The newly selected 19 Hertz Fellows embody the spirit of innovation as they address some of the most urgent challenges across contemporary scientific frontiers. From pioneering RNA-based technologies aimed at neutralizing multidrug-resistant bacterial infections to orchestrating satellite missions designed to uncover the universe’s elusive missing matter, these scholars are pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Their research further extends into crafting artificial intelligence systems capable of learning and reasoning in ways akin to human cognition, as well as advancing quantum simulation techniques that enable experimental probing of theoretical physics problems once considered intractable. Beyond their technical expertise, all fellows uphold a profound ethical commitment to support national interests during times of emergency, continuing a tradition established since 1963.

Stephen Fantone, chair of the Hertz Foundation board and CEO of Optikos Corporation, emphasizes that the fellowship consistently identifies individuals whose aspirations transcend personal achievement. This year’s cohort reflects a resolute dedication to innovating solutions with substantial implications for public health, national security, and future technological landscapes. Their collective expertise spans diverse disciplines including astrophysics, quantum chemistry, robotics, plant sciences, and neuroscience, and they are poised to conduct research at leading research institutions across the country. Notably, the Class of 2026 includes the latest Hertz Fellow from the United States Military Academy at West Point, maintaining a long-standing connection between the fellowship and influential military science careers.

The fellowship’s impact extends well beyond immediate financial aid. Upon joining the fellowship, awardees integrate into an expansive global network of over 1,300 Hertz Fellows. This interdisciplinary community has historically contributed to breakthroughs such as the James Webb Space Telescope, global defense infrastructures, revolutionary medical treatments, and scalable computational platforms. The ongoing collaboration among fellows fosters numerous research partnerships, commercial ventures, and technology startups. These synergistic relationships are further strengthened through strategic alliances with prominent organizations spanning philanthropy, national security, and scientific advancement, including the Gates Foundation, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Analog Devices, and the American Physical Society.

Wendy Connors, president of the Hertz Foundation, highlights the organization’s commitment to nurturing fellows throughout their professional lives, not merely during their graduate studies. The 2026 cohort inherits a legacy of lifelong engagement, encompassing mentorship, specialized programming, networking opportunities, and resources to catalyze research impact, entrepreneurship, and leadership in science and technology sectors. This stewardship model ensures that Hertz Fellows remain influential thought leaders with the capacity to shape national and global progress.

The evaluation and selection process is spearheaded by distinguished Hertz Fellows who themselves are deeply embedded in cutting-edge science. Philip Welkhoff, director of the malaria program at the Gates Foundation, and Anna Bershteyn, an associate professor of population health at New York University, co-lead the rigorous assessment that identifies candidates exhibiting extraordinary creativity, perseverance, and principled leadership. Their assessment focuses on selecting doctoral students capable of solving complex problems that lie beyond the reach of conventional approaches.

Welkhoff remarks on the cohort’s remarkable fearlessness and innovation in confronting scientific frontiers with unyielding creativity and vision. He anticipates that the intellectual freedom provided by the fellowship will enable these researchers to achieve breakthroughs that significantly enhance American scientific prowess. Bershteyn echoes this sentiment, noting the unique curiosity and diverse trajectories of the fellows, which will foster interdisciplinary collaboration and robust innovation at the interfaces of their respective fields. This dynamic exchange is central to the fellowship’s lasting influence as a crucible for novel ideas and applications.

Among the esteemed alumni of the Hertz Foundation are luminaries whose work has left indelible marks on science and technology, including Nobel Laureate John Mather, who served as project scientist for the landmark James Webb Space Telescope mission. Other notable fellows include Kimberly Budil, director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; Kathleen Fisher, CEO of Aria; and the AI safety pioneers Dario Amodei and Jared Kaplan, founders of Anthropic. Collectively, Hertz Fellows have garnered accolades such as Breakthrough Prizes, MacArthur Fellowships, Turing Awards, Fields Medals, and national science and technology medals. Their prolific output includes thousands of patents, the founding of hundreds of companies, and the creation of extensive employment opportunities in science and technology.

The 2026 fellows represent a wide range of research domains. For example, Hannah Barsouk at Stanford University is developing RNA-based tools targeting the programmable modulation of biological systems, aimed at elucidating mechanisms of disease disruption. Andrew Chu, preparing for doctoral studies at Stanford, works at the intersection of materials science and electrochemistry with applications in sustainable energy technologies. Elizabeth Chung at UCSF leverages systems biology and neuroimmunology to inform novel therapies for neuroimmune diseases grounded in clinical insights. In astrophysics, Elizabeth Kozlov at Princeton is investigating photon ring observables around black holes to decode the geometrical properties of extreme spacetime environments.

Other fellows include Tyler Hou at Princeton, whose work integrates algebraic and logical frameworks for enhancing reasoning systems in programming and distributed computing. Sam Foxman from Caltech, soon to join Stanford’s aeronautics and astronautics program, focuses on spacecraft communication and AI applications in space exploration. Daniel Lesman of Harvard delves into computational and experimental approaches to blood-circulating proteins, while Eric Zhu at Harvard explores quantum simulators that render accessible theoretical physics questions.

In aggregate, the 2026 Hertz Fellowship recipients exemplify the highest caliber of intellectual attainment and innovative spirit. They enter a community that has consistently transformed bold ideas into tangible scientific and technological advances. As these researchers advance their projects, they not only continue a venerable tradition of excellence but also position themselves at the forefront of critical domains shaping the future of human knowledge and capability.

This remarkable cohort’s commitment to solving complex scientific problems amidst rapidly evolving global challenges underscores the enduring importance of independent and sustained support in nurturing the next generation of scientific leaders. The Hertz Foundation’s enduring success lies in its mission to empower these extraordinary individuals to pursue their ambitions without constraint, fostering breakthroughs that resonate across society, national security, and economic development. The Class of 2026 stands ready to contribute profoundly and enduringly to these objectives.

Subject of Research: Applied Sciences, Engineering, Mathematics
Article Title: The 2026 Hertz Fellowship Cohort: Revolutionizing Science and Technology Frontiers
News Publication Date: 2024
Web References: https://www.hertzfoundation.org/hertz-fellowship/
References: Profiles and biographies from Hertz Foundation official website
Image Credits: Not provided

Keywords

Hertz Fellowship, doctoral fellowship, scientific innovation, applied sciences, astrophysics, quantum chemistry, artificial intelligence, RNA-based technologies, national security, interdisciplinary research, scientific leadership, groundbreaking research

The gut-brain axis has emerged as a critical pathway through which the digestive system modulates physiological and behavioral responses. Neuropods, sensory cells embedded within the lining of the large intestine, act as neuroendocrine communicators. Kaelberer’s prior research has illuminated the role of neuropods in translating nutrient stimuli into neural signals, challenging conventional understanding that focused predominantly on systemic hormonal feedback. This neurological channel offers a novel window into how dietary inputs may be encoded during development to influence future eating behaviors and metabolic health.

Building on foundational studies that demonstrated maternal consumption of high-fat and high-sugar diets predisposes mouse offspring to obesity, Kaelberer proposes a nuanced inquiry into “nutritional memory.” By providing pregnant mice access to sweetened condensed milk alongside regular chow—mimicking human patterns of supplemental dietary indulgence—she aims to decode how prenatal nutrition calibrates the gut’s sensory apparatus. The central hypothesis posits that in utero exposure to energy-dense, palatable nutrients wires the offspring’s neuropods to demand richer calorie sources, shaping long-term preferences that tilt toward unhealthy diets.

This research transcends simple cause-effect paradigms by replicating naturalistic feeding environments rather than imposing artificial dietary restrictions. It acknowledges the human tendency for dietary supplementation through “junk” foods, despite availability of healthier alternatives. The experimental design seeks to mirror this complexity, providing critical insights into how the sensory nervous system in the gastrointestinal tract acquires and retains information about nutrient availability, possibly creating a persistent “set point” for caloric intake regulation.

Kaelberer’s work may redefine the role of the gut as not merely a passive digestive organ but a dynamic sensory network encoding nutrient signals that dictate behavior. She envisions that elucidating the interplay between maternal diet and offspring gut-brain signaling could unlock personalized nutritional interventions capable of mitigating diet-induced diseases. By understanding how neuropods respond to and remember specific macronutrients like fats and sugars, scientists might one day tailor diets that align with an individual’s programmed sensory preferences, enhancing adherence and health outcomes.

One of the more speculative yet transformative goals is the concept of “reprogramming” the gut at a cellular level. Kaelberer’s prior identification of long-lived neuropods capable of storing nutrient memory suggests these cells could be strategic targets for therapeutic manipulation. Removing or modulating these persistent sensory cells in mouse models may reveal pathways to alter food preference behaviors, offering hope for future pharmacological interventions designed to redirect human dietary choices toward healthier alternatives.

The complexity of this research lies in decoding the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which neuropods detect a variety of nutrients beyond fat and sugar, including proteins and micronutrients, and transmit this information to the neural circuits governing appetite and reward. This sensory integration likely involves specialized receptor expression, neurotransmitter release, and synaptic plasticity, which remain to be fully characterized. Such insights could fundamentally alter understanding of how prenatal environmental factors program long-term metabolic trajectories via neural pathways.

Kaelberer’s approach integrates sensory neuroscience with nutritional physiology, bridging disciplines to tackle one of the most stubborn public health challenges: diet-related diseases. Though substantial advances have been made in identifying dietary risk factors, interventions targeting the sensory and neural underpinnings of eating behavior remain scarce. This research could pioneer strategies for breaking entrenched dietary habits by modulating gut sensory cells, potentially leading to more effective obesity and diabetes prevention.

The implications of this work are profound. If early life nutrient exposures shape the gut’s sensory architecture, which in turn influences dietary preferences, then maternal nutrition emerges as a pivotal determinant of population health trends. This perspective compels a reconsideration of prenatal care guidelines, emphasizing not only caloric sufficiency but also the sensory quality of maternal diets to promote healthier offspring outcomes.

Additionally, the possibility of developing drugs that selectively target long-lived neuropods to rewire dietary preferences offers a futuristic yet plausible avenue for intervention. Such treatments could reduce the global burden of diet-related diseases by addressing the neural basis of maladaptive eating, an approach that current behavioral or nutritional therapies do not adequately encompass.

Kaelberer’s research also challenges existing dietary recommendations by proposing that nutrient sensory memory must be accounted for to create sustainable, palatable diet plans. Rather than imposing strict restrictions that often lead to poor compliance, personalized nutrition informed by gut-brain communication could offer nuanced solutions, providing alternatives that satisfy sensory expectations while supporting health.

Ultimately, this research embodies a bold attempt to translate sensory and cellular neuroscience into practical nutritional strategies. By unraveling how maternal diet shapes offspring neuropod function and food preferences, Kaelberer’s work may inaugurate a new era in nutrition science—one that recognizes the gut’s active role in encoding nutrient value and guiding lifelong eating behavior.

Subject of Research: Influence of maternal diet on offspring food preferences mediated by gut-brain signaling through neuropods
Article Title: [Not provided in source content]
News Publication Date: [Not provided in source content]
Web References: https://medicine.arizona.edu/; https://research.arizona.edu/news/gut-sense-connecting-large-intestine-brain-could-help-regulate-appetite
References: [Not provided in source content]
Image Credits: Photo by Noelle Haro-Gomez, University of Arizona Health Sciences Office of Communications
Keywords: Pregnancy, Nutrition, Nutritional physiology, Infants, Dietetics