Postdoctoral scholar Ljubica Mihaljević, PhD, has been named a 2024 Helen Hay Whitney Fellow! She joins 20 other postdocs in labs across the US who will each receive research support for three years.

Lj is exploring ways to create new membrane proteins with advanced functions. Before joining the lab, she conducted research on virtually every class of membrane protein found in nature, from receptors and pore-forming toxins to intramembrane proteases and ion channels.

“Membrane proteins are mysterious molecules that still present challenging research questions, mostly because they are so difficult to to work with. Building new membrane proteins from the ground up may help us understand how these molecules function, leading to new ways to detect and treat disease,” Lj explained.

The Helen Hay Whitney Foundation supports postdoctoral trainees in all basic biomedical sciences. As a Fellow, Lj will gather annually for research presentations by each third-year Fellow, allowing for scientific interchange across research areas.

“I think creativity and community are two indispensable parts of science, and each can magnify the other,” she said. “I look forward to expanding my own work and that of the other Fellows in the program.”

Competition for the Helen Hay Whitney Fellowship is intense, with less than 5 percent of applicants receiving support each year. Since its inception in 1947, over 1,300 research fellowships have been awarded. Applications for 2025 are now open. Learn more at hhwf.org.