Dr. Theodore Roth is redefining the future of immunotherapy with CRISPR-ALL, a breakthrough platform that can insert and test thousands of genes in human T-cells simultaneously. By engineering entirely synthetic immune cell states never seen in nature, Roth aims to create “superhero” T-cells capable of outmaneuvering cancer and chronic infections like HIV and tuberculosis. A 2026 Michelson Prizes: Next Generation Grants recipient and co-founder of Arsenal Biosciences, Roth is pushing cell therapy from single-gene edits to industrial-scale immune reprogramming.

Dr. Mohamad Abedi is reengineering the immune system’s language by designing programmable synthetic cytokines that activate only at disease sites. Trained at the Institute for Protein Design under Nobel Laureate David Baker, Abedi is using AI-driven protein design to create “inducikines”—precision-engineered molecules that sense tumor-specific signals and switch on only when and where they’re needed. As a 2026 Michelson Prizes: Next Generation Grants recipient, his work could unlock safer, smarter immunotherapies for cancer, autoimmune disease, and beyond.

At Lund University, Dr. Inta Gribonika is redefining what scientists know about skin immunity. Her discovery of previously overlooked B cells housed within tertiary lymphoid organs (TLOs) near hair follicles challenges decades of dogma and opens the door to needle-free vaccines, precision immunotherapies, and new treatments for inflammatory skin disease and cancer. As a 2026 Michelson Prizes: Next Generation Grants recipient, she aims to harness these immune structures to generate protective antibodies directly at barrier surfaces—where infections begin.

Dr. Benjamin Morehouse is uncovering ancient immune strategies hidden within bacterial genomes to combat one of today’s greatest public health threats: antimicrobial resistance. His discovery of the novel immune protein SIRa1—an evolutionary conserved signaling hub that coordinates innate immune defenses against bacteria and viruses—opens the door to therapies that target the immune system rather than pathogens, potentially reducing resistance and transforming treatment for infectious, inflammatory, and even cancer-related diseases.

Dr. Joshua Gray, recipient of the 2026 Michelson Prizes: Next Generation Grants from the Michelson Medical Foundation, reveals groundbreaking discoveries in infant mucosal immunity. His research into BALT and GALT immune clusters is transforming pediatric vaccine development and immunotherapy.