Young Investigators Awards

Young Investigators Awards John Hickey (left) and Michael Blatchley (right).

John Hickey and Michael Blatchley, both May 2019 PhD graduates, were recognized for their outstanding research contributions by the Young Investigators Day Program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Hickey received the Hans J. Prochaska Award and Blatchely received the Paul Talalay Award. Each award carries a distinct honor and specific history to the legacy of biomedical research at Johns Hopkins.

Hickey’s research involves engineering next-generation biomaterials to create more effective cancer immunotherapies through control of particle and hydrogel biomaterial properties. Specifically, he wants to target and activate rare tumor-specific T cells by creating artificial cells and lymph node-like environments from these materials.

Blatchley uses engineered biomaterials to study how human blood vessels form in a laboratory setting. This biomimetic platform helps identify potential therapeutic targets to promote and inhibit vascular regeneration to treat cardiovascular disease and cancer, respectively, and to enhance our understanding of how to best construct vascular networks to build functional tissues.