Ivan Kuznetsov, a dual-degree MD/PhD program in the Penn Department of Bioengineering, has received a prestigious Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans. A first-generation American born in Ohio, Ivan is the son of parents who immigrated from Russia. He earned a BS in Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University before enrolling at Penn last year.
Professor Brian Chow, PhD, who directs the lab in which Ivan works, speaks glowingly of him. “Ivan’s research in the design of de novo proteins for molecular imaging represents a fundamentally new approach to inventing tools for elucidating the physiology of targeted cells. It is completely unchartered territory for mammalian biology and bioengineering,” Dr. Chow says. “What sets Ivan apart as a young scientist is his rare blend of exceptional skills in experimental biology and deep understanding of its mathematical and physical underpinnings. Few possess that blend at his age.”
Every year, the Soros Fellowships are awarded to 30 American students who are either immigrants or the children of immigrants. The field is highly competitive; this year there were almost 1,800 applicants. Ivan and his 29 colleagues will receive up to $90,000 for funding of their graduate educations.