Awards
Fellowships, Scholarships & LectureshipsMonell is proud to support and recognize exceptional scientific talent through a growing portfolio of fellowships, scholarships, lectureships, and named training opportunities. These programs help advance innovative research, support emerging scientists, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration across the chemical senses and related biomedical sciences.
From early-career fellowships and student scholarships to distinguished scientific lectureships, these honors reflect Monell’s longstanding commitment to scientific excellence, mentorship, and the development of future leaders in research and innovation.
Scroll below to learn more about these honors, which represent Monell’s dedication to innovative scientific talent.
Fellowships
- Morley R. Kare Fellowship
- Carol M Christensen Fellowship for Postdoctoral Research
Scholarships
- The Stephen Manheimer Scholarship in Flavor Science
Distinguished Lectureships
- Martin Meyerson Lectureship
- Kunio Yamazaki Distinguished Lectureship
Morley R. Kare Fellowship
In 1968, at a time when very little was understood about the senses of taste and smell, Dr. Morley R. Kare pioneered the Monell Center’s creation. In addition to maintaining research excellence at Monell, Dr. Kare recognized the importance of nurturing young scientists from diverse disciplines to become scientific leaders in the chemical senses.
Established in 1990, the Morley R. Kare Fellowship honors this vision by supporting talented junior scientists as they pursue their research programs at Monell. Originally used to support Assistant Members who have been reappointed, the Kare Fund recently has also supported senior postdoctoral fellows and research associates.
Are you interested in contributing to the Kare Fellowship fund? Visit this page to learn more.
Morley R. Kare Fellows:
- 2023 – 2024
Federica Genovese, PhD - 2020 – 2022
Yali Zhang, PhD - 2018-2020
Marco Tizzano, PhD
Sunil Sukumaran, PhD (Morley R. Kare Research Associate) - 2017 – 2018
Casey Trimmer, PhD (Morley R. Kare Postdoctoral Fellow) - 2012 – 2014
Peihua Jiang, PhD
Ichiro Matsumoto, PhD - 2008-2010
Johannes Reisert, PhD - 2007-2008
Charles C. Horn, PhD - 2004-2006
Liquan Huang, PhD
Carol M. Christensen Postdoctoral Fellowship
Dr. Carol M. Christensen, Alumnus Member and Consultant to the Director at Monell, has endowed a full-time postdoctoral position in human chemosensory science (human neuroscience, learning, emotion, decision-making, as well as other human-based research in taste and smell). The Christiansen Fellowship supports outstanding postdoctoral researchers pursuing innovative research in the chemical senses and related biomedical sciences at Monell. The fellowship is designed to provide promising early-career scientists with dedicated support as they advance independent research, develop new technical and leadership skills, and contribute to Monell’s collaborative scientific community.
Additional details regarding eligibility, appointment terms, and current fellows will be added soon.
Are you interested in contributing to the Christensen Fellowship fund? Visit this page to learn more.
Carol M Christensen Fellows:
- 2022 – 2024
Ha Nguyen, PhD
The Stephen Manheimer Scholarship in Flavor Science
Established through the support of Kerry Group and the Monell Chemical Senses Center, the Stephen Manheimer Scholarship in Flavor Science honors Stephen Manheimer’s extraordinary 60-year career and lasting contributions to the flavor and food industry.
The scholarship supports the next generation of flavor scientists in advancing the understanding of taste perception and strengthening connections between academic research and real-world industry applications. Designed for students pursuing Master’s or Doctoral training in flavor science with an interest in careers in the flavor or food industry, the scholarship provides support for up to two years of study, including tuition, research support, and funding for a mentored research project conducted at Monell.
Stephen Manheimer has maintained a longstanding relationship with Monell dating back to the early 1970s and has served on both Monell’s International Advisory Council and Board of Directors. His leadership, scientific curiosity, and commitment to innovation have helped shape advances in flavor science and sensory research across academia and industry.
Press Release from Kerry: https://www.kerry.com/about/news-and-media/2025/stephen-manheimer-scholarship
Inaugural Manheimer Scholars:
2026
Aurora Anderson, a doctoral candidate at the University of Pennsylvania mentored by Dr. Joel Mainland, is using computational modeling and human sensory testing to identify “primary odors” that could transform flavor creation into a faster, more precise, and more efficient process for the food industry.
Yixin Jia, a research technician at the Monell Chemical Senses Center mentored by Dr. Juyun Lim, studies how saliva and mineral ions influence the taste of non-caloric sweeteners to help improve the flavor of reduced-sugar foods.
Martin Meyerson Lectureship
The purpose of the Martin Meyerson Lectureship is to bring preeminent academic speakers to the Monell Center each year to present the latest cutting edge scientific finding and insights. The Lectureship was established in 2009 through a leadership gift from Margy Ellin Meyerson in honor of her late husband, Martin Meyerson.
To date, the fund has supported ten speakers:
- 2027: Mark Andermann, PhD.
Professor of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Professor of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School - 2026: Natale Sciolino, PhD.
Assistant Professor. Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Connecticut - 2022: Dirk Trauner, PhD.
Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor, University of Pennsylvania - 2020: Hans Clevers, PhD.
Principal Investigator, Hubrecht Institute for Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research - 2018: Jeremy Nathans, MD, PhD.
Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Neuroscience, and Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- 2016: Sarah Tishkoff, PhD.
David and Lyn Silfen University Professor, Departments of Genetics and Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania - 2014: Richard Wrangham, PhD.
Ruth B. Moore Professor of Biological Anthropology, Harvard University. Founder, Kibale Chimpanzee Project - 2013: Bonnie Bassler, PhD.
Squibb Professor in Molecular Biology, Chair Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University - 2011: Theodore Bestor, PhD.
Reischauer Institute Professor of Social Anthropology and Japanese Studies, Chair of the Department of Anthropology, Harvard University - 2010: Matthew Meyerson, MD, PhD.
Professor, Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School. Director, Center for Cancer Genome Discovery, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
The 2022 Martin Meyerson Lecture
Kunio Yamazaki Distinguished Lectureship
Established in 2014, the Kunio Yamazaki Distinguished Lectureship honors the memory and professional legacy of Dr. Kunio Yamazaki by bringing eminent speakers to Monell to speak on topics related to Dr. Yamazaki’s seminal work on odortypes, the genetically-determined body odors that distinguish one individual of a species from another.
To date, the fund has supported five speakers:
2023: Lisa Stowers, Ph.D, Professor, Department of Neuroscience, Scripps Research
2022: Linda B. Buck, Ph.D, The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2004 for her discoveries of odorant receptors and the organization of the olfactory system.
2019: Makoto Tominaga, MD, PhD. Professor, Division of Cellular Signaling, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, National Institutes of Natural Sciences; Professor, Thermal Biology Group, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems, National Institutes of Natural Sciences
2017: Kazushige Touhara, PhD. Professor, Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, The University of Tokyo.
2015: Yuzo Ninomiya, PhD, DVM. Distinguished Professor, Department of Oral Neuroscience, Graduate School of Dental Sciences, Division of Sensory Physiology, Research Development Center for Taste and Odor Sensing, Kyushu University.