Dana-Farber Researcher Selected to Join the Pew Scholars Program

The Pew Charitable Trusts announced that Xin Gu, PhD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, is among 21 researchers who have been selected to join the Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences. These early-career scientists will receive four years of funding to explore cutting-edge research uncovering insights into human health and disease.

Gu is the principal investigator of the Xin Gu Lab at Dana-Farber and an assistant professor of cell biology at Harvard Medical School. As a Pew Scholar, Gu will study a newly discovered pathway that cells use to selectively break down proteins that regulate gene activity. This research builds on the lab's broader efforts to understand how cells maintain healthy protein balance. Using cutting-edge techniques in cell and molecular genetics, biochemistry and structural biology, research in the Gu lab could lead to the development of new strategies for targeting oncogenic gene regulators that were previously believed to be undruggable.

This year’s 21 Pew Scholars were chosen from more than 200 applicants nominated by leading academic institutions and researchers through the United States. They join a legacy of more than 1,000 scientists who have received awards from Pew since 1985. This year’s class includes scientists who are harnessing new technology to examine human health and behavior, studying the building blocks of immunity and engineering new methods to treat disease.

View the full list of the 2026 Pew Scholars in Biomedical Sciences.