Fenna Krienen, an assistant professor of neuroscience at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute, has been named one of 22 new Pew Scholars in the Biomedical Sciences by The Pew Charitable Trusts. The program provides four years of funding to early-career researchers to support work that aims to uncover key insights about human health and disease.
Cara Brook, a Princeton graduate alumna who completed her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in 2017, was also selected as a Pew Scholar. Brook is now an assistant professor at the University of California-Berkeley.
“For 40 years, Pew has supported young, talented researchers as they take creative approaches to solving big scientific questions,” said Donna Frisby-Greenwood, Pew’s senior vice president for Philadelphia and scientific advancement. “This new class continues that legacy, and we look forward to seeing where their discoveries lead.”
Krienen’s research focuses on how microglia—the brain’s resident immune cells—facilitate neural development in primates. She explained that while mammalian brains share a common structure, certain parts of the human brain such as the neocortex have expanded and developed new connectivity.
“Mammalian brains develop and are structured according to a common plan,” Krienen said. “The basic layout of the brain is always the same, but then there are certain parts of the human brain, like the neocortex, that have expanded disproportionately and have acquired new forms of connectivity.”
Recent findings from Krienen’s lab show that microglia in marmosets vary widely across different brain regions, unlike their even distribution in mouse brains. By studying these patterns and genetic lineages in marmoset microglia, Krienen hopes to clarify their role in primate brain development and possibly shed light on neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia.
Brook’s work at UC Berkeley involves designing vaccines for wild bats with the aim of preventing viruses from being transmitted to humans.
The 2025 class of Pew Scholars was chosen from among 209 applicants nominated by academic institutions or colleagues.
“Pew-funded scientists have long contributed to biomedical research discoveries that have improved human health,” said Lee Niswander, a 1995 Pew scholar and chair of the program’s national advisory committee. “I’m confident this new class of scholars, with their innovative and creative approaches to scientific research, will continue this tradition.”
