Biochemistry alumnus earns prize for publishing research on cell behavior

Zaza Gelashvil ’19, M.S. ‘20, has received the 2026 Chairman’s Prize from the Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSK), where he is completing his doctoral research. His work has uncovered new ways that cells sense physical change and turn that information into coordinated responses.

The annual award is presented to the GSK student who is the first author of research published in a scientific journal. The prize includes a $2,000 award.

“I am honored by this recognition and grateful for the mentorship and support I have received at GSK,” says Gelashvili, whose research was published in two scientific publications — Nature Cell Biology and Nature Communications. “This award encourages me to continue pursuing fundamental questions in basic research, where some of the most revealing results emerge when biological systems do not behave as predicted.”

Gelashvil majored in biochemistry and molecular biology at Clark and earned his master’s in the same field through Clark’s 4+1 Accelerated Master’s Degree.