Celebrating research through collaboration, art and music

UF College of Medicine’s 16th annual Celebration of Research event held Feb. 9-10

By Manny Rea

Feb. 26, 2026 — The University of Florida College of Medicine’s commitment to advancing knowledge and celebrating the people who make medical advancements possible can be showcased from canvas to clinic and algorithm to operating room.

The college’s 16th annual Celebration of Research on Feb. 9–10 brought the community together through science, art and music to mark another successful year of discovery.

“Research is team science, and this event reflects the care, coordination and commitment that make discovery possible across the College of Medicine,” said Azra Bihorac, M.D., M.S., FCCM, FASN, the college’s senior associate dean for research.

Showcasing investigative talent

Ernst Lengyel, M.D., Ph.D., the Arthur L. and Lee G. Herbst Distinguished Service Professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago Medicine, gives the keynote presentation during Celebration of Research's inaugural research symposium event. Ernst Lengyel, M.D., Ph.D., Distinguished Service Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Chicago Medicine, is the keynote speaker during the 2026 University of Florida College of Medicine Celebration of Research event. the 16th annual Celebration of Research also featured the inaugural research symposium. Photo by Nate Guidry

New this year, an inaugural symposium assembled 18 investigators for presentations on their work, spanning from bench to bedside. Presentations highlighted advances in pediatric immunotherapy, generative AI in health care delivery, diabetes research, neurotechnology for spinal cord injury and mobile stroke systems — underscoring the breadth of innovation at UF.

A keynote address by Ernst Lengyel, M.D., Ph.D., the Arthur L. and Lee G. Herbst Distinguished Service Professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago Medicine, served as an event highlight. A member of the National Academy of Medicine and an internationally recognized gynecologic oncologist, Lengyel presented “Spatial Transcriptomics and Proteomics to Understand Ovarian Cancer Biology” and participated in a fireside chat with May Khanna, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics and the assistant dean of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Celebrating research through art

Continuing the event’s tradition of showcasing community-created art, the college held an art reception where pieces representing this year’s theme, “The Art of Inquiry,” highlighted the creativity inherent in scientific investigation through human-created and AI-assisted works. Three artists received awards in recognition of their work:

Amanda Glynn, in the human-only art category, for “Hands of Healing”
Shruti Kolli, in the AI-assisted art category, for “A Step Forward”
Mihika Shinde, M.P.H., in the social media popular vote category, for “The Body of Inquiry”

In addition to the art reception, a ceremony recognizing research award winners kicked off with a special performance by José Valentino Ruiz, D.M.A., an assistant professor at the UF College of the Arts and a multi–Latin GRAMMY® and EMMY® Award–winning composer. Ruiz premiered three original compositions from his album, “Human Systems.” Developed in collaboration with Bihorac and the Office of Research, the works explored music as a human-centered interface for care, artificial intelligence, cognition and well-being.

Art award winners Mihika Shinde, Shruti Kolli and Amanda Glynn, with Bihorac.

Photos by Nate Guidry

Awarding research excellence

The ceremony also honored research excellence across career stages.

Three medical students, Ahmet Bilgili, Vedant Garg and Pavan Iyengar, were recognized as Oberndorf Clinical AI Scholars, receiving support for their projects applying artificial intelligence to challenges in cardiac imaging, pediatric heart transplantation and ischemia reperfusion injury.

Additionally, eight faculty members were recognized for demonstrating exceptional early-career research impact, contributing significant advancements to their fields, serving as an inspirational mentor and leading as a research innovator and pioneer: Nancy Padilla-Coreano, Ph.D., John Ligon, M.D., Qianqian Song, Ph.D., H. Lee Sweeney, Ph.D., Philip Efron, M.D., Todd Manini, Ph.D., Maurice Swanson, Ph.D., and Ramon Sun, Ph.D.

View videos about the 2026 faculty research award winners

Highlighting collaboration and community

Poster session award winners with faculty. Photo by Charles Poulton

Capping off the celebration, a research poster session and reception took place at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, where more than 400 posters showcased advances in basic and clinical research, as well as artificial intelligence. For the first time, poster awards were judged live, with approximately 40 reviewers evaluating presentations in real time. Eleven presenters, ranging from undergraduate students to postdoctoral researchers, received awards:

Outstanding Poster Award in Basic and Translational Sciences

Rachel Lee, in the undergraduate and post-baccalaureate category
John Figg, in the predoctoral category
Adrienne Widener, Ph.D., in the postdoctoral category
Christina von Roemeling, Ph.D., in the early-stage investigator category

Outstanding Poster Award in Clinical Sciences

Matthew Chao, in the undergraduate and post-baccalaureate category
Siya Bhutani, in the predoctoral category
Brandon Yang, D.O., in the postdoctoral category
Nicole Hammer, M.P.H., in the early-stage investigator category

Outstanding Poster Award in Data Sciences or Artificial Intelligence

Abhinav Penmetcha, in the predoctoral category

New Frontiers Innovation Award

Sophia Amro Gazze, in the predoctoral category
Michael Fassler, M.D., in the postdoctoral category

“As the Celebration of Research concludes, I’m reminded why this event matters,” Bihorac said. “It’s not just about awards, presentations or posters — it’s about cultivating curiosity, supporting emerging investigators and reinforcing a culture where discovery is shared, discussed and truly valued.”