MCDB Assistant Professor Tyler Huycke has been named a shortlisted finalist for the 2026 Takeda Innovators in Science Award with Nature.
This global award, originally launched in 2016, celebrates groundbreaking research with a focus on emerging scientific leaders who are boldly advancing the frontiers of scientific discovery and fostering innovation that has the potential to transform lives.
Huycke is among 9 researchers named to the award’s shortlist for innovative work in the areas of gastrointestinal and inflammatory diseases, neuroscience, or oncology. The Huycke lab explores how biological tissues encode geometric shape through collective cellular behaviors rather than genetic programs alone. By uncovering these principles in the gastrointestinal tract, which can rapidly restore its three-dimensional form after damage, their work reframes regeneration as an architectural problem and opens up new avenues for targeting tissue structure in disease.
These 9 shortlisted finalists were selected by an independent panel of esteemed judges from a pool of more than 300 qualified applicants from 47 countries. A total of 230 universities and research institutions were represented across the applicants.
Takeda and Nature will award three category winners – one from each focus area – with a $75,000 prize. One grand prize winner will also receive an additional $175,000 award, for a total grand prize of $250,000.
All 9 shortlisted finalists will be invited to participate in a 12-month career development program administered by Nature to address the unique challenges of emerging scientists. The program will offer training to develop skills such as grant writing, research communication and lab management. Winners will also have access to mentorship opportunities.
As one of the largest prizes of its kind, the Innovators in Science Award reinforces Takeda and Springer Nature’s commitment to promoting scientific excellence and fostering a culture of partnership between industry and academia.
“Young scientists often face limited resources and visibility at pivotal moments in their career. While their ideas may be bold, securing the necessary support to bring breakthrough research to life can be a challenge,” said Andrew Plump, M.D., Ph.D., president of R&D at Takeda. “We take pride in recognizing emerging scientists whose work is shaping the future of science. Through meaningful support—funding, mentorship, and collaboration—we strive to empower their continued professional growth and impact.”
Speaking on the shortlist, Alexia-Ileana Zaromytidou, Chief Editor of Nature Cancer and one of this year’s judges, said:"The Innovators in Science Award shines a spotlight on early-career researchers who are redefining what’s possible in biomedical science. This year’s shortlist reflects extraordinary progress in gastrointestinal and inflammatory diseases, neuroscience and oncology. Fields where innovation can truly transform lives. At Nature, we are honoured to celebrate these scientists and their commitment to advancing discovery."
Category winners will be announced in February, ahead of the live grand prize announcement at the Innovators in Science Award gala on April 9, in Boston. Learn more about all the shortlisted candidates at innovatorsinscienceaward.com.
About the Innovators in Science Award
Launched in 2016, the Takeda Innovators in Science Award provides scientific leaders with the support and recognition needed to drive bold, transformative breakthroughs in their fields. Since its inception, the award has celebrated the outstanding contributions of 10 established and early-career researchers with $2M of unrestricted funding. This global award recognizes researchers who are advancing the frontiers of scientific discovery, fostering innovation that has the potential to transform lives. In 2026, the Innovators in Science Award honors groundbreaking research by early-career scientists in Gastrointestinal and Inflammatory Diseases, Neuroscience and Oncology. For more information, visit innovatorsinscienceaward.com.
