Dayna Patterson is the first postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University to receive the prestigious HHMI Hanna H. Gray Fellowship

Dayna Patterson was selected as a 2023 Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Hanna H. Gray Fellow and is the first postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University to receive this prestigious fellowship. The HHMI Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program provides each fellow with up to $1.5 million in support for up to eight years spanning postdoctoral training through transition to an early career faculty position, and is part of HHMI’s commitment to advance inclusion across key career stages in academic science. Patterson is part of a cohort of 25 early career scientists who represent a promising future for biomedical science.

Patterson’s research aims to characterize a novel bacterial product with insecticidal properties and its primary iron-based metalloenzyme. Metalloenzymes are biological machines that can construct small molecules. Among these small molecules are natural products released from bacteria that harbor insecticidal activity against disease-carrying mosquitoes. Considering the adverse effects of commonly used insecticides on human health, it is imperative to seek safer alternatives. This research will contribute to the development of safer insecticides.

Patterson is in Amy Rosenzweig Group, which is focused on understanding metalloprotein function on the molecular level.

“We are thrilled to welcome these exceptional scientists into the HHMI community,” said Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer Leslie Vosshall. “Each of this year’s Hanna Gray Fellows has the expertise, talent, and ingenuity to make groundbreaking discoveries in the life sciences while developing and inspiring generations of scientists over their career.”