James (Jim) S. Huston, Ph.D., (1945-2020) was a pioneering and visionary antibody engineer; his invention of the single chain Fv (sFv or scFv) antibody was a seminal advance. These genetically encoded molecules could express the vast diversity of antibody repertoires, be used for specific target binding by themselves, incorporated into multifunctional molecules, attached to cell surfaces, or applied in any number of formats relevant to biomedicine. Over the years scFvs became a staple in the antibody field enabling many critical advances.
Jim was one of the first scientists to recognize the long-term potential of antibody engineering and the broad scope of its applications. Those who had the privilege of interacting with him, benefitted greatly not only from his generosity, enthusiasm, intellectual rigor and encouragement, but also from his willingness to share his wisdom and experience. Jim was passionate about disseminating knowledge and education. He served as a scientific advisor to the Antibody Engineering and Therapeutics meetings for three decades and was editor of the annual Protein Engineering, Design and Structure (PEDS) special issue on antibodies. His insistence on scientific quality and education helped stimulate the culture of knowledge sharing between academia, industry and policy makers that is unique to our field. Building on this, he co-founded The Antibody Society in 2007 and was the Founding President and Chairman, remaining an active Board Member until his death. He shared the gratification of many that after a long gestation, antibody engineering and therapeutics are proving so beneficial to human health with the promise of much more to come.
The James S. Huston Antibody Science Talent Award
The James S. Huston Antibody Science Talent Award is sponsored by The Antibody Society to recognize and encourage upcoming scientists in the field of Antibody Engineering and Therapeutics. Society members who are early career research scientists, i.e., those within 10 years of their most recent advanced degree (Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent), are eligible for the Award. The scientist is recognized for making important contributions to the antibody field and/or the dissemination of antibody knowledge.
The submission guidelines are here.
The submission deadline is September 15, 2025. The winner will be selected by September 30th, and the Award will be presented in December at the Antibody Engineering and Therapeutics conference in San Diego.
The Award consists of:
- International recognition of the scientist’s accomplishments
- Opportunity to give a lecture on their work at the Antibody Engineering and Therapeutics conference in San Diego, California, as well as in a post-meeting webinar. The lecture will be made freely available on-demand on The Antibody Society’s YouTube Channel.
- Travel costs and registration fee to attend the Antibody Engineering and Therapeutics conference in San Diego
- USD $1500
The 2024 James S. Huston Antibody Science Talent Award recipient
Dr. Jenna Guthmiller is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
Jenna received her undergraduate degree from South Dakota State University in 2013 and her PhD from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 2017. She conducted her postdoctoral research at the University of Chicago and established her lab at the University of Colorado in 2022.
Dr. Guthmiller’s research focuses on understanding how broadly protective humoral immunity against rapidly evolving pathogens develops and can be harnessed by next-generation vaccines.
Jenna has received numerous awards and accolades, including a NIH Pathway to Independence Award, NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, U.S. National Academy of Sciences Kavli Fellowship, The Michelson Prize for Human Immunology, the European Scientific Working Group on Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses Young Scientist Vaccine Innovation Award, and the American Society for Virology Ann Palmenberg Junior Investigator Award.
For further information about the nomination process, please visit the award criteria page.
Learn about the 2023 recipient, Heather J. Bax.
Learn about the 2022 recipient, Brandon DeKosky.
What is it like to win? Our 2022 Huston Award recipient, Prof. Brandon DeKosky, describes his experience in this 2-min video.
Learn about the 2021 recipient, Laura M. Walker.
Learn about the 2020 recipient, Jonathan Sockolosky.
