Sarea Recalde Phillips, a postdoctoral scholar in the Benoit Lab, has been selected as a recipient of the 2026 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Postdoctoral Enrichment Program award. Recalde Phillips is one of 31 postdoctoral researchers nationwide to receive the honor, which comes with $60,000 to support her research and professional development.
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund's Postdoctoral Enrichment Program is designed to help promising early-career scientists maximize their professional potential by funding career-development opportunities beyond the scope of traditional training grants. Supported activities include advanced coursework, scientific workshops, travel to specialized training programs, and the acquisition of new research skills.
Recalde Phillips's work in the Benoit Lab centers on therapeutics development and the role of age in tissue regeneration. Specifically, her research focuses on targeting nanoparticle delivery strategies to promote fracture healing in aged populations. She joined the lab as a postdoctoral scholar in July 2024, following the completion of her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University.
Recalde Phillips plans to use the award to participate in technical workshops that expand her knowledge of treatment strategies for fracture healing across the lifespan. "I plan to use this award to expand my professional network and cultivate connections that will support my goal of pursuing translational, clinically relevant treatment strategies," she said.
She credited her mentor and colleagues for their support throughout the application process. "Dr. Benoit and members of her lab were supportive throughout and provided helpful, constructive feedback on my application package. I also received incredible support and advice from folks in my professional network who received this same award and shared how it enriched their postdoctoral training," Phillips said.
"Sarea is an exceptionally talented and dedicated scientist, and this recognition from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund is a testament to the quality of her work and the promise of her research” said Danielle Benoit Lorry Lokey Chair of the Department of Bioengineering. “We are proud to have her in the lab and look forward to seeing the impact this award will have on her career."
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June 25, 2026