Meet 2025 Award Recipient
Ashley Reid Cahn
Ashley came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from University College London, where she studied Applied Medical Sciences, graduated with highest honors, and was selected as a Laidlaw scholar for her leadership and research excellence. She entered the PhD program in 2020.
While at Icahn, Ashley joined the laboratories of Nina Bhardwaj and Nicolas Vabret, focusing on harnessing the dark genome to enhance cancer vaccination. She recruited and mentored over 7 students in the lab, ranging from local high-school students to international masters students and PhD rotation students. Ashley co-organized the first cross-institutional Manhattan immunology PhD student retreat and served as a key contributor to the recruiting process, helping new students transition into the program.
She presented at multiple conferences, receiving poster awards and speaking opportunities at international events, and published several commentaries and review articles. Ashley completed her degree a year ahead of schedule, becoming the first in her cohort to graduate.
Ashley would like to thank her family, friends, and the faculty members at Sinai who have made her scientific education such a rewarding experience, particularly her mentors Dr. Bhardwaj and Dr. Vabret.