Elizabeth Wright, Henry A. Lardy Professor of Biochemistry, has been named as a 2026-27 Kellett Mid-Career Award recipient by the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research. The award provides support for faculty members who were first promoted to a tenured position in the past seven to 20 years. Wright and the 15 other recipients will each receive $75,000 to be spent on furthering their research over the next five years.
Wright’s work develops and applies cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) to reveal the three-dimensional structures of viruses, cells, and molecular machines in their native environments. Her research has uncovered fundamental mechanisms of viral infection, cellular organization, and protein assembly while advancing technologies that have transformed in situ structural biology. Wright founded and directs the UW–Madison Cryo-EM Research Center and the NIH-supported Midwest Center for Cryo-Electron Tomography, which have established the university as a global leader in advanced structural imaging, technology innovation, and scientific training.
“I am deeply honored to receive a Kellett Mid-Career Award. This support will give us the freedom to pursue ambitious new directions in our research, using cryo-EM and cryo-ET to visualize molecular structures and processes within cells and tissues and uncover how they change in neurodegenerative and infectious diseases. I am especially grateful for the talented students, scientists, and collaborators whose creativity and dedication make our work possible,” says Wright.