October 22, 2025
Christopher McGinley will receive $5,000 for his research on brain repair following a stroke.
A bright Howard student has received new funding to continue his research in brain repair.
Christopher McGinley, who is on track to earn his M.D./Ph.D. in biomedical sciences at the Howard University College of Medicine, has received the Thermo Fisher Scientific Antibody Scholarship Award.
As one of the award’s 2025 recipients, McGinley will receive $5,000 to further his research. The scholarship program highlights students in undergraduate and graduate tracks that focus on antibody, immunology, or molecular biology-related fields.
McGinley initially completed his bachelor’s degree in cell and molecular biology at West Chester University in Pennsylvania. Since then, the doctoral candidate has advanced his education at the renowned HBCU. His work delves into brain repair following a stroke. Particularly invested in how Neuregulin-1, an endogenous molecule, promotes this healing, McGinley uses mouse models to study neuroregeneration.
McGinley told The Dig, the news publication for Howard, that the scholarship will amplify “my research on brain repair while also motivating me to continue mentoring and serving the next generation of physician-scientists.”
Physician-scientists divide their time between scientific research and clinical practice, but a gap exists in the number of Black scholars in this profession. According to research published by JAMA Internal Medicine, 30% of Black M.D.-Ph.D. candidates enrolled from 2004 to 2012 did not complete their training compared to 17% of their white counterparts.
The support and recognition of current Black M.D.-Ph.Ds is important. U.S. News & World Report also reported that this gap is connected to the health equity crisis in the nation.
“Black investigators are more likely to connect with their Black patients better, similar to how Black doctors are more sought after by Black patients,” shared Jude Tunyi, president of the nonprofit American Association of Black Physician Scientists, in 2023. “Overall, we can then start to understand why there is such a disparity in parts of our health care system.”
As McGinley advances through his biomedical program, the new father remains focused on his goal and representing Black physician scientists. His selection for the Thermo Fisher Antibody Scholarship Program stemmed from his display of leadership.
The Howard student also serves as research chair for the university’s chapter of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and is on the career development committee of the American Physician Scientists Association.
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