Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists
The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists was established in 2007 through a partnership between the Blavatnik Family Foundation, headed by Leonard Blavatnik, chairman of Access Industries, and the New York Academy of Sciences, headed by president Mr. Ellis Rubinstein. The awards have been given annually to selected faculty and postdoctoral researchers age 42 years and younger who work in the life and physical sciences and engineering at institutions in the New York tri-state area. The first Blavatnik Awards were given in New York City on Monday, November 12, 2007. On June 3, 2013, the Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences announced the expansion of the faculty competition to include young scientists from institutions throughout the United States. In April 2017, the Blavatnik Awards program was expanded to the United Kingdom and Israel.
U.S. Regional Postdoctoral Competition
The regional program will continue to recognize postdoctoral researchers working at institutions in the New York tri-state area. The regional program accepts nominations for scientists working in the life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, and engineering. Nominations are accepted from institutions in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Submissions for the regional program are reviewed by a Judging Panel of senior scientists, science editors, and past Blavatnik winners from the Mid-Atlantic area. As of 2013, winners of the postdoctoral competition receive US$30,000 and finalists receive US$10,000, each in unrestricted cash prizes.Past U.S. Regional Winners and Finalists
| Year | Winners | Finalists |
| 2007 | Leon Bottou, NEC Labs America, Computer Science George Malliaras, Cornell University, Nanotechnology Ruslan Medzhitov, Yale University, Immunology Milan Stojanovic, Columbia University, Biotechnology Leslie Vosshall, The Rockefeller University, Behavioral Science | Antje Baeumner, Cornell University, Environmental Engineering Christoph Bregler, New York University, Computer Science Geoffrey Coates, Cornell University, Organic Chemistry Antonio Giraldez, Yale University, Developmental Biology Tarun Kapoor, The Rockefeller University, Cell Biology Scott Keeney, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Molecular Biology Philip Kim, Columbia University, Condensed Matter Physics Colin Nuckolls, Columbia University, Organic Chemistry Kathryn Uhrich, Rutgers University, Green Chemistry |
| 2008 | Andrey Pisarev, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Molecular & Cellular Biology Steven Gubser, Princeton University, Nuclear & Particle Physics Andrew Houck, Princeton University, Electrical Engineering Laura Landweber, Princeton University, Evolutionary Biology Thomas Muir, The Rockefeller University, Biochemistry | Alexei Aravin, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Developmental Biology Matthew Evans, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Microbiology Valerie Horsley, Yale University, Developmental Biology Andreas Keller, The Rockefeller University, Neuroscience Shobha Vasudevan, Harvard University, Cell & Molecular Biology Daphne Bavelier, University of Rochester, Cognitive Neuroscience Geoffrey Coates, Cornell University, Organic Chemistry Christine Jacobs-Wagner, Yale University, Cell & Molecular Biology Eric Lai, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Developmental Biology Ken Shepard, Columbia University, Electrical Engineering Saeed Tavazoie, Columbia University, Genetics & Genomics |
| 2009 | Sreekanth Chalasani, The Rockefeller University, Behavioral Science Paul Chirik, Cornell University, Chemical Biology Ofer Feinerman, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Computational Biology Carmala Garzione, University of Rochester, Geology Rebecca Oppenheimer, American Museum of Natural History, Astrophysics Eva Pastalkova, Rutgers University, Neuroscience Alexander Pechen, Princeton University, Theoretical Physics Shai Shaham, The Rockefeller University, Developmental Biology | Tamas Horvath, Yale University, Molecular Neuroscience Lam Hui, Columbia University, Astrophysics Daniel Sigman, Princeton University, Geology Denis Zorin, New York University, Computer Science |
| 2010 | Zoltan Haiman, Columbia University, Astronomy Yaron Lipman, Princeton University, Computer Science Michal Lipson, Cornell University, Nanotechnology Haitao Liu, Columbia University, Nanotechnology Evgeny Nudler, New York University, Biochemistry Daniela Schiller, New York University, Behavioral Science Song-Hai Shi, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Neuroscience | Nicolas Reyes, Institut Pasteur, Physiology & Biophysics Agnel Sfeir, New York University, Cell Biology Elza Erkip, Polytechnic University of NYU, Electrical Engineering David Evans, Yale University, Geology & Geophysics Neal Weiner, New York University, Particle Physics |
| 2011 | Johannes Gehrke, Cornell University, Computer Science Szabolcs Marka, Columbia University, Astrophysics Frank Oury, Columbia University, Physiology Valentino Tosatti, Columbia University, Mathematics | Roberto Bonasio, New York University, Biochemistry Mary Kay Lobo, University of Maryland, Cellular Neuroscience Shaun Olsen, Medical University of South Carolina, Structural Biology Ruth Van de Water, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Nuclear & Particle Physics Robert Anderson, City College CUNY, Ecology Charalampos Kalodimos, Rutgers University, Structural Biology Jun Korenaga, Yale University, Geology Olga Troyanskaya, Princeton University, Computational Biology Gerard Wysocki, Princeton University, Electrical Engineering |
| 2012 | B. Andrei Bernevig, Princeton University, Particle Physics Andrey Feklistov, The Rockefeller University, Structural Biology Jason Fridley, Syracuse University, Ecology Alison Galvani, Yale University, Epidemiology Michael Hahn, Columbia University, Astronomy Robert Johnston, New York University, Developmental Biology Assaf Naor, New York University, Computer Science Elisa Oricchio, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Clinical Medicine Nicholas Stavropoulos, The Rockefeller University, Neuroscience | Michael Collins, Columbia University, Computer Science Wei Min, Columbia University, Physical Chemistry |
| 2013 | David Blei, Princeton University, Computer Science Jonathan Fisher, The Rockefeller University, Behavioral Science Kristjan Haule, Rutgers University, Condensed Matter Physics Patrick Holland, University of Rochester, Inorganic Chemistry Samie Jaffrey, Weill Cornell Medical College, Chemical Biology Frans Pretorius, Princeton University, Astrophysics Rachel Rosen, Columbia University, Astrophysics | Bi-Sen Ding, Weill Cornell Medical College, Physiology Emily Hodges, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Genetics & Genomics Mariangela Lisanti, Princeton University, Nuclear & Particle Physics Jason MacGurn, Vanderbilt University, Cell Biology Xiankai Sun, Yale University, Electrical Engineering |
| 2014 | Clément Hongler, Columbia University, Applied Mathematics Jeremy Palmer, Princeton University, Chemical Engineering Panteleimon Rompolas, Yale University, Developmental Biology | Stephen Brohawn, The Rockefeller University, Biochemistry & Structural Biology Dilek Colak, Weill Cornell Medical College, Neuroscience Nathaniel Craig, Rutgers University, Theoretical Physics Knut Drescher, Princeton University, Immunology & Microbiology Xiaowei Hou, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Biochemistry & Structural Biology Jérémie Palacci, New York University, Condensed Matter Physics |
| 2015 | Hani Goodarzi, The Rockefeller University, Genetics & Genomics Arash Nikoubashman, Princeton University, Chemical Engineering Nicolás Young, Columbia University, Geology & Geophysics | Allyson Friedman, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Neuroscience Ziv Shulman, The Rockefeller University, Immunology & Microbiology Xiang Gao, Yale University, Biochemistry & Structural Biology Jinzhong Lin, Yale University, Biochemistry & Structural Biology Yang Liu, Princeton University, Electrical Engineering Dennis Perepelitsa, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Nuclear & Particle Physics |
| 2016 | William Anderegg, Princeton University, Ecology Tomoyasu Mani, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Physical Chemistry Jian Li, Princeton University, Condensed Matter Physics | Kate Meyer, Weill Cornell Medical College, Molecular & Cellular Biology Rachel Perry, Yale University, Biomedical Engineering & Biotechnology Matthieu Gagnon, Yale University, Biochemistry & Structural Biology Kuang Yu, Princeton University, Theoretical Chemistry Xi Chen, Columbia University, Materials Science & Nanotechnology Eli Visbal, Astrophysics & Cosmology |
| 2017 | Chao Lu, The Rockefeller University, Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics Andrew Ilott, New York University, Physical Chemistry June Huh, Institute for Advanced Study, Mathematics | Ataman Sendoel , The Rockefeller University, Molecular & Cellular Biology Eunyong Park, The Rockefeller University, Biophysics and Structural Biology Alan Healy, Yale University, Chemical Biology Wilhelm Palm, Memorial Sloane Kettering, Biochemistry & Structural Biology Douglas Stanford, Institute for Advanced Study, Theoretical Physics Chia Wei Hsu, Yale University, Condensed Matter Physics |
U.S. National Faculty Competition
Beginning with the 2014 awards cycle, the national faculty competition accepts nominations for scientists working in three disciplinary categories: Life Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Chemistry. Nominations are accepted from institutions throughout the United States. Members of the Awards’ Scientific Advisory Council may also submit nominations. Submissions are reviewed by a Judging Panel of senior scientists and past Blavatnik Awards winners. The awards will be conferred annually with one winner from each disciplinary category selected each year. Each Laureate will receive a US$250,000 unrestricted cash prize and be honored at a ceremony in New York City every fall.Past U.S. National Laureates and Finalists
| Year | Laureates | Finalists |
| 2020 | Clifford Brangwynne, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University William Dichtel, Professor of Chemistry, Northwestern University Brian Metzger, Professor of Physics, Columbia University | Polina Anikeeva, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Life Sciences Clifford Brangwynne, Princeton University, Life Sciences Elena Gracheva, Yale University, Life Sciences Viviana Gradinaru, California Institute of Technology, Life Sciences Sun Hur, Boston Children's Hospital, Life Sciences Cigall Kadoch, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical University, Life Sciences Julius Lucks, Northwestern University, Life Sciences Houra Merrikh, Vanderbilt University, Life Sciences Seth Murray, Texas A & M University, Life Sciences Nieng Yan, Princeton University, Life Sciences Aditya Akella, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Physical Sciences & Engineering Andrea Alù, Advanced Sciences Research Center, The Graduate Center, CUNY, Physical Sciences & Engineering Cory Dean, Columbia University, Physical Sciences & Engineering Kristen Grauman, The University of Texas at Austin, Physical Sciences & Engineering Mohammad Hafezi, University of Maryland, College Park, Physical Sciences & Engineering Mohammad Hajiaghayi, University of Maryland, College Park, Physical Sciences & Engineering Liangbing Hu, University of Maryland, College Park, Physical Sciences & Engineering Subhash Khot, New York University, Physical Sciences & Engineering Maureen Long, Yale University, Physical Sciences & Engineering Brian Metzger, Columbia University, Physical Sciences & Engineering Aydogan Ozcan, University of California, Los Angeles, Physical Sciences & Engineering Luis Campos, Columbia University, Chemistry William Dichtel, Northwestern University, Chemistry Guangbin Dong, University of Chicago, Chemistry Neil Garg, University of California, Los Angeles, Chemistry Prashant Jain, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Chemistry Wei Min, Columbia University, Chemistry Gary Patti, Washington University in Saint Louis, Chemistry Ryan Shenvi, Scripps Research Institute, Chemistry Emily Weiss, Northwestern University, Chemistry |
| 2017 | Yi Cui, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Photon Science and Chemistry, Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Melanie Sanford, Moses Gomberg Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Chemistry, University of Michigan Feng Zhang, Core Member, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard | Mohamed El-Naggar, University of Southern California, Life Sciences Antonio Giraldez, Yale University, Life Sciences Stavros Lomvardas, University of California, San Francisco, Life Sciences Franziska Michor, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Life Sciences Celeste Nelson, Princeton University, Life Sciences Bradley Pentelute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Life Sciences Antonis Rokas, Vanderbilt University, Life Sciences Pardis Sabeti, Harvard University, Life Sciences Benjamin Tu, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Life Sciences Andrea Alù, The University of Texas at Austin, Physical Sciences & Engineering Nicolas Dauphas, The University of Chicago, Physical Sciences & Engineering Julia Greer, California Institute of Technology, Physical Sciences & Engineering Mark Hersam, Northwestern University, Physical Sciences & Engineering Sergei V. Kalinin, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Physical Sciences & Engineering Jure Leskovec, Stanford University, Physical Sciences & Engineering Tommaso Treu, University of California, Los Angeles, Physical Sciences & Engineering Anastasia Volovich, Brown University, Physical Sciences & Engineering Gleb Yushin, Georgia Institute of Technology, Physical Sciences & Engineering Matthew Becker, University of Akron, Chemistry William Dichtel, Northwestern University, Chemistry Matthew Disney, Scripps Florida, Chemistry Michael Fischbach, University of California, San Francisco, Chemistry Nathan Gianneschi, University of California, San Diego, Chemistry Christy Haynes, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Chemistry Bo Huang, University of California, San Francisco, Chemistry Michael Strano, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Chemistry Dmitri Talapin, University of Chicago, Chemistry |
| 2016 | David Charbonneau, Professor of Astronomy, Harvard University Phil Baran, Professor of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute Michael Rape, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Berkeley | Xi Chen, Johns Hopkins University, Life Sciences Casey Dunn, Brown University, Life Sciences Antonio Giraldez, Yale University, Life Sciences Rob Knight, University of California, San Diego, Life Sciences Oliver Rando, University of California, Berkeley, Life Sciences Antonina Roll-Mecak, National Institutes of Health, Life Sciences Pardis Sabeti, Harvard University, Life Sciences Beth Shapiro, University of California, Santa Cruz, Life Sciences Leor Weinberger, Gladstone Institutes, Life Sciences Feng Zhang, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Life Sciences Andrea Alù, The University of Texas at Austin, Physical Sciences & Engineering Alexei Borodin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Physical Sciences & Engineering Yi Cui, Stanford University, Physical Sciences & Engineering Jenny Greene, Princeton University, Physical Sciences & Engineering Julia Greer, California Institute of Technology, Physical Sciences & Engineering Sergei Kalinin, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Physical Sciences & Engineering Aydogan Ozcan, University of California, Los Angeles, Physical Sciences & Engineering Amit Singer, Princeton University, Physical Sciences & Engineering Anastasia Volovich, Brown University, Physical Sciences & Engineering Garnet Chan, Princeton University, Chemistry Matthew Disney, Scripps Florida, Chemistry Pieter Dorrestein, University of California, San Diego, Chemistry Michael Fischbach, University of California, San Francisco, Chemistry David Ginger, University of Washington, Chemistry Bo Huang, University of California, San Francisco, Chemistry Nevan Krogan, Gladstone Institutes, Chemistry Teri Odom, Northwestern University, Chemistry Edward Valeev, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Chemistry |
| 2015 | Christopher Chang, Professor of Chemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Berkeley and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Edward F. Chang, Associate Professor in Residence of Neurological Surgery and Physiology, University of California, San Francisco and Co-Director of the Center for Neural Engineering and Prosthetics, UC Berkeley and UCSF Syed Jafar, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine | Jonathan Kagan, Boston Children's Hospital, Life Sciences Rob Knight, University of California, San Diego, Life Sciences Harmit Malik, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Life Sciences Luciano Marraffini, The Rockefeller University, Life Sciences Michael Rape, University of California, Berkeley, Life Sciences Jared Rutter, University of Utah, Life Sciences Alice Ting, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Life Sciences Feng Zhang, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Life Sciences Yi Zuo, University of California, Santa Cruz, Life Sciences Yi Cui, Stanford University & SLAC, Physical Sciences & Engineering Xiangfeng Duan, University of California, Los Angeles, Physical Sciences & Engineering Eric Ford, Pennsylvania State University, Physical Sciences & Engineering Markus Greiner, Harvard University, Physical Sciences & Engineering Ali Khademhosseini, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Physical Sciences & Engineering Hakho Lee, Massachusetts General Hospital, Physical Sciences & Engineering Yueh-Lin Loo, Princeton University, Physical Sciences & Engineering Aydogan Ozcan, University of California, Los Angeles, Physical Sciences & Engineering Abhay Pasupathy, Columbia University, Physical Sciences & Engineering Ashvin Vishwanath, University of California, Berkeley, Physical Sciences & Engineering Phil Baran, Scripps Research Institute, Chemistry Bianxiao Cui, Stanford University, Chemistry Matthew Disney, Scripps Florida, Chemistry Michael Fischbach, University of California, San Francisco, Chemistry Rustem Ismagilov, California Institute of Technology, Chemistry Nevan Krogan, Gladstone Institutes, Chemistry Hening Lin, Cornell University, Chemistry Melanie Sanford, University of Michigan, Chemistry Michael Strano, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Chemistry Peng Yin, Harvard University, Chemistry |
| 2014 | Rachel Wilson, Harvard University, Life Sciences Marin Soljačić, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Physical Sciences & Engineering Adam Cohen, Harvard University, Chemistry | Helen Blackwell, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Life Sciences Howard Chang, Stanford University, Life Sciences Jonathan Kagan, Boston Children’s Hospital, Life Sciences Rob Knight, University of Colorado, Boulder, Life Sciences Harmit Malik, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Life Sciences Sarkis Mazmanian, California Institute of Technology, Life Sciences Michael Rape, University of California, Berkeley, Life Sciences Alice Ting, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Life Sciences Sinisa Urban, Johns Hopkins University, Life Sciences Yi Cui, SLAC National Laboratory and Stanford University, Physical Sciences & Engineering Ali Hajimiri, California Institute of Technology, Physical Sciences & Engineering Patrick Hopkins, University of Virginia, Physical Sciences & Engineering Ali Javey, University of California, Berkeley, Physical Sciences & Engineering Ali Khademhosseini, Harvard University, Physical Sciences & Engineering Teri Odom, Northwestern University, Physical Sciences & Engineering Aydogan Ozcan, University of California, Los Angeles, Physical Sciences & Engineering Leonardo Rastelli, Stony Brook University, Physical Sciences & Engineering William Shih, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Physical Sciences & Engineering Phil Baran, The Scripps Research Institute, Chemistry Garnet Chan, Princeton University, Chemistry Christopher Chang, University of California, Berkeley, Chemistry Peng Chen, Cornell University, Chemistry Ruben Gonzalez, Columbia University, Chemistry Melanie Sanford, University of Michigan, Chemistry Michael Strano, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Chemistry Peng Yin, Harvard University, Chemistry Martin Zanni, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Chemistry |