The Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences (MINS) at the University of Pennsylvania is pleased to announce an international call for submissions for the annual Rising Star Award in neuroscience research. To highlight the “Year of Neuroimmunology” on Penn’s campus, the award honors a young researcher for outstanding contributions to neuroimmmunology research with a USD 10,000 personal honorarium at the MINS 39th Annual Retreat and Symposium on April 3, 2024. 

Neuroimmunology is at the convergence of fields of neurology, neuroscience and immunology. Classical neuroinflammatory disorders include multiple sclerosis and infections, and the paraneoplastic disorders. More recently discoveries find that the immune system contributes to genetic white matter disorders, epilepsy, neurodegenerative diseases, neuropsychiatric disorders, peripheral nervous system and neuro‐oncological conditions, as well as ageing. The 2024 MINS Rising Star Award will honor a researcher who is at the forefront of this nascent field, promoting scientific discovery and/or translating these discoveries into interventions that preserve, restore, and enhance brain functions. 

Award: 

• In addition to the USD 10,000 personal honorarium, the award recipient will present a research seminar at the symposium on April 3, 2024 
• Also at the symposium, Prof. Katerina Akassoglou, PhD, UCSF, Gladstone, will give the Sprague Lecture, and Prof. Marco Colonna, MD, Washington University, will give the Adler Lecture. 
• The award recipient will be featured in MINS’ Annual Symposium newsletter, distributed to the neuroscience community. 

Eligibility: 

• Researchers who received their first advanced degree, such as a PhD, in 2009 or more recently are invited to submit an entry. 
• Extensions to the 2009 eligibility date are granted for family and medical leave. 
• The winner must be able to travel to the University of Pennsylvania to receive the award and present the seminar on April 3 2024. 

Submission Requirements: 

Applicants should submit a single PDF file with: 

• A one-page description of their contribution to the field of Neuroimmunology 
• Full curricula vitae 
• Names of three references – references may be requested separately 

The deadline for submissions is December 1, 2023 to MINSRisingStarAward@lists.upenn.edu. 

More information can be found at www.med.upenn.edu/ins.