Congratulations to our 2023 Karches Prize Winners

The Peter Karches Mentorship Prize is awarded annually to up to four Koch Institute postdoctoral associates, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students or research technicians who demonstrate exemplary mentorship of undergraduate researchers or high school students in their labs. The prize allows the Koch Institute community to celebrate and recognize the critical role that mentors play, both personally and professionally, in the early stages of a scientist’s career. This year’s recipients, jointly nominated by their mentees and principal investigators, are Ryuhjin (Angela) Ahn, Mushriq Al-Jazrawe, Colin Fowler, and B.J. Kim.

Angela Ahn, a postdoctoral fellow in Forest White’s lab, was nominated by undergraduate researcher Lawrence Long, who commended Angela’s keen ability to provide close guidance when necessary, but also give her mentees space to grow and work independently in order to grow as scientists. Professor White also highlighted this skill in Angela’s nomination packet, saying that “Angela has simultaneously empowered and guided Lawrence in a very ambitious project. By allowing him to present his results internally within the group and externally to collaborators, she has supported his accomplishments, and he is now developing his scientific network even as a second-year undergraduate researcher.”

A postdoctoral associate in Jesse Boehm's group in the Jacks Lab, Mushriq Al-Jazrawe’s mentees admire how he encourages them to leave their comfort zones and enables their professional development. His mentee nominator, technical associate Kathryn Cebula, shared that Mushriq’s support gave her the confidence to present her research at the 2022 Koch Institute Image Awards, noting that “Mushriq played an instrumental role in my preparation; as a genuine mentor, he did not simply dictate what to do or say, but he encouraged me to inject my unique voice and ideas into the project, and articulate our research with the highest levels of clarity and precision.”

Colin Fowler’s undergraduate mentee, Natalie O’Hearn, praised his singular talent for fostering an inclusive and fun environment in the lab, despite the everyday stresses of scientific research. Natalie shared, “Colin made a point of letting me know that I belonged in the lab. He always knows how to make a tough day feel easier—an invaluable quality in the world of biological research, where negative results often outnumber the positive.” Colin’s PI, Jackie Lees, echoed these sentiments, noting that Colin’s passion for his work positively affects everyone he works with, and that “he goes out of his way to enable others, consistently contributing to the best of his ability, and never dialing it in.”

Postdoctoral associate B.J. Kim was nominated by research technician Ryan Hosn, who highlighted her pivotal role in shaping his current and future path as a scientist: “B.J.’s mentorship extended beyond the lab. She often scheduled routine checkups to discuss my long-term goals, playing a proactive role in helping me determine next steps in my career.”  B.J.’s PI, Darrell Irvine, lauded her collaborative spirit, sharing that “as our in-house lipid nanoparticle ‘guru’, B.J. is constantly being asked for help in preparing mRNA formulations both for our lab and others at MIT, and she is always gracious in making time.”

The Karches Prize was established in 2018 by Jim Goodwin, a close friend of the Karches family, to honor the legacy of Peter Karches. Mr. Karches spent his career at Morgan Stanley, rising to become president and chief operating officer of the company’s institutional securities and investment banking group. After a long battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Mr. Karches passed away in April 2006. Recipients of the prize exemplify Mr. Karches’s generosity, intellect, and commitment to friends and family.