Rice University Doctoral Alumnus bags Schmidt Science Fellowship
This award marks the third consecutive year a Rice graduate has won one of the prestigious awards. The program funds training for the scientists and the research they undertake and creates a community of interdisciplinary leaders.
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Jacob Beckham, a doctoral alumnus of Rice University was announced a Schmidt Science Fellow marking the third consecutive year a Rice graduate has won one of the prestigious awards. He earned his Ph.D. in chemistry in 2023. The award will help support his research on gut bacteria’s influence on mental health.
The Schmidt Science Fellowship is backed by the Schmidt Sciences, a philanthropic initiative co-founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and his wife, Wendy, in partnership with Rhodes Trust.
While commenting on the prestigious award, he said, "I’m incredibly excited and thankful for this opportunity. The Schmidt Science Fellows promote an interdisciplinary approach to science and a focus on ambitious and impactful projects, both of which align with my own values. I feel lucky to be supported in my postdoctoral work by such a wonderful fellowship community.”
About Jacob Beckham
He is a postdoctoral associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As a Schmidt Fellow, he will pivot from chemistry to biological sciences and explore how the bacteria in a person’s gut influence mental health and develop new bioelectronic therapeutics for anxiety. According to Schmidt Sciences, recent findings suggest that the bacteria in a person’s digestive tract play a surprisingly large role in mood disorders.
The Rice University alumnus proposed experiments to create a better understanding of how bacteria reduce anxiety and how their signalling can be mimicked to treat mental health issues.
Jacob Beckham joined fellow Rice PhD alumni Natsumi Komatsu, a 2022 electrical and computer engineering graduate, and Joshua Chen, a 2023 bioengineering graduate, in receiving a Schmidt Science Fellowship.
“The Schmidt Science Fellowship is one of the most prestigious postdoctoral awards in the world, providing significant mentorship and opportunity for Ph.D. graduates who want to continue their academic career. To have three from Rice in three years speaks to the quality and ambitions of our graduate students,” said Seiichi Matsuda, Rice’s dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies.
About Schmidt Science Fellows
The Fellowship seeks out the best-emerging scientists who have completed a Ph.D. in natural sciences, computing, engineering or mathematics from around the world. It places them in fellowships in a field different from their existing expertise. The program funds training for the scientists and the research they undertake and creates a community of interdisciplinary leaders.
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