Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences doctoral student Ana Campos Codo has been selected for the 2025 cohort of the Gilliam Fellows Program by Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).
Codo, a student in the Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Ph.D. program, is one of 30 graduate students representing 23 different institutions across the United States who were chosen this year. The 21-year-old Gilliam Fellows program, which launches promising doctoral students into impactful scientific research careers while fostering inclusive training environments, provides $65,000 per year in total support for up to three years to students and their faculty thesis advisors. It also offers a host of opportunities to connect with peers, program alumni and HHMI scientists at every career stage.
“I was really surprised and honored to be selected,” said Codo, who is working with Dr. Justin Perry, an assistant professor of immunology and microbial pathogenesis at the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, in his lab at the Sloan Kettering Institute. “This is a great fellowship for not only scientific pursuits, but also for scientific communication and for bringing science to underserved populations.”
Dr. Perry’s lab studies how autoimmune and inflammatory diseases develop through the lens of a process known as efferocytosis, which uses specialized immune cells called phagocytes to help clear more than 200 billion old or damaged cells every day from the body. For her doctoral research, Codo is focusing on the role of chloride ions in efferocytosis, “an exciting pathway we think could help explain why multi-organ autoimmune diseases like lupus develop,” Dr. Perry said. “Ana’s project looks at how the pathway regulates this process and how it goes wrong. Ultimately, it’s an entirely new way of viewing how autoimmunity develops.”
As a Gilliam advisor, Dr. Perry—who also mentors a 2023 Gilliam Fellow—will participate in a year-long mentorship skills development course.
A native of Brazil, Codo was the first in her family to choose a career in science after taking undergraduate immunology classes at São Paulo State University, where she graduated in 2019. After completing a Master of Science degree in genetics and molecular biology at University of Campinas, she came to the United States to continue her immunology research. She has also received a predoctoral fellowship from the American Heart Association.
“Being a Latina immigrant inspired me to create opportunities for other people like me,” said Codo, who currently leads outreach initiatives aimed at engaging local high school students with science.
Codo is also enthusiastic about the networking opportunities the Gilliam Program presents, which Dr. Perry described as essential for scientists to prosper. Gilliam fellows gather every year, and HHMI Investigators—many of them Nobel laureates—also meet and share their scientific pursuits.
“There’s perhaps no award that’s more prestigious than this for a Ph.D. student, and I wasn’t at all surprised that Ana got it,” Dr. Perry said.
“I’m very excited to learn from the community and connect to peers,” Codo said. “This award values your path, and it’s reassuring to know they believe in me.”
