Roksana Azad Receives an NIH Predoctoral Fellowship of Over $97,000 to Study a Protein That is Linked to Diabetes and Cancer

Posted on April 27, 2021 in ASRC News, Structural Biology Initiative

Ph.D. student Roksana Azad (Biochemistry), a student researcher in the Structural Biology Initiative at the Advanced Science Research Center at The Graduate Center, CUNY (CUNY ASRC), was awarded an F31 Predoctoral Fellowship from the National Institute of Health. The award, of more than $97,000 over three years, will go towards Azad’s tuition and health insurance, and will provide a stipend as well as travel to scientific meetings.

But for Azad, who divides her time between structural biology research, volunteer outreach, and science communication, much of the achievement lies in having applied to the fellowship in the first place.

“Being a first-generation and minority female student, it’s not always easy, and people will assume or make you feel that you are not good enough to make a difference,” Azad told The Graduate Center. “It was a significant milestone for me to tell myself that I tried and submitted my application.”

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