Josie Wong, a standout neuroscience student in the Macaulay Honors College at CSI, has been named one of the 2025 recipients of the Jonas E. Salk Scholarship, one of CUNY’s most prestigious academic honors recognizing exceptional students entering careers in medicine and biomedical research.
Wong joins a distinguished cohort of just eight students across the CUNY system selected for the award, which honors the legacy of Jonas E. Salk, the City College alumnus who developed the first polio vaccine in 1955. Awardees are chosen for their original research contributions and their promise as future leaders in medical science. They were honored at an awards ceremony yesterday at John Jay College, featuring guest speaker Dr. Ashwin Vasan, former NYC Health Commissioner
Under the mentorship of CSI Professor Probal Banerjee, Wong conducted pioneering research on sex-specific differences in anxiety reversal linked to serotonin receptor signaling in mice, a study that illuminates the critical nuances of brain chemistry and mental health. Her research paper, titled “Neonatal Role of Hippocampal Serotonin 1A Receptor Signaling: Unraveling Sex-Specific Differences Upon Activation of PKCϵ as a Means of Signaling Recovery,” was central to her selection. Read more...
