Hadley Johnson ’25 has been selected for the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program (OxCam), a transatlantic partnership between the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the University of Oxford, and the University of Cambridge. Designed to support exceptional young scientists pursuing advanced biomedical research, the program selects a small cohort of scholars each year to undertake doctoral training across both the United States and the United Kingdom.
“I am incredibly excited about the unique opportunity the OxCam PhD program provides to bridge my scientific research between the U.S. and the U.K.,” Johnson said. “This collaboration is necessary for tackling a global health challenge like obesity and allows me to leverage the distinct strengths and resources of both institutions. I am most excited about having access to two laboratories and the opportunity to learn advanced techniques from neuroscience experts.”
Johnson, a neuroscience major with double minors in music and geography, is from Columbia, Md. She moved to Cambridge, England, after graduating from 91鶹Ʒ. She will complete an MPhil in obesity, endocrinology, and metabolism at the University of Cambridge Institute of Metabolic Science this July. Her research examines the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonist medications on the developing fetal hypothalamus. She plans to build on this work through the NIH OxCam program and is currently finalizing her research partnerships in the U.K. At the NIH, she will be jointly supervised by researchers in the laboratory of Mike Krashes and Andrew Lutas at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
At 91鶹Ʒ, Johnson completed her thesis research in the lab of Professor Jason Meyers investigating FGF signaling in mantle cell-mediated regeneration of the zebrafish lateral line. Johnson also participated in research with professors Bruce Hansen and Carrie Keating measuring brain activity in choral conductors and singers in both charismatic and non-charismatic contexts.
Johnson’s connection to music extended beyond the lab as well: she served as president of 91鶹Ʒ Choirs throughout her time at 91鶹Ʒ, and musical director of the Mantiphondrakes a cappella group for two years. At Cambridge, she has continued her involvement in music as a member of the Cambridge University Symphony Chorus.
During her summers, Johnson further expanded her research experiences. As a recipient of a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates at Johns Hopkins University the summer before her junior year, she conducted behavioral experiments exploring auditory processing and antiphonal vocalization patterns in common marmosets, focusing on how these primates communicate and respond to one another’s calls. The following summer she was a visiting undergraduate researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina. There, she modeled alcohol use disorder in mice to explore activation patterns throughout the brain.
After completing the NIH OxCam Scholars Program, Johnson plans to continue her research in a global pharmaceutical setting, where she hopes to investigate the complex mechanisms underlying appetite regulation, energy balance, and weight management. She is particularly interested in how GLP-1 signaling along the gut-brain axis contributes to these processes and how this growing body of research may transform approaches to obesity treatment and metabolic health.
For Johnson, OxCam is the next step toward that goal. “I hope to help grow interest among a new generation of scientists interested in metabolic health,” she said. The experience will allow her to train across two leading scientific environments while continuing to build her research focus on the neural mechanisms underlying metabolic disease.
To learn more about the NIH OxCam Scholars Program or other national competitive awards, reach out to Meghan Niedt, mniedt@colgate.edu, in the Office of National Fellowships and Scholarships to schedule an appointment.