Emerging Scientists at Penn Vet Drive Discovery in Animal and Human Health at 2026 Student Research Day

Students and faculty mentors were highlighted at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s (Penn Vet) 2026 Student Research Day on March 27, an annual symposium that has showcased student scholarship and discovery for nearly two decades. The daylong event featured oral and poster presentations by VMD and VMD-PhD students conducting research across Penn Vet’s academic departments and research centers, the Perelman School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and the Crescenz VA Medical Center.

Andrew M. Hoffman, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM, the Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine, and Michael J. May, PhD, chair of the Student Research Day Organizing Committee, provided opening remarks. Hoffman highlighted the launch of Penn Vet’s new Stamps VMD/VMD-PhD Fellows program, a prestigious scholarship initiative designed to support exceptional students demonstrating leadership, academic excellence, and a commitment to advancing veterinary medicine. May underscored the breadth of student research featured throughout the day, noting that short-term project presenters shared findings from their participation in the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/Boehringer Ingelheim Summer Research Program, while long-term presenters highlighted work conducted as part of their ongoing thesis research.

In addition to the oral presentations, attendees engaged with student researchers during a poster session and “Poster Slam.” During the Poster Slam, students delivered concise, high-impact summaries of their research.

The event’s keynote address, the Class of 1966 Endowed Lecture, was delivered by University of Pennsylvania alumna Aimee L. Edinger, VMD, PhD, professor and Chancellor’s Fellow of Developmental & Cell Biology in the Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. In her lecture, “Redirecting Cellular Traffic: Translating Cell Biology into Therapeutic Opportunities,” Edinger described how her laboratory used sphingolipids as a starting point to uncover conserved mechanisms that redirect intracellular trafficking and reprogram cellular physiology under stress. An inventor on seven patents, Edinger’s translational cell biology research focuses on altering endolysosomal trafficking to develop new treatments that overcome drug resistance in cancer, correct metabolic defects in obesity, restrict viral replication, and enhance the delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics. Her work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and numerous private foundations. She currently serves as co-director of an NCI T32 program supporting interdisciplinary cancer research training.

The day concluded with awards presented by Phillip Scott, PhD, Vice Dean for Research and Academic Resources, and Andrew Modzelewski, PhD, a member of the organizing committee.

Recipients of the Richard O. Davies Award for Oral Presentations for short-term projects were:

• Logan Griggs, V’28, “A Comparison of Sow Behavioral Response After Intradermal or Intramuscular Vaccination,” faculty mentor: Meghann Pierdon, VMD, DACAW.
• Ana Mongil, V’27, “Control of YAP/TAZ Signaling on Macrophage Function During Bone Healing,” faculty mentors: Joel Boerckel, PhD, and George Kotsaris, PhD.
• Jacquelin Spring, V’28, “Assessment of the Effect of Probiotics on the Calf Microbiome Through the Preweaning Period,” faculty mentors: Dipti Pitta, PhD, and Alexander Post.

Recipients of the Richard O. Davies Award for Oral Presentations for long-term projects were:

• Breezy Brock, fourth year VMD-PhD candidate, “A Short Tail: Cytoplasmic Tail Modifications of an HIV Env Immunogen to Enhance Cell Surface Expression and Vaccine Immunogenicity,” faculty mentors: Edward Kreider, MD, PhD, and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD.
• Daana Roach, V’28, MPH’28, PhD’27, “Investigating Unique Intestinal Epithelial Cell States That Arise During Chronic Inflammation,” faculty mentor: Kathryn Hamilton, PhD.
• Holly Yost, V’26, “Investigating Changes to the Canine Gut Microbiome in the Shelter Setting,” faculty mentors: Brittany Watson, VMD, PhD, DACVPM; Chelsea Reinhard, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, DABVP; and Lauren Powell, PhD.

Poster award winners included Sara Hernández Suárez, VMD-PhD candidate, Emily Hughes, V’28, and Hayley Piper, V’27; and Lucie Pascarosa, V’27, Emmalyn Tavani, V’27, and Kerry Campbell, V28, were poster slam award winners.

“Student Research Day is an exhibit of curiosity, innovation, and the pursuit of knowledge,” said May. “It is an opportunity for our students to showcase their research, refine their ideas, and engage in discussions that push the boundaries of science. Events like this highlight the extraordinary talent of our students and reinforce the critical role of research in addressing complex challenges in animal and human health.”