The Grass Foundation Trustees have selected three recipients for the 2026 Henry Grass Rising Stars in Neuroscience Award: Daniel Cardozo Pinto, Maribel Patiño, and Whitney Stevens-Sostre.
Dr. Daniel Cardozo Pinto is a Junior Fellow in the Society of Fellows at Harvard University. In Naoshige Uchida’s lab in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, he investigates components of dopamine and serotonin signaling that become dysregulated in addiction. Before coming to Harvard, his doctoral research at Stanford in Robert Malenka’s lab uncovered a long-hypothesized opponent relationship between dopamine and serotonin in the control of reward learning. Throughout his career, he has worked to democratize access to scientific training both as a speaker on panels helping students find research opportunities and overcome impostor syndrome and as an advocate on issues of affordability in graduate school. These efforts include an original analysis of income and cost-of-living data presented at the Stanford DEI symposium and meeting with congressional staffers to advocate against a tax bill provision that would have rendered graduate tuition waivers taxable income.
Dr. Maribel Patiño is a research-track psychiatry resident and postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, San Diego, where her work spans molecular neuroscience to clinical psychiatry. In the lab of Nicola Allen at the nearby Salk Institute for Biological Studies, she investigates the role of astrocyte dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disease. During her graduate studies working with Edward Callaway, she developed Single Transcriptome Assisted Rabies Tracing (START), a novel method for mapping neuron connectivity at unprecedented resolution. Patiño also co-founded and serves on the Board of Directors for Colors of the Brain (CoB), a nonprofit dedicated to creating pathways for historically marginalized students in neuroscience and medicine. Four years after founding CoB, she secured funding from the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind (KIBM) to co-launch the CoB-KIBM Scholars Program, providing a fully funded summer research experience for undergraduate students with tailored lab placements and a curriculum designed by Patiño that continues to this day. She also co-founded Brain Borders, a neuroscience and mental health education program for high school students in low-income communities along the US-Mexico border in Imperial County.
Dr. Whitney Stevens-Sostre is an HHMI Hanna Gray Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison doing postdoctoral research in the lab of Mrinalini Hoon. In her research, she combines genetic tools with structure-function analyses to study how the expression, localization, and function of different voltage-gated ion channels regulate the connectivity, excitability, and intrinsic properties of retinal ganglion cells that encode different visual stimuli. Her interest in ion channel biophysics grew during her Ph.D. work in the lab of Gail Robertson, where she used structure-function approaches to study how voltage-gated potassium channels regulate cardiac membrane excitability. She is also the founding president of Black in Biophysics, an organization and movement dedicated to recognizing and celebrating Black biophysicists. As part of this work, she collaborates with peers across the U.S. to host #BlackInBiophysicsWeek: an international initiative highlighting Black scholars in biophysics and related fields, including professional development webinars, career panels, and outreach to middle and high school students.
“The Grass Trustees are proud to recognize the exemplary work of these three early-career scientists – Drs. Cardozo Pinto, Patiño, and Stevens-Sostre,” said Matthew McFarlane, Ph.D., President of The Grass Foundation. “They truly embody the vision of the Henry Grass Rising Stars in Neuroscience Award as they excel in science while opening doors to future neuroscientists. In recognizing their achievements, we celebrate these individuals and their lasting impact on the neuroscience community.”
The Henry Grass Rising Stars Award in Neuroscience focuses on retention and promotion to encourage diverse scientists at postgraduate levels to persevere in academic research. Awardees receive a cash award in addition to mentorship and professional support from the Foundation’s network of alumni.
Borne from the vision and generosity of Albert M. and Ellen R. Grass, The Grass Foundation has advanced the frontiers of neuroscience since 1955. Our founders, a remarkable duo of scientific visionaries, established The Grass Foundation with the core belief that the progress of neuroscience is propelled by the brilliance and dedication of extraordinary people. Their pioneering spirit lives on as we continue to nurture and champion the work of emerging neuroscientists.