Meichen Wang Selected as a 2026 NIH Office of Disease Prevention Early-Stage Investigator Lecture Award Winner
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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Disease Prevention (ODP) has selected Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences Meichen Wang as one of three winners of the 2026 ODP Early Stage Investigator Lecture (ESIL). This award recognizes early career prevention scientists who have already made outstanding research contributions to their respective fields and are poised to become future leaders in prevention research.
The selection committee cited Wang for her work focusing on the prevention of childhood obesity and metabolic disease by developing edible clays to reduce early-life exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals.” Her research represents a pioneering approach in preventive medicine, transforming an environmental toxicology challenge into a feasible, low-cost public health solution.
Wang joined the SPHHS faculty in Fall 2024. She trained as a toxicologist at Texas A&M University, where she earned her graduate degrees in Toxicology and completed her postdoctoral research that was sponsored by NIEHS Superfund and K99 grants.
ODP will host online lectures featuring the award winners later in 2026. The awardees will also have the opportunity to meet and network virtually with NIH program directors and scientists who are engaged with prevention research. Learn more on the ODP website.
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