“We are actually learning along with everyone else,” commented one of the judges at Graduate Student Research Day (GSRD) on Thursday, June 26. That’s a testament to the incredible work 77 students presented for judges in the poster, oral and elevator pitch competitions. Congratulations to our winners, listed below!

More than 300 alumni, students, faculty, and guests including summer research students filtered in and out of Cooley Life Center for our ninth-annual GSRD, sponsored by Dr. Sue and Logan Brown, and the John P. McGovern Foundation.

Insights from a renowned scientist

Expert in infectious disease, human-microbe interactions, and microbial disease agents, David A. Relman, MD, gave the keynote address: Human-microbe relationships: diversity, biogeography, and resilience. Relman is Thomas C. and Joan M. Merigan Professor in Medicine and Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University.

Find your favorite moments from the day and awards ceremony in our GSRD 2025 photo album.

Supporting scientific journeys at all stages

Great job to everyone who participated! In her first year at the Graduate School as Program Manager for Training Grants and Fellowships, Sarah Herzog, PhD, was impressed by the level of enthusiasm by the student presenters who volunteer to participate, “I love that you get such varied levels of experience and research — a great view of how the science evolves from first-year students enthusiastic about their new lab and just getting started on their data to upper level students preparing for their defenses and flexing their muscles in how to effectively present their research to their soon-to-be peers on the faculty and post-doctoral levels.”

Congratulations, 2025 winners!

Oral Presentation Skills – Pre-Candidacy PhD, MS & SMS

• 1st: Annette Wu | Advisor: Wen Jiang, MD, PhD
• 2nd: Cara Biddle | Advisor: Kendra Carmon, PhD

Oral Presentation Skills – Post-Candidacy PhD 

• 1st: Shannon Erhardt | Advisor: Jun Wang, PhD
• 2nd: Spring Hwang | Advisor: Jian Hu, PhD

Poster Competition – Top 4 – Pre-Candidacy PhD, MS & SMS 

• Ya Xiang (Sophia) Huang | Advisor: Vihang Narkar, PhD
• Maria Torres Carrizalez | Advisor: Vahid Afshar-Kharghan, MD
• Beatriz Schueng Zancanela | Advisor: Raghu Kalluri, MD, PhD
• Mariana Najjar | Advisor: Hui-Wen Lo, PhD
• 1st Year Award: Renee Rubiano | Advisor: Alejandro Aballay, PhD

Poster Competition - Top 5 (due to a tie) – Post-Candidacy PhD 

• Peyton High | Advisor: Kendra Carmon, PhD
• Ryan Sloan | Advisor: Jayhun Lee, PhD
• Richa Nayak (Advisor: Yejing Ge, PhD
• Vicky Chuong | Advisor: Fabricio Do Monte, DVM, PhD
• Shraddha Subramanian | Advisor: Kendra Carmon, PhD

Elevator Pitch Contest – Pre-Candidacy PhD, MS & SMS

• 1st: Candise Tat | Advisor: Vincent Bernard Pagan, PhD
• 2nd: Diana Carrasco | Advisor: Paige Taylor, PhD
• People's Choice: Candise Tat | Advisor: Vincent Bernard Pagan, PhD
• 1st Year Award: Sara Sainani | Advisors: Giulio Draetta, MD, PhD & Andrea Viale, MD

Elevator Pitch Contest – Post-Candidacy PhD 

• 1st: Madison Shyer | Advisor: Paul Schulz, MD
• 2nd: Skylar Gay | Advisor: Laurence Court, PhD
• People's Choice: Madison Shyer | Advisor: Paul Schulz, MD

Student reflections: GSRD's lasting impact

Two award winners share their unique GSRD experiences:

“GSRD is an invigorating experience filled with transformative science and camaraderie. Dr. Relman's presentation on studying perturbations in the human microbiome through the lens of ecology was inspiring, showing us the value of approaching questions in a new way. It was also such a joy to cheer on my peers presenting their outstanding research and to learn from each other about an extensive array of scientific topics. Furthermore, I was honored to win 2nd place in the pre-candidacy oral presentation competition, recognizing my persistent efforts to hone my presentation skills.” — Molecular & Translational Biology PhD candidate Cara Biddle

“It was an honor to participate in the 2025 GSRD, and to watch my peers and classmates present their incredible research! The level of curiosity, creativity, and care on display was motivating.  Dr. Relman’s address was particularly inspiring and thought-provoking, as he calls for social responsibility in our research – not just to ask ‘what can we do?’ but also ‘what are the consequences of this research to society?’ As early-career investigators, it’s easy to focus on the technical challenges or milestones right in front of us, but he reminded us that science doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The decisions we make – what to study, how to study, and how to communicate – can shape lives and policies, and it’s a responsibility we should take seriously.” — Medical Physics PhD candidate Skylar Gay

Opportunities for students to connect with scientists in different areas and on various levels included interacting with alumnus and donor John J. Kopchick, PhD '80, who attended and met with Kopchick fellows the following day to plan the Kopchick Research Symposium in November.

Recognizing the teamwork behind the scenes

Assistant Dean, Career and Alumni Engagement Raquel Ybañez Salinas, PhD, expressed her gratitude for the Career Development team and staff who helped plan and orchestrate the event: “A special thanks to the staff who prepared for several months leading up to this wonderful celebration — for their time, energy, and commitment to making GSRD 2025 a meaningful experience for our students.”