RAD 2025

Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Genetic (Biochemistry and Cancer Biology) Award

First Place, Dipti Debnath, Investigating genetic relationship between cancer and Alzheimer’s disease

Second Place, Hope Fiadjoe, Validation of key molecular signature profiles of advanced HCV liver disease in hepatocellular carcinoma patients

Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Genetic (Cell Biology, Immunology & Microbiology) Award

First Place, Tamara Hoteit, High Expression of N-acetyl transferase 9 in Cholangiocarcinoma and its Possible Role in Tumor Progression

Second Place, Antonio Harris, MicroRNAs and Their Immunotherapeutic Potential for Treatment and Detection of Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Genetic (Genetics) Award

First Place, Alexandra Davis, Appelmans Protocol: a directed evolution method to naturally evolve bacteriophages for an expanded host range

Department of Pharmaceutical & Pharmacotherapy Award

First Place, Pawan Shrestha, Role of monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) in Fibrotic and Hypoxic Responses of the Cornea in Diabetes

Second Place, Randy Afrane, In vivo imaging of astrocyte-retinal ganglion cell metabolic exchange by PET/MR

Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience Award

First Place, Claire Caballero, Evidence for CSF-brain barrier heterogeneity in the lateral ventricle

Second Place, Hannah Ampofo, Periventricular White Matter hyperintensities in Ischemic stroke

Department of Physiology & Anatomy (Integrative Physiology) Award

First Place, Hung Le Nguyen, Empagliflozin facilitates endothelium-dependent vasodilation in a Dahl salt-sensitive model of heart failure

Second Place, Nicole Crowe, Beta 2 Receptors Mediate Adrenergic Relaxation of the Rat Femoral Artery

Department of Physiology & Anatomy (Structural Anatomy & Rehabilitation Sciences) Award

First Place, Gwendolyn Moores, The Effects of Bisphosphonate and Exercise Treatment on Craniofacial Morphology in a Mouse Model of Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Second Place, Courtney Miller, Early weaning impacts craniofacial morphology and integration in Osteogenesis imperfecta

Oral Presentation Award

First Place, Sal Essajee, Transmural adaptations of coronary circulation in the setting of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Second Place, Caroline Rinderle, Small molecule inhibitor analogs have differing effects on TNBC than GW525701 parent compound in vitro

Postdoctoral Poster Presentation

Pragati Singh, Migration and invasion enhancer1 (MIEN1): A potential gene to target colorectal cancer metastasis

North Texas Eye Research Institute Graduate Student Award

First Place, R. Max Petty, Biodistribution of Reconstituted High-Density Lipoprotein Nanoparticles for Targeted Delivery to the Retina

Second Place, Ying Qin, Grx1/Grx2 Deficiency Links Oxidative Stress and Inflammation to Accelerated Senescence in Mouse Lens Epithelial Cells

2025 Medical Student Government Association Best in First Year Class

Meheraj Musa, Ciprofloxacin-Induced Achilles Tendinopathy in a 26-Year-Old Male

2025 Medical Student Government Association Best in Second Year Class

Cameron Stokes, Retroperitoneal Schwannoma: An Abnormal Presentation Mimicking a Pelvic Mass

2025 Medical Student Government Association Best in Third Year Class

Tanner Dunn, The Hidden Threat: Chronic Urinary Retention and Thromboembolism in Underlying May-Thurner Syndrome

2025 Medical Student Government Association Best in Fourth Year Class

Dana Olsen, Skin Color Cannot Be Confined to Six Categories: Comparing the Fitzpatrick Scale and Colorimetric Measures

2025 Medical Student Government Association Best of DO/PhD Dual Degree

Tiffany Duque, ctDNA Monitoring in Neuroblastoma Highlights Disease Dynamics and Precision Oncology Challenges

2025 Student Research Award

First Place, Christopher Purvis, Determining the Impact of TOMM40 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms on Metabolic Syndrome and White Matter Hyperintensity Volume in African Americans.

Second Place, Jiya Ghei, Analysis of AT[N] Neuroimaging Outcomes and Mitochondrial Haplogroups in Alzheimer’s Disease

2025 Student Research Award – Best Case Study

Christina Shibu, Development of thyroid carcinoma as 2nd malignancy in patients with neuroblastoma

2025 Honors Student Research Award

Christopher Purvis, Determining the Impact of TOMM40 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms on Metabolic Syndrome and White Matter Hyperintensity Volume in African Americans.

2025 OMM-I.M. Korr, Ph.D. Memorial Research Award

Jessica McGrath, Long-Term Impacts of Recurrent Adhesive Capsulitis on Acute Shoulder Injury

HSC Health 2025 Health Care Delivery Award

Jericho Morcilla, AI Large Language Model shows Greater Efficacy with Novel Medical Triage Method over Conventional Triage

University of North Texas Health Science Center 2025 Interprofessionalism Award

Jiya Ghei, Analysis of AT[N] Neuroimaging Outcomes and Mitochondrial Haplogroups in Alzheimer’s Disease

2025 Pediatric Research Award

Allison Powell, Cerebral Inflammation and Sex Differences in Young Rodents Exposed to a Low Resourced Environment May Predict the Onset of Hypertension in Adulthood

2025 Pediatric Case Study Award

Christina Shibu, Development of thyroid carcinoma as 2nd malignancy in patients with neuroblastoma

2025 Women’s Health Research Award

Cameron Stokes, Retroperitoneal Schwannoma: An Abnormal Presentation Mimicking a Pelvic Mass

Pharmaceutical Science Research Award

First Place, Jennifer J. Gardner, Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia Dysregulates the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis in a Sex Specific Manner

Second Place, Tram Diep, The Hidden Impact of Diabetes: Oxidative Damage and Redox Imbalance in ZSF1 Rat Kidneys

Third Place, Nina Donkor, The Impact of Inhibiting Histone Deacetylase 4/5 In A Mouse Model Of Glaucoma

Clinical/Outcomes/Education Research Award

First Place, Mojana Elleh, Leading Predictors and their Associations with Robotic Surgery among Older Adults with Incident Colorectal Cancer (CRC): An interpretable Machine Learning Approach

Second Place, Hailie Fellers, Long Covid is Associated with Excess Healthcare Expenditures among Adults in the United States

Research Award

First Place, Edna Patricia Mendoza, Interaction between alcohol use and APOE ε4 and its association with cognition among American older adults from diverse racial/ethnic groups

Second Place, Rohit Balasundaram, Trajectories of Falls and Associated Factors Among Adults 65 and Older: Insights from the Health and Retirement Study

Third Place, Allison Cross, Examining the occasion-level association of alcohol-induced blackouts and negative consequences above and beyond alcohol use

Community Engaged Research Award

Brittany Krenek-Schneider, Integrating Residents’ Rights and Infection Prevention in Nursing Homes: ICARE Education and Skills Fair Pilot Assessment

Evidence-Based Practice & Research Innovation Award

First Place, Chaehyun (Michelle) Ahn, Building Resilience in Nurses: Leveraging Digital Tools to Combat Workplace Bullying and Foster Well-Being

Second Place, Noura Farih, Enhancing Diabetes Education and Management for Immigrant and Low Literate Patients Through AI Driven Web-Based Application

Clinical Excellence in Evidence-Based Practice Award

First Place, Anthony Wagner, Improving caregiver communication in the pediatric acute care setting by implementing a care journal.

Second Place, Amber Watkins, Effects of Acupuncture on Fibromyalgia: A Literature Review

Excellence In Patient Safety Research Award

First Place, Brittany Krenek-Schneider, Integrating Residents’ Rights and Infection Prevention in Nursing Homes: ICARE Education and Skills Fair Pilot Assessment

Second Place, Nathan Smernoff, Simulated High Risk Pediatric Trauma Scenarios Leads to Increased Team Confidence and Communication

Third Place, Yashaswini Nagarajan, Evaluating the STEADI initiative in African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Non-Hispanic Caucasians with different cognition levels for fall prevention