MCB postdoctoral fellow Rebecka Sepela has been selected as one of the 2025 L’Oréal USA For Women in Science (FWIS) Fellows, a prestigious honor recognizing early-career scientists whose research, mentoring, and outreach efforts are shaping the future of STEM. The fellowship includes a $70,000 grant to support Sepela’s research and community engagement, as well as a week of programming in New York this November.
The L’Oréal FWIS program, administered in partnership with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), honors scientists whose work demonstrates both exceptional research impact and a commitment to expanding inclusion in science. Applicants submit detailed research, personal, and community service statements that reflect on the mentors who shaped their journeys and describe how they, in turn, are contributing to the visibility and advancement of women in science.
Watch the video of Rebecca’s research
For Sepela, the application required deep reflection on the moments and people who guided her into the scientist she is today. “For this application, I reflected on the moments when women made a lasting impact on my journey as a scientist,” she says. “My undergraduate research mentor, Dr. Ann Hagerman, was the one who first encouraged me to pursue graduate school, and later, Dr. Karen Zito gave me the confidence to chase my research dreams when applying for postdoc positions.”
But Sepela emphasizes that her gratitude extends to all of her mentors whose support has fundamentally shaped her path. “I am grateful to all of my mentors who have invested so deeply in my development,” she says. “And I’m especially grateful to my current mentor, Nick Bellono, who has been incredibly supportive and has truly altered my life trajectory in such a meaningful and positive way. The key moments where mentors encouraged me to step into the unknown have been life-changing, and I am committed to paying that support forward.”
As a postdoc in the Bellono Lab, Sepela studies the molecular mechanisms underlying sensory exploration in cephalopods. Through the fellowship, she and her trainees will develop methods to profile how the invisible microbial world produces chemical cues that guide sensory behavior and decision-making in octopuses.
“Octopuses use ‘taste-by-touch’ chemotactile receptors on their arms to sense surface-affixed chemicals, and in their seafloor world, these surfaces are coated in microbes,” she explains. “By profiling the microbial cues that inform octopus chemosensation, I hope to understand how microbes shape octopus decision-making and sensory receptor evolution.” The project feeds into a broader scientific question about how microbial interactions have shaped animal evolution over time.
Bellono says the recognition is richly deserved. “I’m very happy to see Rebecka acknowledged by this award. Not only because she’s very clearly a superstar, but because she is an inspiring example for women in science, which she takes very seriously,” he says. He adds that she has established a rigorous research program connecting microbiomes and animal behavior. “Beyond the incredible findings she makes, she thoughtfully uses her science toward the inclusion and training of junior trainees, especially women. I have no doubt that Rebecka will continue to do unique science that inspires creativity, exploration, and elevates those around her—the most impressive accomplishment.”
The fellowship will also expand Sepela’s outreach and mentoring work. Currently, she mentors Harvard undergraduate Abby Weber and post-baccalaureate trainee Tessa Hautala, supporting their scientific and professional development. She is passionate about public engagement and recently helped organize a “Sea Monsters Night” at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, where her lab designed interactive experiences to help visitors imagine the world through an octopus’s sensory perspective. She plans to continue working with museum programs and community groups to make science more accessible, inclusive, and exciting.
This year’s FWIS award week includes a rich itinerary: a dinner with scientists and artists at Pioneer Works, a presentation at AAAS, a tour of the L’Oréal labs, networking opportunities with both the L’Oréal team and the wider Pioneer Works scientific and artistic community, and a storytelling workshop hosted by the National Geographic Storytellers Collective. Fellows will also participate in the creation of short documentary films about their research and journeys.
Gratitude is at the center of how Sepela sees this moment. “I’ve been incredibly lucky with my mentors; the receipt of this award is a reflection of that,” she says. “I am deeply grateful to the L’Oréal Group, AAAS, the Vox Media team, the National Geographic Storytellers Collective, Harvard University, my labmates, and my family for all of their support. And through this award—and my career more broadly—I’m excited to support the next generation of scientists.”
Since its inception in 2003, the L’Oréal USA For Women in Science Fellowship has supported more than 100 scientists with over $5 million in grants. Sepela’s selection adds to MCB’s long history of fostering researchers who combine scientific excellence with a commitment to mentorship, outreach, and building a more inclusive future for science.
