Bill Zhu, a second-year Ph.D. student at Einstein, was selected as one of 37 Quad Fellowship recipients in 2025 by the Institute of International Education. Mr. Zhu, who studies Alzheimer’s disease, is co-mentored by Stephanie Rudolph, Ph.D.,  assistant professor in the Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience of neuroscience and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Derek Huffman, Ph.D., professor of molecular pharmacology and of medicine, and the Lotti and Bernard Benson Faculty Scholar in Alzheimer's Disease.

Mr. Zhu’s research investigates the vulnerabilities in a subset of brain cells, called interneurons, as well as lipid metabolomics, a field of study focused on identifying, quantifying, and characterizing lipids and their interactions with other molecules. Ultimately, his interest lies in developing “a unified theory of Alzheimer’s disease,” which references the College of Medicine’s namesake and his goal of developing a unified theory of relativity. Mr. Zhu aims to integrate multiple molecular mechanisms to clarify the pathology of early Alzheimer’s and establish novel targets for preventive therapeutics.

The Quad fellowship, now in its third year, is an international program established by the governments of four countries—Australia, India, Japan, and the United States—to support exceptional graduate-level students. The aim is to advance promising leaders in STEM, develop an international network of leaders and pioneers, and promote collaboration. Scholars receive a stipend and participate in networking events and programming with scientific and technology experts and with industry and U.S. government representatives.