University of Groningen PhDs Earn Rubicon Grants for Cutting-Edge Research at Yale and Harvard

University of Groningen PhDs Earn Rubicon Grants for Cutting-Edge Research at Yale and Harvard

(IN BRIEF) Two recent PhD graduates from the University of Groningen, M. Kokkorakis and K. Zhong, have secured prestigious Rubicon grants from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). Over the next two years, Kokkorakis will work at Yale School of Medicine to advance liver disease models using humanized mice, while Zhong will conduct enzyme structure-function research at Harvard Medical School, integrating AI and spectroscopy to revolutionize biocatalyst design. Their projects aim to drive innovation in clinical research, green chemistry, and sustainable technology.

(PRESS RELEASE) GRONINGEN, 21-Jul-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Two outstanding PhD graduates from the University of Groningen have been awarded Rubicon grants by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), enabling them to pursue groundbreaking research at globally renowned institutions in the United States for the next two years.

The Rubicon programme aims to empower early-career researchers by offering international experience that can significantly propel their academic development.

1. Kokkorakis, a graduate in Biomedical Sciences, will join Yale School of Medicine to work on developing more accurate models for liver disease. His research seeks to close the translational gap between preclinical animal studies and human clinical trials by using humanized mouse liver models. These advanced systems will allow him to investigate the role of specific lipids that impair immune responses and lead to liver damage. The findings could transform how metabolic and alcohol-related liver diseases are studied and treated in humans.
2. Zhong, with a background in Molecular Biology, will carry out her research at Harvard Medical School, where she will focus on combining artificial intelligence with cutting-edge spectroscopy techniques to redesign enzymes. By decoding the relationship between one-dimensional enzyme data and their complex three-dimensional structures, her work could unlock the ability to engineer novel enzymes. This advancement holds promise for breakthroughs in green chemistry, including sustainable industrial processes, environmental applications such as carbon capture, and next-generation pharmaceuticals.

These Rubicon fellowships reflect the University of Groningen’s strong commitment to research excellence and international collaboration, and highlight the university’s role in preparing the next generation of scientific leaders.

Media Contact:

email: communicatie@rug.nl

SOURCE: University of Groningen