CCIB Graduate Student Zion Harris Receives 2026 Walter Rand Institute Scholarship and SJIPH Grant

The Center for Computational and Integrative Biology (CCIB) at Rutgers University-Camden is proud to recognize Zion Harris, a master’s student in Computational and Integrative Biology in Dr. Benedetto Piccoli’s lab, for receiving the 2026 Walter Rand Institute – Graduate Research Scholarship as well as funding from the South Jersey Institute for Population Health (SJIPH).

The Walter Rand Institute Graduate Research Scholarship, awarded through the Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs at Rutgers-Camden (https://rand.camden.rutgers.edu/), supports policy-focused research that addresses pressing challenges facing New Jersey communities. Harris’s project examines HPV transmission, vaccination uptake, and long-term cancer outcomes, with particular attention to county-level disparities across South Jersey. By combining epidemiological modeling with region-specific demographic and health data, the work aims to generate evidence that can guide more targeted and effective cancer prevention strategies in the region.

Through additional support from the South Jersey Institute for Population Health (https://sjiph.org/), Harris is also leading a community-engaged HPV prevention initiative focused on underserved communities throughout South Jersey. In collaboration with local partners, the project integrates mathematical modeling with culturally responsive outreach efforts to improve vaccination awareness and address structural barriers to preventive care.

Together, these awards highlight CCIB’s commitment to research that is both methodologically rigorous and directly responsive to community health needs. Harris’s work reflects that mission, bringing quantitative science and community partnership together to advance equitable public health outcomes across South Jersey.