Takeda and Nature Announce Shortlist for 2026 Innovators in Science Award
The award supports emerging biomedical researchers globally focused on Gastrointestinal and Inflammatory Diseases, Neuroscience and Oncology.
London, 21st January 2026
Takeda and Nature are pleased to announce the shortlisted finalists for the 2026 Innovators in Science Award.
This global award, originally launched in 2016, celebrates groundbreaking research with a focus on emerging scientific leaders who are advancing the frontiers of discovery and fostering innovation that has the potential to transform lives.
As one of the largest prizes of its kind for early-career researchers1, the Innovators in Science Award reinforces Takeda's commitment to promoting scientific excellence and fostering a culture of partnership between industry and academia.
“Young scientists often face limited resources and visibility at pivotal moments in their career. While their ideas may be bold, securing the necessary support to bring breakthrough research to life can be a challenge,” said Andrew Plump, M.D., Ph.D., president of R&D at Takeda. “We take pride in recognising emerging scientists whose work is shaping the future of science. Through meaningful support—funding, mentorship, and collaboration—we strive to empower their continued professional growth and impact.”
2026 Finalists by Therapeutic Area
The following nine early-career researchers were selected from a record-breaking 315 submissions from 47 countries and 230 institutions by a Nature Awards-convened panel of independent judges.
Gastrointestinal and Inflammatory Diseases
- Tyler Huycke, The University of Michigan – for his work investigating how self-organising cellular behaviors sculpt organ architecture during development and regeneration.
- Ai Ing Lim, Princeton University – for her research into maternal immune remodeling, by studying how reproduction and early-life development reprogram gut immunity in mothers and their offspring.
- Yancong Zhang, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences – for her work in identifying novel therapeutic targets for gastrointestinal and inflammatory disorders, by applying AI-enabled multi-omics to decode microbiome “dark matter”.
Neuroscience
- Christina Kim, Princeton University – for her work applying activity-dependent labeling technologies to study how cellular properties are disrupted in neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders.
- Bo Peng, Fudan University – for his work advancing the first clinical study of microglia replacement therapy in 2025, which opened new avenues for the treatment of neurological disorders.
- Varun Venkataramani, Heidelberg University Hospital – for his work at the intersection of neuroscience and oncology, and research into how synaptic neuron-tumor networks can drive brain tumor progression.
Oncology
- Myriam Chalabi, Netherlands Cancer Institute – for her work aiming to improve short- and long-term outcomes for patients, by developing innovative neoadjuvant immunotherapy approaches for non-metastatic cancers.
- Jawad Fares, Northwestern University – for his work connecting biological discovery with clinical intervention in malignant brain tumours, laying the groundwork for refined, scalable and sustainable therapies.
- John Hickey, Duke University – for his work creating next-generation spatial omics, imaging, biomaterials and computational tools to map and engineer multicellular interactions in tissues.
Speaking on the 2026 award shortlist, Alexia-Ileana Zaromytidou, Chief Editor of Nature Cancer and chair of this year’s Oncology judging panel, said:
“The Innovators in Science Award shines a spotlight on early-career researchers who are redefining what’s possible in biomedical science. This year’s shortlist reflects extraordinary progress in gastrointestinal and inflammatory diseases, neuroscience and oncology. Fields where innovation can truly transform lives. At Nature, we are honoured to celebrate these scientists and their commitment to advancing discovery.”
Three category winners – one from each area of focus – will be announced in February and receive an unrestricted $75,000 prize. One grand prize winner, to be announced live at the Innovators in Science Award ceremony on April 9, 2026, will receive an additional $175,000 award, for a total grand prize of $250,000. Additionally, all shortlisted finalists will receive a 12-month career development program administered by Nature, designed to build skills and address the unique challenges and opportunities facing emerging scientific leaders.
1) https://www.takeda.com/newsroom/newsreleases/2025/applications-open-for-innovators-in-science-award/
Launched in 2016, the Takeda Innovators in Science Award provides scientific leaders with the support and recognition needed to drive bold, transformative breakthroughs in their fields. Since its inception, the award has celebrated the outstanding contributions of 10 established and early-career researchers with $2M of unrestricted funding. This global award recognizes researchers who are advancing the frontiers of scientific discovery, fostering innovation that has the potential to transform lives. In 2026, the Innovators in Science Award honors groundbreaking research by early-career scientists in Gastrointestinal and Inflammatory Diseases, Neuroscience and Oncology. For more information, visit https://innovatorsinscienceaward.com.
Takeda is focused on creating better health for people and a brighter future for the world. We aim to discover and deliver life-transforming treatments in our core therapeutic and business areas, including gastrointestinal and inflammation, rare diseases, plasma-derived therapies, oncology, neuroscience and vaccines. Together with our partners, we aim to improve the patient experience and advance a new frontier of treatment options through our dynamic and diverse pipeline. As a leading values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, we are guided by our commitment to patients, our people and the planet. Our employees in approximately 80 countries and regions are driven by our purpose and are grounded in the values that have defined us for more than two centuries. For more information, visit https://www.takeda.com.
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