Atlee Witt, Ansley Kunnath, and Allie Lake, who are all part of the Medical Scientist Training Program, have been selected as three of just 100 doctoral students from across the United States and Canada to receive the P.E.O. Scholar Award, a prestigious honor recognizing exceptional academic achievement and potential societal impact given by the Philanthropic Educational Organization.
“I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to be recognized by an organization that uplifts, celebrates, and empowers women through education, especially as education has been such a defining part of my journey as an M.D.-Ph.D. candidate at Vanderbilt,” Witt said. “This award means so much to me.”
Founded in 1869, the P.E.O. Sisterhood is a philanthropic educational organization dedicated to promoting educational opportunities for women. The Scholar Awards program, established in 1991, provides substantial merit-based grants to women pursuing doctoral degrees who demonstrate outstanding academic records and the potential to make a meaningful impact in their fields.
Witt, who is currently in a graduate student in the Chemical and Physical Biology program, has focused on innovative neuroimaging techniques, particularly using novel MRI methods to study multiple sclerosis in the human spinal cord. Her work also earned her a highly competitive F31 grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
“It’s an honor to be seen as someone with the potential to make meaningful contributions to my field,” she said. “It’s been deeply rewarding to play even a small role in advancing MS research.”
She credits much of her success to her mentors, including Seth Smith, the associate director of the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science. “I’ve worked in Dr. Smith’s lab since 2017—starting as an undergraduate and continuing through my Ph.D.,” she said. “He’s been a steadfast advocate of women in science and has consistently created opportunities for me to challenge myself, while also supporting my wellness and growth as a future clinician and researcher.”
Looking ahead, Witt plans to defend her Ph.D. dissertation in 2026 and hopes to match into an interventional or diagnostic radiology residency after she graduates with her M.D in 2027.
“I’m a strong believer in pushing the needle forward in positive ways,” she said. She urges other female trainees to do the same and to “take initiative and don’t be afraid to go after opportunities that call to you.”