Filipa Rijo-Ferreira wins prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute award for outstanding early career faculty

Filipa Rijo-Ferreira, assistant professor of infectious diseases and vaccinology at UC Berkeley School of Public Health, has been named a 2025 Freeman Hrabowski Scholar.

The award, from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, is given to early career faculty who have the potential to become leaders in their research fields and to create lab environments in which everyone can thrive.

The Rijo-Ferreira Laboratory studies circadian rhythms in parasitic diseases to understand how malaria parasites keep track of time. Her lab is uncovering the mechanisms regulating the parasite “clock” and how it interacts with the clocks of both the mosquito and the host, to modulate transmission and pathogenesis of the disease.

“I’m absolutely thrilled and deeply humbled to be recognized with this award,” Dr. Rijo-Ferreira said. “It reinforces the importance of exploring fundamental questions, and we are eager to continue to uncover new perspectives on host-pathogen interactions.”

Freeman Hrabowski Scholars are appointed to a five-year term, renewable for a second five-year term after a successful progress evaluation. In addition, they participate in professional development to advance their leadership and mentorship skills. Each scholar receives support that includes full salary, research budget, and equipment.

Lauren H. Goldstein, PhD, director of research development for Berkeley Public Health, called Dr. Rijo-Ferreira a rising star in her field.

“We are excited to see the new discoveries in Rijo-Ferreira’s lab in the coming years,” Goldstein said.