29 Jun Welcome to the 2026–2027 TL1 Cohort!
ITHS is happy to introduce the latest group of investigators in our TL1 Translational Research Training Program! This exciting cohort of pre-doctoral students will spend one year in the program gaining the career development tools needed to become better translational researchers. The trainees study at University of Washington and Montana State University, and their research interests are found in a variety of health-related fields, from medicine, nursing and pharmacy, to microbiology, speech and hearing sciences, and bioengineering.

The 2026–2027 cohort of TL1 trainees includes:
- Matthew Abbott, MSU Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology
- Blair Armstrong, UW School of Medicine and Fred Hutch Cancer Center
- Gabrielle Bresson-Tan, MSU Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
- Willow Chernoske, UW Department of Bioengineering
- Madeleine Eakman, UW Department of Chemistry
- Alanna Feltner, UW School of Social Work

- Tyler Hilliard, MSU Department of Psychology
- Eric Hsu, UW School of Pharmacy
- Alexandra Lynch, MSU Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
- Shelby Madden, MSU Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology
- Maria Fernanda McCavitt-Malvido, UW Schools of Medicine and Public Health

- Jenna McHale, UW School of Nursing
- Caitlin Neher, UW Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Ann Richey, UW School of Public Health
- Sydney Spencer, UW School of Public Health
- Reesa Thornmaker-Artz, MSU Department of Human Development & Community Health

- Rachel Ware, UW Department of Chemical Engineering
- Madeline West, UW Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
- Mia Hoffman, University of Washington (Ms. Hoffman is the recipient of a three-year TL1 INCLUDE Supplement and will take part in the program 2024–2027)
You can learn more about the new cohort and their research projects on our TL1 Trainees page.
The TL1 Program
The ITHS TL1 program is a one-year mentored research training program in translational science for predoctoral students. This program creates a cross-disciplinary community of emerging researchers and provides them with specific training, career development opportunities, and team science skills to help them function effectively within translational science teams. The program is funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.
Through a combination of thoughtful mentorship, interdisciplinary interaction, and focused training, TL1 Trainees develop the skills needed to become impactful translational researchers.





