New York: The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has announced the 22 winners of the 2025 MacArthur Fellowships, long regarded as one of the nation’s most prestigious awards for intellectual and artistic achievement.
Indian-origin researchers Nabarun Dasgupta and Teresa Puthussery have been named 2025 MacArthur Fellows, one of the most prestigious honors in the United States recognizing exceptional creativity and impact across disciplines. Each award, commonly known as the “genius grant,” carries an $800,000 stipend. It’s paid in quarterly installments over five years with “no strings attached” on how recipients can spend the money. The winners are selected from nominees who undergo a lengthy vetting that involves evaluations by leaders in various fields.
Dasgupta, an epidemiologist and harm reduction advocate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was recognized for his work combining science and community engagement to reduce drug-related deaths and harms. “Our mission is science in service,” Dasgupta told the university. “We want people to have access to the best knowledge and tools, so they can make better decisions about what they put in their bodies.”
Teresa Puthussery, asssociate professor of optometry and vision science at the University of California, Berkeley, explores how neural circuits of the retina encode visual information. Her research has implications for treating retinal neurodegenerative diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration.
