungs of individuals with cystic fibrosis. As she mentors undergraduates pursuing this research in the lab, her skills and experiences as a teacher shape her mentoring approach. “Teaching has taught me that every individual learns differently, helping me to become more adaptable and empathetic as a communicator,” she said. 

The Chinweike Okegbe Memorial Award is awarded to a graduate student “who, in the opinion of administrators and faculty, has had a lasting impact due to his/her service to the Department.” This year’s recipients are Claire Sattler, Patra Holmes, and Aniekan Umoren. 

Claire Sattler 

Claire Sattler is beginning her second year in the PhD program but is a longtime member of the department. These years of experience inform Sattler’s contributions as a member of the Biological Sciences Graduate Student Council (BSGSC) and chair of the Recruitment Subcommittee. Sattler loves running recruitment, which she sees as an opportunity both to connect with potential students and to help them make informed decisions about PhD programs. In the Mendelsohn lab, Sattler studies bladder cancer, focusing on how changes in cellular programming drive tumor formation. “Call me a sap,” she says, “but I’m really driven by research where there’s a direct goal of helping people.” A highlight of Sattler’s time in the department has come off campus. As a professional comedian, she remembers “the sheer number of times I’ve stepped onstage and seen the audience packed with PhD students,” a testament to how “we show up for each other when it counts.” 

Aniekan Umoren 

As part of the department’s Social Hour Committee, Aniekan Umoren has enjoyed seeing how “a little, well-placed effort can breathe new life into a community.” Umoren initially got involved with Social Hour to improve the diversity of activities. Helping to foster a space for both science and laughter has become a highlight of his time in the department. Umoren is also co-chair of the BUMP Biology undergraduate mentorship program, through which he hopes to broaden his impact at Columbia outside of the Biological Sciences graduate program. As part of the Tomer lab, Umoren studies the “rich patterns of activities that emerge spontaneously in biological neural networks,” using brain organoids to provide insights into neural plasticity and learning.  

Patra Holmes 

Patra Holmes’s academic journey has been shaped by student organizations and the communities they have fostered. At Columbia, she’s committed to honoring this influence. Holmes is currently working to expand students’ opportunities to explore non-academic careers through the Biological Sciences Career Initiative. As co-chair of the BSGSC, she also works to facilitate communication between students and faculty. In the Dietrich lab, Holmes studies metabolism in the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa with the goal of informing therapies for chronic infection. A highlight of her time in the department has been the support and sense of home she’s found in the Dietrich lab, among her PhD cohort, and as part of BSGSC.