Immunology Innovation Award

The CIC Immunology Innovation Award acknowledges the brightest early career researchers in immunology. The award, available to postdocs mentored by resident CIC members and members of the internal advisory board, is intended to recruit the highest-quality young talent to the Center. For additional information, please contact Justin Taylor, PhD.

2026

Naomi Bryant, PhD

Naomi is mentored by Loren Erickson, PhD, and received her PhD in microbiology from the University of Virginia in 2025. In the Erickson Lab, she studies tick bite induced alpha-gal allergies, leveraging her clinical research experience to better understand the human immune reaction to tick bites.

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Liam Fitzsimmons, PhD

Liam is mentored by Sarah Ewald, PhD, and holds a PhD in microbiology from the University of Colorado Denver. He joins the Ewald Lab from the UVA Health’s Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health. He is an expert in how nitric oxide kills microbes, experience that will help him study in nitric oxide’s role in controlling parasitic infections.