MIT senior Katie Spivakovsky has been chosen as a 2026-27 Churchill Scholar and can undertake an MPhil in biological sciences on the Wellcome Sanger Institute at Cambridge University within the U.K. this fall.
Spivakovsky, who’s double-majoring in biological engineering and artificial intelligence, with minors in mathematics and biology, goals to integrate computation and bioengineering in a tutorial research profession focused on developing robust, scalable solutions that promote equitable health outcomes.
At MIT’s Bathe BioNanoLab, Spivakovsky investigates therapeutic applications of DNA origami, DNA-scaffolded nanoparticles for gene and mRNA delivery, and co-authored a manuscript in press at Science. She leads the event of an immune therapy for cancer cachexia with a team supported by MIT’s BioMakerSpace; this work earned a silver medal on the international synthetic biology competition iGEM and was published within the MIT Undergraduate Research Journal. Previously, she worked on Merck’s Modeling & Informatics team, characterizing a cancer-associated protein mutation, and on the Recent York Structural Biology Center, where she improved cryogenic electron microscopy particle detection models.
On campus, Spivakovsky serves as director of the Undergraduate Initiative within the MIT Biotech Group. She is deeply committed to teaching and mentoring, and has served as a lecturer and co-director for class 6.S095 (Probability Problem Solving), a teaching assistant for classes 20.309 (Bioinstrumentation) and 20.A06 (Hands-on Making in Biological Engineering), a lab assistant for 6.300 (Signal Processing), and as an associate advisor.
“Katie is a superb researcher who has a keen mental curiosity that may make her a frontrunner in biological engineering in the long run. We’re proud that she will likely be representing MIT at Cambridge University,” says Kim Benard, associate dean of distinguished fellowships.
The Churchill Scholarship is a highly competitive fellowship that annually offers 16 American students the chance to pursue a funded graduate degree in science, mathematics, or engineering at Churchill College inside Cambridge University. The scholarship, established in 1963, honors former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s vision for U.S.-U.K. scientific exchange. Since 2017, two Kanders Churchill Scholarships have also been awarded annually for studies in science policy.
MIT students concerned with learning more concerning the Churchill Scholarship should contact Kim Benard in MIT Profession Advising and Skilled Development.