Jeremy Hollis, a graduate research assistant in the Campbell Lab at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, is one of 10 graduate students across the world who has received the 2025 Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award. His research examines a historic protein component implicated in a variety of diseases and disorders and will provide a foundational understanding of cellular evolution.
The award is named for Harold “Hal” Weintraub, MD, PhD, a molecular biologist who helped found Fred Hutch’s Basic Sciences Division and immensely contributed to the understanding of embryonic development in vertebrates. Weintraub died of brain cancer in 1995 at age 49, and the namesake award honors his scientific leadership and legacy as an extraordinary mentor, colleague, collaborator and friend.
Now in its 26th year, the Weintraub Award has celebrated the exceptional achievements of graduate students in biological science since 2000.
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Though the award has its roots at Fred Hutch, it selects winners from an increasingly competitive international pool of applicants each year. Hollis is the first Fred Hutch winner in four years. Emma Wrenn, then a graduate student in the Cheung Lab, received the award in 2021.
Housing Weintraub’s legacy
For Hollis, the award represents Weintraub’s legacy both literally and metaphorically.
“The physical lab I work in, now the Campbell Lab, is in Hal Weintraub's old lab space,” he said, adding that his team still uses Weintraub’s monogrammed serological pipettes. They also continue a special tradition of recreating a photo of Weintraub at work.
Melody Campbell, PhD, who nominated Hollis for the award, praised his “strong determination and boundless optimism.”
“It's really an unbelieveable honor to be identified by my colleagues and mentors at my own institution as worthy of this award,” said Hollis.
“I'm so lucky to work in such a supportive environment that fosters collegiality, creativity and independence.” – Jeremy Hollis
Breaking down building blocks
Part of the Campbell lab’s research focuses on proteins, the molecular machines of life. Within them are domains: the adaptable, functional units within proteins.
“You can think of them like Legos,” Hollis added.
His research centers on the domain “I” (or “inserted”), a 500-million-year-old domain found in the integrin family of cell receptor proteins. This protein domain provides critical functions and has links to cancer, irritable bowel diseases and immune deficiencies. These impacts make it an attractive therapeutic target, according to Hollis. The endgame of his research will develop specified treatments and a fundamental understanding of protein evolution.
In describing Hollis’ work, Campbell called attention to his role in assembling the project entirely himself.
“He orchestrated the collaboration between my lab and [Dr. Harmit Malik]’s Lab,” she said.
The Malik Lab studies genetic conflicts between opposing genes and proteins that drive evolutionary change. Hollis’ collaboration brings together structural and evolutionary biology, which makes the outcomes of the project particularly unique and exciting.
And his drive to lead and collaborate doesn’t necessarily stop in the lab.
According to Campbell, Hollis has led the lab to win every creative competition they’ve entered — from building gingerbread houses to decorating doors to designing ugly sweaters to carving pumpkins — four years in a row.
His dedication is unwavering, especially when it comes to science. Upon receiving the Weintraub Award, Hollis spoke of the importance of recognizing biological research.
“The natural world contains answers to so many questions we're asking … we just need to have the courage to find them.”
