Carole Ellison’s Bold Bet on Science and the Researchers of Tomorrow
Carole Ellison has supported ISB’s research and STEM programs for over a decade. She established the K. Carole Ellison Fellowship in Bioinformatics, funding groundbreaking research that has enabled young scientists to make critical discoveries.
Poet, philanthropist, and ISB Foundation Board member Carole Ellison has been an advocate and supporter of the Institute for Systems Biology’s groundbreaking research and innovative STEM programs for over 10 years. In 2012, she began hosting ISB’s annual summer soirée, an event that brings together scientists and supporters for lively discussions on the future of health. Now in its thirteenth year, each soirée highlights hot-button topics and critical research areas at ISB.
“The subject of wellness vs. sickness and heading off disease in advance makes much more sense than waiting for disease, putting on Band-Aids, and hoping for the best,” said Ellison. “I see it as leading edge, and it’s fun to be a part of it.”
In 2018, Carole established the K. Carole Ellison Fellowship in Bioinformatics. She didn’t just create the first fully funded fellowship at ISB – she created two. The fellowship provides a three-year postdoctoral fellow position for two researchers in bioinformatics.
Over the years, the Ellison fellows have made profound contributions to their fields. Published research includes the connection between the gut microbiome and aging, the development of a biological BMI to better understand obesity, and the important relationship between pregnancy and COVID vaccines.
Former Ellison fellow Samantha Piekos worked closely with ISB Associate Professor Jennifer Hadlock to conduct the first-ever large study of COVID boosters in pregnant people. The research team examined the impact of COVID vaccinations on maternal-fetal outcomes for nearly 92,000 people who delivered their babies in the Providence healthcare system. The concluding results found that vaccines and boosters were associated with lower rates of stillbirth.
“I cite this data to my patients,” said Tanya Sorensen, MD, a specialist in maternal and fetal medicine at Providence Swedish in Seattle, and who is an author of the research paper. “Vaccines and boosters help keep mom and baby safe.”
The Ellison fellowship makes this research possible and serves as a career launching pad for young scientists. Thanks to Carole’s generous renewal in 2024, two new Ellison fellows are just beginning their research, and we’re excited to see what new discoveries are on the horizon.
“It’s so exciting to be part of their lives and help them along in their careers,” Carole said.
