Katie Spivakovsky, a senior at MIT, has been chosen as a 2026-27 Churchill Scholar and can pursue an MPhil in biological sciences on the Wellcome Sanger Institute on the University of Cambridge within the United Kingdom this fall.
Spivakovsky, who’s majoring in bioengineering and artificial intelligence with minors in mathematics and biology, desires to integrate computer science and bioengineering into an instructional research profession focused on developing robust, scalable solutions that promote equitable health outcomes.
At MIT's Bathe BioNanoLab, Spivakovsky studies therapeutic applications of DNA origami, DNA-scaffolded nanoparticles for gene and mRNA delivery, and is co-author of a manuscript in press at . She is leading the event of an immunotherapy for cancer cachexia with a team supported by MIT's BioMakerSpace. This work received a silver medal on the international synthetic biology competition iGEM and was published in . Previously, she worked within the Modeling & Informatics team at Merck, where she characterised a cancer-associated protein mutation, and on the New York Structural Biology Center, where she improved cryogenic electron microscopy particle detection models.
On campus, Spivakovsky serves as director of the MIT Biotech Group's Undergraduate Initiative. She is very committed to teaching and mentoring and has served as an instructor and co-director for Class 6.S095 (Probability Problem Solving), as a Teaching Assistant for Classes 20.309 (Bioinstrumentation) and 20.A06 (Hands-on Making in Biological Engineering), as a Laboratory Assistant for Class 6.300 (Signal Processing), and as an Assistant Advisor.
“Katie is a superb researcher with a powerful mental curiosity that may make her a pacesetter in bioengineering in the long run. We are proud that she is going to represent MIT on the University of Cambridge,” said Kim Benard, associate dean for outstanding scholarship.
The Churchill Scholarship is a highly competitive scholarship that gives 16 American students annually with the chance to pursue a funded degree in science, mathematics or engineering at Churchill College, University of Cambridge. Established in 1963, the scholarship honors former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's vision for scientific exchange between the United States and Great Britain. Since 2017, two Kanders Churchill scholarships for science policy studies have also been awarded yearly.
MIT students involved in learning more in regards to the Churchill Scholarship should contact Kim Benard in MIT Career Advice and Professional Development.
