黑料吃瓜资源 (CSHL) Assistant Professor Arkarup Banerjee has been named a 2025 . Awarded by the McKnight Foundation, the scholarship provides early-career neuroscientists with $225,000 over three years. The award will support Banerjee鈥檚 ongoing work to understand how brains enable vocal communication.
鈥淚t鈥檚 truly an honor to be selected as a McKnight Scholar,鈥� Banerjee says. 鈥淗uman society revolves around interactive communication. And when this ability is lost or hindered, such as in autism or stroke-induced aphasia, the impact can be devastating. Therefore, a better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying vocal communication is crucial.鈥�
Banerjee is a rising star of CSHL鈥檚 neuroscience program. His team studies vocal communication in Alston’s singing mice鈥攔odents that communicate through “songs” that mirror the turn-taking structure of human conversations. This remarkable behavior, absent in closely related species, provides an exceptional research opportunity. By combining cutting-edge neuroscience techniques with evolutionary analysis, Banerjee鈥檚 work aims to reveal not just how brains function, but how they evolve to support complex social behaviors in mammals.
鈥淭his award will allow my lab to tackle this important question,鈥� Banerjee adds. 鈥淚 also look forward to attending the McKnight Conference and the opportunity to engage in inspiring discussions with colleagues at the forefront of neuroscience.鈥�
Since 1977, the McKnight Scholarship has been one of neuroscience’s most prestigious early-career honors. Recipients become part of an exclusive community of the nation’s leading neuroscientists, placing Banerjee among the field鈥檚 most promising young researchers.
Written by: Nick Wurm, Communications Specialist | [email protected] | 516-367-5940