Three Juniors Named Faculty Scholars

Those experiences showed her how profoundly the nervous system shapes movement, communication and independence – and sparked a question that would later guide her research: If small disruptions in neural circuitry can drastically alter a person’s function, could carefully designed interventions restore them?

At Duke, Emily majored in biomedical engineering to explore that question. She joined Professor Ashutosh Chilkoti’s lab to develop protein-based biomaterials designed to help damaged nerves regrow. These materials function as scaffolds that integrate with surrounding tissue. Emily became the first undergraduate in the lab to investigate how tuning the material’s properties could enhance nerve repair.

Gradually, her growth as a researcher came from learning to adapt through failed experiments, allowing unexpected data to redirect her questions, and finding energy in the uncertainty of discovery. By sophomore year, she had proposed applying the platform to spinal cord injury repair and now leads an independent project spanning hypothesis generation, experimental design, and data analysis, while presenting her work at national conferences.

Looking ahead, she hopes to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. and develop new technologies to repair the nervous system.

“By harnessing the power of small changes to heal rather than destroy, I hope to redefine what is technologically possible,” she says. 

Daniel Levin

Daniel Levin studies how molecular interactions and physical processes inside cells give rise to biological function. His approach combines chemistry, engineering and molecular biology to understand how cells are regulated and how scientists might eventually predict or control their behavior. In the future, he plans to run a research lab studying the evolution, material properties, and dynamics of biological membranes – the structures that surround cells and help organize their internal processes.

He began his research in an immunology lab near his home in Pittsburgh, contributing to work showing how tumor-associated lipids impair the function of cancer-fighting T cells and may inform new cancer immunotherapies. He later turned to engineering antimicrobial materials, designing a flexible, electrically active bandage that kills bacteria in infected wounds. He developed a conductive material that is safe for human tissue but deadly to pathogens.

He also explored making his own contact lenses – an idea that ultimately failed but reinforced to him the importance of curiosity and exploration. 

“Although the lenses will never make it to the market, this project fundamentally shaped how I approach research because it showed me that unanswered questions themselves, rather than their answers, are what sustain my unwavering scientific curiosity and compel me to keep experimenting,” he wrote in applying for this scholarship.

At Duke, Levin shifted toward studying fundamental biological mechanisms. For example, he investigated how small noncoding RNAs regulate immune responses, and how genetic variation contributes to asymmetric wing patterning in a rare butterfly composed of two genetically distinct halves. This summer, Levin is an intern at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

“When leading a lab of my own in the future, I hope to empower my students to ask bold questions and help them brainstorm clever experiments that produce powerful results, filling major gaps in our understanding of biology,” he says. 

Anushka Kumar

When she arrived at Duke, Anushka Kumar quickly noticed a theme that cut across her academic disciplines. From anthropology to psychology to neuroscience, she sensed that early-life uncertainty can shape how people think, behave and cope later in life. This realization sparked a central question that now drives her work: How can communities create stable, supportive environments that help children grow into healthy and resilient adults?

So Kumar designed an interdisciplinary major focused on childhood development, resilience, and community-based care. The goal is to connect scientific insights about development with practical programs that improve children’s mental health.

Kumar’s interest began while working at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she helped study adolescent mental health and the role of social support in recovery from trauma. This experience highlighted the importance of prevention and strong community resources. At Duke, she expanded this work by analyzing data from a long-term study of mothers and infants to understand how early biological and caregiving factors may influence children’s emotional development.

Alongside research, Kumar is deeply involved in community work. She volunteers on a mental health text line, assists with health care outreach for Spanish-speaking families, and leads enrichment programs with local elementary school students.

Looking ahead, she hopes to pursue a Ph.D. and develop new approaches to youth mental health that combine research, therapy, education and community programs.

“I aspire to produce rigorous, policy-relevant research that spans theoretical development, clinical trials, and implementation science,” she says. “Through visionary initiatives, I look
forward to collaborating with a multisector community of scholars, clinicians, teachers and politicians."