Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have been awarded an $8.2 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health to investigate the earliest developmental origins of the hematopoietic system—the network of organs and tissues responsible for producing blood cells. This work aims to uncover the signals and genetic programs that govern blood formation.
By advancing the understanding of how blood-forming stem cells arise, the research will lay the foundation for transformative breakthroughs in regenerative medicine, such as the development of innovative methods using engineered immune cells for therapies to treat cancers and blood diseases.
This prestigious grant recognizes emerging and outstanding investigators, and will be awarded to the Mount Sinai team over seven years. The principal investigator is Christopher M. Sturgeon, PhD, Associate Professor of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Associate Director of the Center for Advancement of Blood Cancer Therapies at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Sturgeon’s prior work has examined how blood systems form during development of the human embryo.
“We aim to understand the developmental origins and regulation of how blood-forming stem cells form in the early mammalian embryo, and from human pluripotent stem cells, for regenerative medicine applications,” said Dr. Sturgeon. “We take a novel approach to this through our foundational observations that blood development occurs much earlier than previously appreciated, during an extremely early stage of embryogenesis called gastrulation.”
Insights from the Sturgeon laboratory will help inform our understanding of the generation of blood-forming stem cells from human pluripotent stem cells, for use in human disease modeling and development of novel therapies for hematological disorders like sickle cell disease and leukemia.
“We are delighted that Dr. Sturgeon has received this recognition from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. This grant underscores the cutting-edge biomedical research taking place at Mount Sinai and highlights Dr. Sturgeon’s leadership in advancing the future of blood and immune system therapies,” said Sarah E. Millar, PhD, Dean for Academic and Scientific Affairs, and Chair of the Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine.
About the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is internationally renowned for its outstanding research, educational, and clinical care programs. It is the sole academic partner for the seven member hospitals of the Mount Sinai Health System, one of the largest academic health systems in the United States, providing care to New York City’s large and diverse patient population.
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai offers highly competitive MD, PhD, MD-PhD, and master’s degree programs, with enrollment of more than 1,200 students. It has the largest graduate medical education program in the country, with more than 2,700 clinical residents and fellows training throughout the Health System. Its Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences offers 13 degree-granting programs, conducts innovative basic and translational research, and trains more than 560 postdoctoral research fellows.
Ranked 11th nationwide in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is among the 99th percentile in research dollars per investigator according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. More than 4,500 scientists, educators, and clinicians work within and across dozens of academic departments and multidisciplinary institutes with an emphasis on translational research and therapeutics. Through Mount Sinai Innovation Partners (MSIP), the Health System facilitates the real-world application and commercialization of medical breakthroughs made at Mount Sinai.
Frazier graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1975 with highest honors and earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1978.
“Ken Frazier demonstrates leadership in every respect. He is an exceptionally accomplished executive, attorney, and trailblazer who leads with moral clarity and vision,” said Sunil Kumar, Tufts University president. “We look forward to hearing from him as we bid adieu to the extraordinary Class of 2026.”
At commencement, which begins at 9 a.m. on the academic quad of Tufts’ Medford/Somerville campus, Frazier will receive an honorary Doctor of Business Administration degree.
Two other distinguished individuals will receive honorary degrees as part of the Class of 2026:
Terri Lyne Carrington, award-winning musician, producer, and educator. Celebrating 40 years in music, Carrington is a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master and four-time Grammy Award-winning drummer. A native of Medford, Mass., she started her career at age 10 when she became the youngest person to receive a union card in Boston. Today Carrington serves as founder and artistic director of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, as well as artistic director for the Next Jazz Legacy program, a collaboration with New Music USA. She has performed on more than 100 recordings, and has toured and recorded with Stan Getz, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Esperanza Spalding, and many others. Her work, inspired by the ever-evolving social and political landscape, furthers Carrington’s passion for using jazz as a tool for social activism. An author of two books and member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Carrington holds honorary doctorates from York University, Manhattan School of Music, and Berklee College of Music. Carrington will receive an honorary Doctor of Music degree.
David Walt, scientist, educator, and entrepreneur. Walt will be returning to the Tufts campus, where he spent 35 years of his esteemed career and rose to the rank of University Professor. He is currently the Hansjörg Wyss Professor of Bioinspired Engineering at Harvard Medical School and professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Walt is also a core faculty member at the Wyss Institute at Harvard and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. His lab’s research focuses on creating and using novel technologies to solve unmet clinical diagnostics problems, applied to the early detection of cancers, tuberculosis, HIV rebound, and diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and ALS. Walt is the scientific founder or co-founder of multiple life-sciences startups, including Illumina Inc. and Quanterix Corp. He has received numerous national and international awards for his fundamental and applied work in the field of optical microwell arrays and single molecules. In 2025, Walt received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Joe Biden. Walt graduated from the University of Michigan in 1974 and earned his Ph.D. in chemical biology from Stony Brook University in 1979. Walt will receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree.
In addition, Alexis Abramson, dean of the Columbia University Climate School, will address graduates of the School of Engineering’s graduate programs on Saturday, May 16.
On Sunday, May 17, David Rosowsky, E85, EG87, nationally recognized leader in higher education innovation, will address graduates of the School of Engineering’s undergraduate programs. Curt Ellis, founder and CEO of FoodCorps, will address those gathered at the commencement ceremony for the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. The Honorable Shashi Tharoor, F76, F77, FG79, Indian statesman and diplomat, will deliver the keynote address at the commencement ceremony for The Fletcher School.
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