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2026 Research Symposium and Ken Shine Awards celebrate scientific excellence at Dell Med

April 24, 2026

Ken Shine Award winners sit in front of an auditorium and answer questions about their research projects.

The annual Research Symposium and Ken Shine Awards celebrate the depth of scientific discovery among Dell Medical School learners and researchers. From Left to right: Alison Cahill (moderator), Landon Ashby, Sean O’Sullivan and Yarmin Arefeen.

Thanks to a generous donation by Ken Shine, M.D., the awards — now in their sixth year — recognize excellence in the achievements of our trainees and mentorship by Dell Med faculty. 

Congratulations to this year’s winners:

  • Excellence in research by a predoctoral student: Landon Ashby — “Increasing Ependymal Cilia Motility Enhances Cerebrospinal Fluid Drainage and the Blood-Brain Barrier After a Traumatic Brain Injury”
  • Excellence in research by a postdoctoral clinical trainee: Sean O’Sullivan, M.D., Ph.D. — “Investigating a Truncated Version of SAINT in Treatment-Naive Adolescents with Depression: An Open-Label Acceptability Trial”
  • Excellence in research by a postdoctoral research trainee: Yamin Arefeen, Ph.D. — “Diffusion Probabilistic Generative Models for Accelerated, in-NICU Permanent Magnetic Neonatal MRI”
  • Excellence in research mentorship: Jack Virostko, Ph.D.

In addition to award presentations, the symposium featured a poster competition showcasing innovative research by faculty, trainees and students, a keynote address on mentorship, and a panel discussion among Dell Med faculty on building and growing a translational research program.

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