Hannah Pflum, Creighton University graduate and former NE-INBRE student, is the 2026 James Turpen Scholar Excellence Award, given annually to the top graduating student scientist in the Nebraska IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (NE-INBRE) program who plans to attend graduate school.
She received the award at August’s annual INBRE Conference.
Pflum’s INBRE project looked at the polarization of microglia during viral infection of the central nervous system with a virus called TMEV.
She investigated how specific genes coding for functional microglial markers differ in animals that do and do not get demyelinating disease and whether differential expression of antiviral long noncoding RNAs are important for regulating that differential gene expression.
The research grew from her interest in immunology, as well as neuroscience, and the former Creighton student found a great “hometown” mentor in Creighton’s Annemarie Shibata, PhD.
“Working in her lab felt like the perfect culmination of all of my interests, and then I ended up really enjoying the immunology aspect,” Pflum said.
She enjoyed it so much, in fact, that she’s decided to continue with immunology as she heads to grad school at the University of Minnesota in its Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology Program for her PhD in immunology.
Pflum first heard about INBRE while in high school, from her dentist, a former INBRE student. It interested her.
“I’ve always been fascinated by the act of discovery itself,” she said. “When I got to college, it was just a logical next step for me to get to my end destination.”
Dr. Shibata, professor of biology at Creighton University and one of Pflum’s mentors, also was at the conference to present the award to Pflum.
“The award speaks to her capabilities and dedication, her commitment and drive,” Dr. Shibata said.
Pflum also mentioned Creighton’s Kristen Drescher, PhD, and Gwendalyn King, PhD, as important mentors.
Dr. Shibata said that INBRE’s mission – to train students in research with the intent of helping them succeed in entering graduate school – is what brings her back to the program year after year.
“NE-INBRE helps us to ensure that we have resources at Creighton that help students who want to go to graduate school get to that endpoint,” she said. “INBRE is a tremendous benefit to Creighton University and our students interested in research.”
Pflum also is a fan of the program.
“INBRE is a great way to meet like-minded individuals, as well as help you discover whether research is something you could see as a long-term goal. My first summer at INBRE really was crucial in giving me a ‘lightbulb moment,’ that this was what I was truly interested in.”