Scholarship awarded to Vignesh Kasinath for research in the field of human health and disease by Pew
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Dr. Vignesh Kasinath, an assistant professor of biochemistry at the University of Colorado Boulder, has been awarded funding through the prestigious Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences. This four-year grant, worth millions, will support his research into human health and disease, with a particular focus on understanding how cells "silence" transposons, genetic elements that can disrupt gene function.
Dr. Kasinath's research centres around the human silencing hub (HUSH) system, which is responsible for epigenetically silencing transposons. His team has recently discovered that HUSH interacts with specific RNA-binding proteins that have roles in combating retroviral integrations in the human genome. By using cutting-edge techniques such as cryo-electron microscopy, biochemistry, and RNA-protein interaction mapping, Dr. Kasinath aims to uncover the molecular mechanisms by which these proteins aid HUSH in recognizing transcriptionally active transposons.
This fundamental insight has potential therapeutic implications. Targeting the pathways involved in transposon silencing may enable novel strategies to restore genomic stability in cancer cells or other diseases marked by transposon dysregulation. Understanding these mechanisms could lead to interventions that prevent transposon-induced genomic damage, thereby reducing mutation rates or oncogenic transformations associated with cancer and possibly other human disorders.
The 2025 class of Pew scholars marks the 40th group to be awarded funding since the program's founding in 1985. These early-career, junior faculty members join a network of over 1,000 Pew-funded scientists, a group that has a history of contributing to biomedical research discoveries that have improved human health. The scholars will have access to resources to support their research, including funding and opportunities for collaboration, and will meet annually to exchange ideas and form collaborations across disciplines.
Chhandak Basu, another member of the 2025 class, was awarded the Distinguished Fulbright Scholarship on June 16, 2025. The scholars' research includes assessing how gut bacteria fights metabolic disease, examining the way the human brain develops and evolves over time, and leveraging cutting-edge technologies to prevent and treat disease.
Lee Niswander, a 1995 Pew scholar and chair of the program's national advisory committee, expressed confidence in the new class of scholars. He stated, "The Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences continues to support the brightest minds in science, providing them with the resources they need to pursue groundbreaking research that has the potential to transform our understanding of human health and disease."
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Science and medical-conditions intersect in Dr. Kasinath's research as he aims to understand the molecular mechanisms that aid in transposon silencing, a process that could potentially have implications for health-and-wellness issues such as cancer and other disorders marked by transposon dysregulation. The Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences supports early-career scientists like Dr. Kasinath whose work has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of human health and disease, contributing to health-and-wellness advancements.
