March 18th, 2026
JXTX + CSHL 2026 Biology of Genomes Awardees
JXTX: The James P. Taylor Foundation for Open Science is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 JXTX+CSHL Biology of Genomes Scholarships. The JXTX Foundation provides support for students to attend conferences in computational biology and data science, where they can present their work and form connections with other researchers in the field.
Three genomics and data sciences graduate students were awarded this set of JXTX+CSHL scholarships. These awardees will present their work at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Biology of Genomes Conference. Awardees represent three institutions and are presenting a wide range of research at the meeting.
Jakob Heinz
Harvard University
Jakob Heinz is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in the Bioinformatics and Integrative Genomics program at Harvard University, co-advised by Dr. Heng Li and Dr. Matthew Meyerson. His research uses recently resolved centromere sequences assembled by the Human Pangenome Research Consortium to develop computational methods for identifying novel centromere fusion events in cancer genomes and studying their recurrence across diverse cancer types. In his free time, Jakob enjoys playing chess, tennis, hiking, reading, and learning yoga.
Layla Brassington
Vanderbilt University
Layla Brassington is a PhD candidate in the Lea Lab in the Department of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University. She uses genomic approaches to understand how environmental experiences "get under the skin" to shape immune function and health in diverse human populations. Her research integrates transcriptomic and epigenomic data from populations undergoing rapid lifestyle change to examine why individuals vary so widely in their biological responses to the same immune challenge. Outside the lab, Layla enjoys spending time with friends and family, going on walks, baking, and crafting.
Shloka Negi
University of California, Santa Cruz
Shloka Negi is a PhD candidate in Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she is co-supervised by Dr. Benedict Paten and Dr. Karen Miga. Her work centers on advancing rare disease diagnostics by building scalable, cost-effective long-read sequencing and pangenomic methods, including pangenome-guided approaches for faster genome assembly inference and improved variant detection. Her research aims to make advanced genomic technologies more accessible in clinical settings. Outside the lab, Shloka enjoys making music, cooking, and traveling.
About JXTX: The James P. Taylor Foundation for Open Science
"The most important job of senior faculty is to mentor junior faculty and students." These are the words that Professor James P. Taylor, the Ralph S. O'Connor Professor at the Departments of Biology and Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University said and lived by. This, he believed, was imperative to advance science, and in a way that facilitated diversity and inclusion. The mission of this foundation is to continue his legacy, through a multifaceted approach which will be unrolled across several stages.
Towards the goal of advancing mentorship, the JXTX Foundation will organize and host mentoring sessions between senior and junior faculty members at select high-profile meetings. The Foundation also aims to attract new scholars, including high school and undergrad students, to computational biology and data science, and to form connections and opportunities for members of underrepresented minority populations.
According to his colleagues, James hated self-promotion. But the community would be done a grave disservice if the seeds planted by Dr. Taylor were not nourished to grow and flourish. Thank you to those who have generously contributed.
Please consider making a donation to support James Taylor's legacy.