Rachel Cavanagh Executive Assistant to the Chief Deputy and the President | Stony Brook University
Rachel Cavanagh Executive Assistant to the Chief Deputy and the President | Stony Brook University
Pallavi Surana and Varun Ravi Kankanallu, doctoral students at Stony Brook University, have been awarded the 20th annual Mow Shiah Lin Scholarship. This scholarship, valued at $2,000, is funded by the Asian Pacific American Association (APAA) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory in honor of the late scientist Mow Shiah Lin.
“This recognition highlights not only our academic pursuits but also our shared values and passions in remembrance of Dr. Mow Shiah Lin and his contribution to science,” said Surana.
Kankanallu conducts research in advanced energy science and technology at BNL’s National Synchrotron Light Source II. His work focuses on understanding reaction mechanisms of aqueous Zn-ion batteries as a next-generation renewable energy storage solution.
Surana's research in Biomedical Informatics involves developing methods to study tissue-specific transcript variants related to health and cancer. She is working on DNABERT-based genomic language models to decode complex regulatory logic of gene promoters. Her efforts include developing a Personal Genome Variant Interpretation Score for prioritizing mutations in non-small cell lung cancer.
Outside their academic pursuits, Kankanallu and Surana are married and enjoy activities such as tennis and kayaking. They also participate in community outreach initiatives to inspire young people about science.
“Together, our research reflects a shared commitment to tackling global challenges in energy and health,” Surana stated. “This award motivates us to continue pushing the boundaries of science while staying connected to the broader community.”
Dr. Mow Shiah Lin began his career at Brookhaven Lab in 1975 as a postdoctoral fellow. He later co-led a team that developed technology for environmental remediation using bacteria to convert toxic oil wastes into useful products. In 2001, he received an R&D 100 Award for recovering silica from geothermal brine.
The APAA aims to promote unity through educational, cultural programs, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month events, and discussions on issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community at the laboratory.
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