UCI School of Medicine Research Awards

The UCI School of Medicine Research Awards celebrate excellence in research.

The School of Medicine Office of Research annually recognizes excellence in research and outstanding academic achievement in six categories. Each awardee receives a monetary award and an individual recognition plaque. Winners' names are also added to an enduring plaque on display in Irvine Hall.

Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award

Winners

Basic Science: Jason Lee, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology (Adviser: Kei Igarashi, PhD)

Clinical/Translational: Christopher D. Yang, Department of Ophthalmology (Adviser: Ken Lin, MD, PhD)

Honorable Mentions

Basic Science: Emily Tom, Department of Ophthalmology (Adviser: Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, PhD) & Valeria Rangel, Department of Biological Chemistry (Adviser: Nicholas Pannunzio, PhD) 

Clinical/Translational: Armon Azizi, Department of Medicine (Adviser: Farshid Dayyani, MD, PhD) & Nischal Acharya, Department of Surgery (Advisers: Michael Oh, MD, Hao-Hua Wu, MD, and Sohaib Hashmi, MD)

Outstanding Fellow/Resident Research Award

Winners

Basic Science: Naomi Lomeli, PhD, Department of Neurology

Clinical/Translational: Muhammed Alaa Moukhtar Hammad, MBBCh, MSc, Department of Urology

Honorable Mentions

Basic Science: Justin Chan, MD, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Clinical/Translational: Carly Crowder, MD, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology & Bruce Gao, MD, Department of Urology

Outstanding Career Scientist Research Award

Winner

David Salom, PhD, Department of Ophthalmology

Honorable Mention

Hye-Lim Lee, PhD, Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy

Outstanding Early-Career Faculty Research Award

Winners

Basic Science: Cholsoon Jang, PhD, Department of Biological Chemistry

Clinical Research: Olivia H. Chang, MD, MPH, Department of Urology

Honorable Mentions

Basic Science: Lisa Wagar, PhD, Department of Physiology & Biophysics

Clinical Research: Christina Kraus, MD, Department of Dermatology

Outstanding Mid-Career Faculty Research Award

Winners

Basic Science: Shawn (Liangzhong) Xiang, PhD, Department of Radiological Sciences

Clinical Research: Mihaela Balu, PhD, Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic

Honorable Mentions

Basic Science: Yongsheng Shi, PhD, Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics

Clinical Research: Dara Sorkin, PhD, Department of Medicine

Lifetime Research Achievement Award

Winners

Basic Science: Tallie Z. Baram, MD, PhD, Departments of Pediatrics, Anatomy & Neurobiology, and Neurology

Clinical Research: William E. Bunney MD, Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior

Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award

Aimed at graduate students, including medical students, (one clinical/translational and one basic science) who show outstanding scientific promise in biomedical research. Two awardees; each will receive $500.

Outstanding Fellow/Resident Research Award

Aimed at residents, clinical fellows and postdoctoral fellows (one clinical and one basic science) who show outstanding scientific promise in biomedical research. Two awardees; each will receive $500.

Outstanding Career Scientist Research Award

Recognizing the scientific impact of career scientists (non-faculty; includes Professional Researcher, Project Scientist and Research Specialist series). One awardee will receive a $1000 award.

Outstanding Early-Career Faculty Research Award

Recognizing the scientific impact and novel contribution of early-career faculty (includes assistant professors in the HS Clinical, Clinical X, In-Residence, In-Line and Adjunct series). Two awardees: one focused on basic research and one focused on clinical research; each will receive $1000.

Outstanding Mid-Career Faculty Research Award

Recognizing mid-career scientists who have made novel and significant scientific contributions (includes associate and full professors in the HS Clinical, Clinical X, In-Residence, In-Line and Adjunct series). Two awardees: one focused on basic research and one focused on clinical research; each will receive $1000.

Lifetime Research Achievement Award

Recognizing senior scientists who have made significant fundamental contributions to research with a lasting impact on their fields (includes full professors in the HS Clinical, Clinical X, In-Residence, In-Line and Adjunct series). Two awardees: one focused on basic research and one focused on clinical research; each will receive $1000.

Academic Accomplishment

Original Contribution to the Literature

Significance of Innovation to the Field

Relevance to the Aims & Priorities of the School of Medicine