YSM News and Recognition

The International Society for Stem Cell Research awarded its 2026 Public Service Award to two global networks that include 79 core facilities—among them, Yale’s iPSC Neurocore (Department of Neuroscience), led by Tanina Arab, PhD, associate research scientist, and the STEM Cell Core (STEM Cell Center), led by Caihong Qiu, PhD, research scientist in cell biology. This award recognizes outstanding contributions that strengthen the scientific community and advance the responsible translation of stem cell research for public benefit.

The American Society of Dermatopathology has recognized Christine Ko, MD, professor of dermatology and of pathology, with the Walter R. Nickel Award in honor of her exceptional achievements in teaching dermatopathology. The award is one of the highest honors for educators in this specialized field. In the Division of Dermatopathology, where Ko spends most of her time, she renders diagnoses for skin biopsies sent from Yale Dermatology Associates and dermatology practices in Connecticut. Her research focuses on skin cancer, particularly squamous cell carcinoma and keratoacanthoma.

The Yale School of Medicine’s InSTRIDE team, which focuses on the intersection of substance use and infectious diseases, was recently awarded a National Institutes of Health RM1 grant, titled “GEO IMPACT.” As part of this work, they will be continuing and expanding the first mobile retail pharmacy and clinic in the United States.

Yale School of Medicine student Priscilla Oluwakemi Badusi, Class of 2028, earned first place in the medical therapy category of the Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery’s 2026 Karmody ePoster Competition for her project on glycemic control in patients undergoing lower extremity revascularization. She was invited to present at the society’s 53rd annual symposium in San Diego. Working with mentor Cassius Iyad Ochoa Chaar, MD, MPH, and Division of Vascular Surgery faculty, Badusi found that preoperative hemoglobin A1C was not associated with long-term outcomes, while insulin use independently predicted mortality and cardiovascular risk.

Yifei Cai, PhD, an associate research scientist in the Department of Neurology, has been selected to receive a research grant in the amount of $300,000 over three years from Alzheimer’s Disease Research, a BrightFocus Foundation program. Grantees represent some of the most promising investigators in vision and brain health research. Cai aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of key molecular and cellular mechanisms of neuronal and glial functions in health and neural disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Shruti Gupta, MD, was elected to the American Academy of Pediatrics' Section on Breastfeeding Medicine’s Executive Committee for a three-year term. The section's mission is to equip pediatricians with education, policy, and advocacy resources to support optimal breastfeeding practices and environment. Gupta is associate professor of pediatrics (neonatal-perinatal medicine) and medical director of Greenwich Hospital’s Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine.

Josefa Martinez, PhD, MHS, associate research scientist in the Section of General Internal Medicine, received the 2025 WIC Research Impact Award from the Healthy Eating Research/Nutrition and Obesity Policy and Research Network for "Evaluation and adaptation of a two-way text messaging intervention in the WIC breastfeeding peer counseling program: A qualitative analysis," published in PLOS One. Martinez is a maternal-child public health nutrition investigator and implementation scientist with a focus on translating effective interventions into public health policy and practice in disparity populations.

Jaimie Meyer, MD, MS, was elected as a scientific member to the Department of Health and Human Services Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents, a working group of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council. Meyer is associate professor of medicine (infectious diseases, AIDS). Her research focuses on HIV prevention and treatment in women, addressing criminal legal system involvement, substance use disorders, and intimate partner violence.

Ala Nassar, PhD, senior research scientist, has been named as guest editor for “Special Issue: Driving Drug Discovery and Toxicology Forward with Multiomics” to be published by Metabolites, an open access journal of metabolism and metabolomics. In his call for submissions, Nassar writes: “Multiomics is reshaping drug discovery by embracing the inherent complexity of biological systems. By integrating diverse omics datasets, researchers can develop a more complete understanding of disease biology, identify new therapeutic targets, and anticipate patient-specific treatment responses.”

Yale University alumna Jean Bennett, MD, PhD, her husband Albert Maguire, MD, and Katherine A. High, MD, have received the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences (also known as the “Oscar of Sciences”) for their work in developing the first FDA-approved gene therapy for a form of blindness called Leber congenital amaurosis. Bennett is a 1976 graduate of Yale University and sits on Yale School of Medicine's scientific advisory board. Maguire received residency training at Yale New Haven Hospital and High was a fellow of hematology at Yale. All are emeritus professors in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.