Rafael Tomoya Michita, PhD, a postdoctoral associate in the lab of Indira Mysorekar, PhD, was awarded a K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for his project titled “The Role of Tunneling Nanotubes and Mitochondrial Programming in HIV-Associated Placental Dysfunction“.
Dr. Michita is also one of the few selected from more than hundreds of nominations from across North America for the 2025 STAT Wunderkinds. Every year, STAT, a news organization that provides information on health, medicine and the life sciences, searches for young scientists achieving great success in their careers in health and medicine. STAT Wunderkinds are on the cusp of launching their careers but not yet fully independent. The award recognizes their groundbreaking work in academia, industry and the clinic as they attempt to answer some of the biggest questions in science and medicine.
Dr. Michita’s achievement is a reflection of Dr. Indira Mysorekar’s exceptional mentorship and commitment to fostering the next generation of scientific leaders. The K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award is designed to help early-stage investigators (ESIs) transition from mentored postdoctoral training to independent research positions. Under exceptional mentorship, ESIs like Dr. Michita gain the rigorous scientific training, creativity, and independence needed to launch successful research careers and make lasting contributions to their fields.
Congratulations, Dr. Michita.