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Communication Challenge Awards

Fellows' Career Development

NIEHS fellows participate in the NIEHS Big Picture, Small Talk Communication Challenge, during which they present a plain-language speech about their research. The competitors have only three minutes to impress the audience with the broader impact their work may have on human health and describe how training at NIEHS has figured in their career development. Each of the postdoctoral, predoctoral, and postbaccalaureate awardees get $1,500 toward professional development.

Postdoctoral/Predoctoral Awardees

2025 Awardees

Amilcar Rodriguez, Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) predoctoral fellow in the Neurobiology Laboratory, mentored by Guohong Cui, M.D., Ph.D.

Michelle Klawans, Ph.D., Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) postdoctoral fellow in the Epidemiology Branch, mentored by Anna Marie Jukic, Ph.D.

Safia Sauty, Ph.D., Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) postdoctoral fellow in the Genomic Integrity & Structural Biology Laboratory, mentored by Dmitry Gordenin, Ph.D.

2024 Awardees

Yu-Ying Chen, Ph.D., Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) postdoctoral fellow in the Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, mentored by Humphrey Yao, Ph.D.

Ginna Doss, Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) predoctoral fellow in the Epidemiology Branch, mentored by Anna Marie Jukic, Ph.D.

Uchechukwu Chimeh, Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) predoctoral fellow in the Biostatistics & Computational Biology Branch, mentored by Alison Motsinger-Reif, Ph.D.

2023 Awardees

Kathryn Dalton, Ph.D., V.M.D., M.P.H., Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) postdoctoral fellow in the Epidemiology Branch, mentored by Stephanie J. London, M.D., Dr.P.H.

Mackenzie Dickson, Ph.D., Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) postdoctoral fellow in the Reproductive & Developmental Biology Laboratory, mentored by Francesco J. Demayo, Ph.D.

Jennifer Woo, Ph.D., M.P.H., Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) postdoctoral fellow in the Epidemiology Branch, mentored by Dale Sandler, Ph.D.

2022 Awardees

Ayland Letsinger, Ph.D., Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) postdoctoral fellow in the Neurobiology Laboratory, mentored by Jerry Yakel, Ph.D. Ayland Letsinger, Ph.D., was NIEHS' representative to the NIH-wide Communication Challenge, where he placed third in the competition.

Ciro Amato, Ph.D., IRTA postdoctoral fellow in the Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, mentored by Humphrey Yao, Ph.D.

Paige Bommarito, Ph.D., IRTA postdoctoral fellow in the Epidemiology Branch, mentored by Kelly Ferguson, Ph.D.

Postbaccalaureate Awardees

2025 Awardees

2024 Awardees

2023 Awardees

2022 Awardees

Summer Intern Awardees

2024 Awardees

Aurea Michael, Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) summer intern in the Biostatistics & Computational Biology Branch, mentored by Alison Motsinger-Reif, Ph.D.

Varun Kochar, Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) summer intern in the Genome Integrity & Structural Biology Laboratory, mentored by Geoff Mueller, Ph.D.

Kiara Smith, Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) summer intern in the Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, mentored by Darlene Dixon, D.V.M, Ph.D.

Saachi Gandhi, Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) summer intern in the Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, mentored by Jean Harry, Ph.D.

2023 Awardees

2022 Awardees

Kiran Kelly-Rajan, Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) summer intern in the Division of Translational Toxicology mentored by Jean Harry, Ph.D.

Sharonda Lovett, Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) summer intern in the Epidemiology Branch mentored by Dale Sandler, Ph.D.

Ashley Phoenix, Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) summer intern in the Neurobiology Laboratory mentored by Serena Dudek, Ph.D.

PostBaccalaureate Fellows lined up at the Communications Challenge event

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Webcasts

Your Environment. Your Health.

Communication Challenge Awards

Fellows' Career Development

Communication Challenge Awards

Fellows' Career Development

Postdoctoral/Predoctoral Awardees

2025 Awardees

2024 Awardees

2023 Awardees

2022 Awardees

Postbaccalaureate Awardees

2025 Awardees

2024 Awardees

2023 Awardees

2022 Awardees

Summer Intern Awardees

2024 Awardees

2023 Awardees

2022 Awardees

Related Topics

Communication Challenge Awards

Fellow of the Year

Fellows Award for Research Excellence (FARE)

Mentor of the Year

Miscellaneous Awards

NIH Postbac Poster Day Awards

NIH Summer Mentor Award

Science Day Awards

Quick Links

Career Development

Involvement, Awards and Grants

Working at NIEHS