Assistant Professor Benjamin Hurrell Awarded Early Career Faculty Honor for Nutrition and Immunology Research

Benjamin Hurrell, Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Immunology in the Department of Nutrition at UC Davis, is the recipient of the 2026 UC Davis Early Career Faculty Award for Creativity and Innovation.

This prestigious award aims to bolster non-tenured faculty members to explore creative research in their respective field. Hurrell, who joined the department in 2025, plans to use the $40,000 of research funding to investigate the immune mechanisms that lead to asthma. 

"I was honestly just really happy. I haven’t been at UC Davis for very long, so getting this kind of recognition so early feels especially rewarding," says Hurrell, "It gives me a lot of motivation to keep pushing forward at this intersection of immunology and nutrition." 

Addressing the root cause of asthma

Millions of Americans have seasonal or environmental allergies yet most treatments focus on reducing symptoms rather than addressing the underlying immune causes. Specifically, Hurrell's research is focused on a type of immune cell that drives asthma. When this cell becomes too activated following allergen exposure, it can trigger the disease. Through a nutrition lens, Hurrell hopes to develop ways to target specific immune cells that cause asthma.

"I'm exploring how specific nutritional compounds can actually regulate and reprogram immune responses at a cellular level, offering a natural, highly accessible way to enhance or work alongside traditional therapies," said Hurrell.

Nutrition for cells 

People generally think of overall general health and wellness when they hear the word nutrition. Hurrell is exposing another aspect of nutrition by looking under a microscope at how specific nutrients physically reshape the metabolic machinery of immune cells.

Hurrell is trained as an immunologist but during his career he decided to shift toward studying how nutrition and immune cells interact. Reflecting, he notes the shift felt like a bit of a leap at the time. Immunology and Nutrition are traditionally separate fields, yet, conducting his  research within the Department of Nutrition is "a powerful synergy that bridges the gap between the two fields."

One of the biggest challenges facing his lab and field is to bridge systemic nutrition with localized cellular microenvironments. This award will support his theory proving that dietary changes, like iron levels, directly reprogram immune cells in the lung, rather than just causing broad, systemic changes. 

“We are delighted to see Dr. Hurrell recognized for this prestigious award, which reflects both the creativity and impact of his research. His work at the intersection of immunology and nutrition is advancing our understanding of the underlying causes of asthma and may lead to new nutritional approaches for prevention and treatment. This recognition highlights the significance of his research and his potential as a future leader in the field,” said Gerardo Mackenzie, Chair of the Department of Nutrition. 

To stay up to date on Dr. Hurrell’s latest research, visit his lab website: https://hurrell-lab.ucdavis.edu/. To support his research, give here. Please note Benjamin Hurrell in the special instructions section after your payment has been processed.