Emory College of Arts and Sciences senior Ilakkia Anabayan, a neuroscience and behavioral biology major from Missouri, has been awarded a Churchill Scholarship for graduate study at the University of Cambridge next year.
Anabayan, a 2021 Goldwater Scholar, is one of just 16 winners of the Churchill Scholarship, one of the most prestigious and competitive international fellowships for American students studying in science, mathematics and engineering (STEM) fields. She is Emory’s third Churchill recipient and the first since 1988.
She plans to complete a master’s degree in clinical neurosciences at Cambridge before pursuing a joint MD/PhD. Her future will undoubtedly include mentorship roles and may also fit in improvisational comedy and performances as a singer/guitarist.
“The most important part of every opportunity has been the mentors at Emory who supported me,” Anabayan says. “I am so thankful for every person and opportunity that got me to this point.”
Research has played a large role in Anabayan’s experiences. Throughout the pandemic, she investigated pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) in two labs in two states. She is now examining gut microbiome changes after pediatric mild TBI, using a swine model.
Anabayan also completed a 10-month course in improv comedy and additional online sessions while serving as a learning assistant captain in chemistry and as co-chair of the Emory College Honor Council.
“That she is balancing all of this, and doing an amazing and graceful job on everything, is not something most folks who know her would realize,” says Jason Ciejka, associate dean for academic programs and director of the Honor Council. “The bottom line is, she’s a leader in everything she does.”
Anabayan demonstrated that leadership as a first-year student in the Chemistry 150 course taught by Professor of Pedagogy Tracy McGill. Even with 100 people in the course, Anabayan stood out for simultaneously contributing to class discussions and drawing others into the conversation.
McGill hired Anabayan as a learning assistant when she was just a sophomore, based on her command of chemistry and people. She continued into the captain’s role this year. She also designed a boot camp for students transitioning to 200-level courses, preparing them for success on their way to health and research careers.
The Churchill Scholarship — which funds tuition, fees, living expenses, travel and, at times, specific research — will give Anabayan additional chances for such leadership, McGill says. Previous Churchill Scholars hold significant roles in government, science research, academia and other industries.
“She doesn’t make the distinction about that as leadership. To her, it’s just being supportive of her peers,” McGill says. “It’s evidence of her humility. I become a better leader seeing her lead like that.”