Eric Dang, PhD, a Core Member at the Ragon Institute, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Thomas J. Walsh Young Investigator Award by the Medical Mycology Society of American (MMSA).

The Thomas J. Walsh Young Investigator Award is presented annually to distinguished instructors, assistant professors, and junior faculty staff for early achievements in the field of medical mycology.

Dang joined the Ragon Institute last year, after spending three years at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and has since been conducting research here at the Ragon regarding the intersection of microbiology and immunology. His lab’s primary focus is to understand the factors that dictate outcomes upon fungal exposure to barrier tissues. 

Dang received his PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco where he also worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Hiten Madhani studying the mechanisms of immune system manipulation by the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. His work since then has focused on providing deeper insights into how fungal pathogens engage with mammalian hosts to control physiological versus pathological outcomes.

Dang’s dedication to pioneering research and his commitment to advancing the field of mycology has earned him this accolade from his fellow peers. In a Q&A last year, he shared what drew him to his research, why fungal infections are an underrecognized threat, and his research goals at the Ragon.

The MMSA was chartered in 1966. Its core mission is to promote medical mycology as an important division of medical microbiology, to represent the interest of all mycologists, and to provide recognition for excellence in the field. Members of the MSA meet annually to exchange information and build understanding of fungi.