Research Breakthrough Award

The John Martinson Honors College’s Research Breakthrough Award is on pause for this academic year.

2026 Award Winners

Breakthrough Award Winner

Principal Investigator: Dr. Brett Meyers

Project Title: Next Generation Biopharmaceuticals

Co-PIs: Dr. Pavlos Vlachos, Dr. Chris Rochet, Dr. Arezoo Ardekani, Dr. Kurt Ristroph, Dr. Tonglei Li, Dr. Julie C. Liu, Dr. Severin Schneebeli

Breakthrough Award Winner

Principal Investigator: Dr. Jiyeon Lee

Project Title: Developing self-managed story-based treatment for aphasia and AI-assisted predictors for language recovery

Co-PIs: Dr. Catherine Pham, Dr. Yan Cong

Breakthrough Award Winner

Principal Investigator: Dr. Kwonsik Song

Project Title: Learning from Error in AI-Augmented Safety Training

Co-PIs: N/A

Seed Award Winner

Principal Investigator: Dr. Haocen Wang

Project Title: Voices in Rural Maternal Health: Understanding and Supporting Prenatal Genetic Testing Decision-Making through a Chatbot Prototype

Co-PIs: Dr. Yadira Santiago Banuelos, Dr. Evan Perrault

Seed Award Winner

Principal Investigator: Dr. Shih-Chuh (Alvin) Kao

Project Title: Affect, Cognition, Exercise, and Menstruation (ACME)

Co-PIs: Dr. Brandon Kistler, Dr. Christos Mousas, Dr. Shirley Rietdyk, Dr. Li-Shan Chou

Seed Award Winner

Principal Investigator: Dr. Yu She

Project Title: Low-Cost and High-Impact: Portable AI-Empowered Tactile Sensing for Real-Time Healthcare Palpation

Co-PIs: N/A

Seed Award Winner

Principal Investigator: Dr. Alan Zillich

Project Title: An Artificial Intelligence Tool for Patients and Clinicians to Improve Utilization of Medication Access Programs

Co-PIs: Dr. Alex Psomas, Dr. Jasmine Gonzalvo, Dr. Rakhi Karwa, Dr. Faria Chaudhry

Seed Award Winner

Principal Investigator: Dr. Daniel Schiff

Project Title: Deepfakes and Digital Harm: Understanding Impacts and Testing Solutions to Safeguard Well-Being

Co-PIs: Dr. Kaylyn Jackson Schiff, Dr. J.P. Messina, Christina P. Walker

Seed Award Winner

Principal Investigator: Dr. Satyajit Ambike

Project Title: Beyond the Clinic: Identifying Early Mobility Risk in Middle Age through Ecologically Valid Sensor-Based Assessments

Co-PIs: Dr. Jeffrey Haddad

Seed Award Winner

Principal Investigator: Dr. Yihang Zeng

Project Title: Electrophysiological Imaging with 2D Materials for Biomedical Innovation

Co-PIs: Dr. Jing Liu

Seed Award Winner

Principal Investigator: Dr. Temitope F. Adeoye Olenloa

Project Title: Community-Based Afterschool Program Co-Design and Evaluation

Co-PIs: N/A

Past Awardees

2025 Research Breakthrough Award Recipients

  • Dr. Hu (Purdue Polytechnic Institute)
  • Dr. Johnson-Sheehan, Dr. Rickert (College of Liberal Arts)
  • Dr. Nieforth (College of Veterinary Medicine)
  • Dr. Roseguini, Dr. Gavin, Dr. Fernandes, Dr. Hirai (Health and Kinesiology), Dr. Song (Statistics)
  • Dr. Vlachos, Dr. Bilionis, Dr. Ardekani, Dr. Wagner, Dr. Ristroph, Dr. Ladisch, Dr. Meyers, Dr. da Cunha (College of Engineering), Dr. Schneebeli (College of Science, College of Pharmacy), Dr. Li, Dr. Matosevic (College of Pharmacy)
  • Dr. Wilson (College of Health and Human Sciences), Julius Keller, Debra Henneberry, Sudip Vhaduri (Aviation Technology)

2024 Research Breakthrough Award Recipients

  • Dr. DeMaria (College of Health & Human Sciences) and Dr. Seigfried-Spellar (Purdue Polytechnic Institute)
  • Dr. Jarriel (John Martinson Honors College)
  • Dr. Wilhelm, Dr. Enders and Dr. Iyer-Pascuzzi (College of Agriculture)

2024 Breakthrough Seed Award Recipients

  • Dr. Bellisario (John Martinson Honors College)
  • Dr. Diaz (College of Engineering)
  • Dr. Williams (Purdue Polytechnic Institute)
  • Dr. Fortin (College of Veterinary Medicine)