Faculty Award Winners 2025

Professor of Microbiology and Immunology

Department: School of Medicine

What do you get when you cross high expectations with encouragement, a supportive lab environment with scientific integrity, and approachability with excitement for research? Dr. Jason Carlyon and his exceptional mentorship! When Dr. Huiping Zhou, Interim Chair of Microbiology and Immunology, sent a request to Dr. Carlyon’s former mentees for letters of support for his nomination, she was inundated with responses highlighting the vast impact he has had on them that continues to this day. Based on the anecdotes in the letters, it’s no wonder: they paint a picture of a mentor who is not only scientifically rigorous but also deeply compassionate and dedicated to fostering individual growth and success. According to Dr. Andrea Beyer, an Associate Professor of Biology at Richard Bland College, Dr. Carlyon “ran his vigorous, well-funded successful lab with kindness, humanity and a bit of fun…He made the workplace into a team space.” She expressed gratitude for how he “unified a diverse group of young scientists into a hard-working but fun (if not eccentric) ‘family.’”

In her nomination letter, Dr. Zhou states, "Every graduate and postdoctoral trainee under his [Dr. Carlyon’s] guidance has published at least one scientific paper, with some contributing to as many as nine publications," often in highimpact journals. In addition to his formal mentorship of 51 direct trainees (including students at all levels as well as fellows) and 62 rotation students, Dr. Carlyon has made significant contributions to academia through awards and publications, alongside a clear progression in his academic path. He earned a B.S. in Biology in 1993 (graduating Magna Cum Laude and with Honors) and a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from VCU in 1999. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University (2004), after which he served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky until 2007. He then joined VCU as an Assistant Professor, becoming an Associate Professor with Tenure in 2012 and a Full Professor with Tenure in 2015, a position he currently holds.

While at VCU, Dr. Carlyon has held key leadership positions, including Director of the Biosafety Level-3 Laboratory since 2010, Course Director for MICR 515 Principles of Molecular Microbiology, and Specialty Chief Editor for Bacteria and Host in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology since 2024. He has also been a member of the NIH/NIAID Bacterial Pathogenesis Study Section and extensively involved in organizing scientific meetings. Dr. Carlyon's publication record includes a substantial body of work: 79 papers published in peer-reviewed journals including Cell and Nature Communications; seven reviews and invited papers in peer-reviewed journals; and three peer-reviewed book chapters. He has received 16 special awards and honors, most recently the VCU 2025 Distinguished Scholarship Award, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Methods to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) award R37 (2022), Induction into the National Academy of Inventors (2020), and Election as a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (2019).

Dr. Carlyon’s dedication to advancing the academic and professional careers of his mentees enables them to transition into successful roles across academia, government, and industry. Equally notable is his genuine interest in their well-being and growth, cultivating scientific independence and critical skills, as Waheeda Naimi, a former Ph.D. student, can attest: "Dr. Carlyon recognized potential in me that I had yet to see in myself, and he made it his mission to push me beyond my comfort zone. . . His mentorship went beyond technical guidance; he taught me how to think critically, how to communicate effectively, and how to maintain integrity in all aspects of research.” Dr. Carlyon is clearly an exemplary role model. His lasting impact on the careers and lives of his mentees extends far beyond their time in his lab, making him a well-deserving recipient of this award.

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