NIH Awarded Two Philadelphia Researchers Funding
The grants support long-term projects in synthetic biology and health-focused architectural design.
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Life Sciences
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The National Institutes of Health has awarded its Director's Awards to Michael Levy and Adam Stevens of the Perelman School of Medicine. Both researchers secured multi-year funding to pursue high-risk, high-reward scientific projects.
Why it matters
The NIH High-Risk, High-Reward program targets innovative research with significant potential to alter public health and medical therapeutic standards. These awards provide the necessary long-term runway for foundational work in bioengineering and urban health infrastructure.
Levy received the Pioneer Award with $700,000 in annual funding, while Stevens received the New Innovator Award at $475,000 annually. Both grants provide support for a total duration of five years.
The players
Michael Levy
A researcher at the Perelman School of Medicine focused on the intersection of architecture and public health epidemiology.
Adam Stevens
A researcher at the Perelman School of Medicine specializing in synthetic biology and tissue engineering for medical therapy.
National Institutes of Health
The primary U.S. government agency responsible for biomedical and public health research funding.
Perelman School of Medicine
A research institution in Philadelphia serving as the institutional home for the award recipients.
The details
Levy plans to integrate epidemiology models—the study of disease distribution in populations—with architectural design to mitigate environmental health risks using 3D printing. Stevens employs synthetic biology—the engineering of biological systems—to map the molecular logic of cells. This approach aims to build controlled tissue models for regenerative medicine and cancer research.
Timeline
October 7, 2026: The National Institutes of Health officially announced the award recipients.
The Tech Race
The NIH High-Risk, High-Reward program maintains a competitive pipeline for speculative, non-traditional research trajectories. These awards specifically advance the institution's commitment to funding projects that fall outside typical grant scopes.
Levy’s research will reach the public through future collaborations with the Stuart Weitzman School of Design and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to improve home health standards. Stevens’ work will inform future clinical applications for cancer and regenerative therapies over the coming years.
The takeaway
These grants indicate a strategic focus on interdisciplinary approaches to health, specifically merging built environments with molecular biology. Readers should watch for future output from these researchers as they begin their five-year funding cycles.
Further reading
Explore ongoing advancements in medical and biological research within the Life Sciences section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Former Penn President Liz Magill earned $4.46 million the year following her resignation - The Daily Pennsylvanian.
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