When the 2026 cohort of Schmidt Science Fellows was announced this spring, it included just 32 early‑career scientists selected from institutions around the world—researchers recognized not only for excellence in their doctoral work, but for their potential to reshape the future of science through bold, interdisciplinary thinking. Among them is recent University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Chemistry graduate Lauren Fields.
Fields earned her PhD in chemistry from UW–Madison in December 2025, conducting her doctoral research under the mentorship of Professor Lingjun Li. During her time in the department, Fields built a strong foundation in analytical chemistry and neuropeptide research—work that would later position her to pursue ambitious questions at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and medicine.
The Schmidt Science Fellowship, considered one of the most prestigious postdoctoral awards in the world, is designed to support exactly this kind of scientific “pivot.” Fellows receive funding to move into a new field of study, applying the tools of their doctoral discipline to complex problems that cross traditional boundaries. For Fields, that means she will pivot from Analytical Chemistry to Genetics & Genomics and build on her chemistry training to develop earlier diagnostic tools for neurodegenerative diseases such as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disease with no known cure. As a Schmidt Science Fellow, Fields will use advanced mass spectrometry and protein analysis of clinical blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples from patients. By training a machine learning model with these data, Fields aims to predict disease state from patient samples. In the short term, Field’s approach will enhance understanding of ALS progression. In the long term, this approach could allow for earlier diagnosis, faster intervention, and improved care for patients living with ALS.
While at UW–Madison, Fields investigated strategies for detecting neuropeptides—chemical messengers that provide critical insight into neurological processes—work that required both technical rigor and creative problem‑solving. That experience, combined with her deep engagement in the department’s collaborative research culture, helped prepare her for the kind of high‑risk, high‑reward science the Schmidt program is known for supporting.
Now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington, Fields will use advanced mass spectrometry and data‑driven approaches to analyze biological samples, to identify molecular signatures of ALS long before symptoms appear. The fellowship will allow her to broaden her scientific toolkit while staying grounded in the chemical principles she honed at UW–Madison.