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Our Work

The ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ MOSAIC program is a professional development program that supports successful transition of early-career scientists from historically underrepresented groups from postdoctoral positions to tenure-track faculty positions at research-intensive institutions. This 5-year initiative is an essential step to achieve the Society’s goal for diversity in the microbial sciences.  

Professional Development that Promotes Faculty Diversity

The , a cooperative agreement between NIH and ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥, is a 5-year initiative that will support early-career scientists from underrepresented groups as they transition successfully from postdoctoral positions to tenure-track faculty positions. The program will support scholars to achieve robust careers as microbiologists and immunologists and prepare them to mentor the next generation of scientists.

MOSAIC has 2 components:

  1. The career transition award for postdoctoral researchers to enhance diversity through the well-established K99/R00 award system.
  2. The research education cooperative agreement for ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ and other scientific societies that provide courses for skills development and mentoring activities.

Want to Be An ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ MOSAIC Scholar?


ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ MOSAIC Scholar Experience

ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥'s MOSAIC program is funded by the NIH MOSAIC Institutionally-Focused Research Education Award (UE5). The program's 3 phases will include courses, workshops and mentor support for scholars in the microbial sciences to achieve the following goals:

  • Focus on the foundational skills required to gain faculty positions.
  • Embark on a successful tenure-track career.
  • Catalyze progression to scientific leadership.

FAQs ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ the ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥/NIH MOSAIC Program

Learn about eligibility information, application requirements, the review process and more.


Key Activities

Years 1 and 2

  • Create and refine Individual Development Plans (IDP).
  • Choose a faculty pathway.
  • Apply and interview for a tenure-track position.
  • Develop a philosophy and plan for successful mentoring.
  • Establish a mentoring network.
  • Foster a community of peers and mentors, both virtually and in person.

Years 3 and 4

  • Build departmental relations and support diversity.
  • Attend "Lab Management" workshop.
  • Foster a community of peers and mentors, both virtually and in person.
  • Participate in workshops and training courses for "Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)."
  • Attend "Leadership Training in the Business of Science" workshop.
  • Develop science communication skills.
  • Acquire tools for sustained research funding, e.g., grant writing, scientific publishing.

Years 5+ 

  • Train in culturally competent mentoring.
  • Attend "Ethics of Peer Review" training.
  • Participate in ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥'s or mBio's Early Career Reviewer Program.
  • Foster a community of peers and mentors, both virtually and in person.
  • Reinforce and expand upon RCR training.
  • Establish research integrity and reproducibility.

Over the course of the experience, scholars will have the opportunity to grow their peer networks by attending and presenting at the ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥-managed , ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥â€™s annual flagship meeting, ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ Microbe, and other ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ meetings and events.


ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ MOSAIC 2024 Scholars

Elze Rackaityte

University of California, San Francisco

Project: Molecular understanding of maternal humoral responses to pregnancy.

Rachel Elizabeth Turn

Stanford University

Project: TULP3 integrates essential ciliary functions.

Tracess Smalley

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute

Project: Dual E3 ligase function of TRIM25 in modulating innate immunity.

Sarah Vick 

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center 

Project: Regulatory T cell coordination of the mucosal NK cell response during viral infection.

Walatta-Tseyon Mesquitta 

Boston Children's Hospital

Project: Molecular regulation of lymphoid lineage priming in steady state and regeneration

Cristina Santarossa

Johns Hopkins University

Christina Santarossa

Project: Structure and function of the LetA lipid transport family across bacteria and eukaryotes

Melanie Shapiro

University of Florida

Melanie Shapiro

Project: Fcγ Receptor-Mediated Pharmacogenomics of Antibody Therapies in Type 1 Diabetes

Moses New-Aaron

Emory University

Moses New-Aaron

Project: Alcohol metabolism potentiates HIV-induced lung and liver multimorbidity via inter-organ crosstalk


ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ MOSAIC 2023 Scholars

Omokolade Adebowale

Harvard University

Project: Biophysical cues shaping macrophage and T cell functions.

Diana Elizondo

U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Project: Delineation of macrophage-derived transglutaminases role in adipose tissue health and inflammation in obesity.

Krista Freeman

University of Pittsburgh

Project: Improving phage-based medicine with immunoengineering.

Ramiah Jacks

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

Project: Regulation and maintenance of adipose tissue T cells.

Ayano Kohlgruber

Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Project: Decoding synovial CD4+ T cell antigen specificities in rheumatoid arthritis.

Joscelyn Mejias

Johns Hopkins University

Project: Age and sex differences in the immune response to synthetic materials.

Rachael Philips

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Project: Genomic regulation of immune response by a STAT1 gain of function mutation.

ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ MOSAIC Mentors

ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ MOSAIC scholars are guided by these mentors who support their progress from innovative researchers to competitive applicants for biomedical research funding.

  • Hector Aguilar-Carreno, Ph.D., Cornell University.
  • Juan Alfonzo, Ph.D., Ohio State University.
  • Cynthia Cornelissen, Ph.D., Georgia State University.
  • Patricia Champion, Ph.D., University of Notre Dame.
  • Vincent Lee, Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park.
  • Petra Levin, Ph.D., Washington State University in St. Louis.
  • Mary O’Riordan, Ph.D., University of Michigan.
  • Christina Stallings, Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis.
  • Jorge Vidal, Ph.D., University of Mississippi Medical School.
  • Allison Wiliams, Ph.D., University of California San Francisco.
  • Jinwei Zhang, Ph.D., National Institute of Health, NIDDK.

ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ MOSAIC Program Leadership

This ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ program is supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grant #UE5AI178763.

Principal Investigator:

Irene Hulede, Education Director, American Society for ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥

Co-Investigators

Advisory Committee

These are the members of the program’s advisory committee.

  • Avery August, Ph.D., professor, Cornell University.
  • Stefano Bertuzzi, Ph.D., MPH (Ex-Officio), Chief Executive Officer, ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥.
  • Arturo Casadevall, M.D., Ph.D., M.S., chair and professor, Johns Hopkins University.
  • Jo Handelsman, Ph.D., director and professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
  • Akiko Iwasaki, Ph.D., professor, Yale University.
  • Greetchen Díaz-Muñoz, Ph.D., Director, Science Education Program and Community Partnerships, Ciencia Puerto Rico.
  • Courtney Robinson, Ph.D., associate professor, Howard University.
  • Alfredo Torres, Ph.D., professor, Associate Provost of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, The University of Texas Medical Branch.
  • Raphael Valdivia, Ph.D., professor, Duke University.