Over $600 million has been set aside by the institute for the new batch of HHMI investigators. The batch is made up of 42 men and 14 women from 31 institutions across the U.S. The 56 have medical careers spanning the globe, including works in China, Israel, Argentina, Belgium and the Netherlands.
They were chosen from over 1,000 researchers who had 4 to 10 years experience as faculty members. Some of their project proposals include effect of global climate change on spread of cholera, malaria and other infectious diseases, contribution of aging to neurodegeneration and application of engineering principles and techniques used in the manufacture of aircraft and computers on the human immune system.
Thomas Cech, president of HHMI, said in a press statement, "These 56 scientists will bring new and innovative ways of thinking about biology to the HHMI community... They are poised to advance scientific knowledge dramatically in the coming years, and we are committed to providing them with the freedom and flexibility to do so."
