A bioinformatics researcher and a rheumatologist investigator have been chosen as the recipients of the 2026 Joseph P. and Harriet K. Gilmore Distinguished New Investigator Awards.
The awards, named after the late UNMC professor and researcher Joseph P. Gilmore, PhD, and his wife Harriet, recognize the research accomplishments of mid-career basic science faculty members at UNMC.
The recipients are:
- Basic Science Gilmore Awardee: Shibiao Wan, PhD, assistant professor in the UNMC Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy and co-director of the Bioinformatics and Systems Biology PhD Program.
- Clinical Science Gilmore Awardee: Tate Johnson, MD, PhD, an assistant professor in the UNMC Division of Rheumatology and Immunology and associate vice chair of research for the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine.
The award winners will be recognized at the UNMC College of Medicine Dean’s Research Symposium, scheduled for today (March 19) from 2-4 p.m. in the Wigton Heritage Center.
Dean Brad Britigan, MD, said Dr. Gilmore was among a handful of faculty who, a half century ago, established and initiated the growth of biomedical research in the college. Since that time, Dr. Britigan said, the number of faculty carrying out research and the breadth and impact of that research have grown enormously.
“It is fitting that we recognize the research accomplishments of our current faculty through these awards that bear his name,” Dr. Britigan said. “Establishing and sustaining a productive research program is far from easy. It takes creativity and commitment to the art of discovery.”
He added: “Congratulations to both Drs. Wan and Johnson for their selection as this year’s Gilmore awardees. The varied nature of the research efforts reflects the breadth of highly impactful science that is taking place at UNMC.”
Dr. Wan is being recognized his exceptional work in bioinformatics and machine learning since joining UNMC in October 2022. In that time, he published 28 manuscripts — 17 as senior author — in journals including Nature Communications and Nature Aging, while securing substantial independent funding and developed 20 bioinformatics software tools.
Dr. Johnson was selected for outstanding contributions in rheumatology research, which focuses on improving cardiovascular disease outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis. A PhD graduate from UNMC in 2025, he has secured a National Institutes of Health grant, along with prior research funding. He has published 19 original articles and seven reviews and editorials, among other publication contributions.
Dr. Gilmore was a professor and chairman of the UNMC Department of Physiology and Biophysics from 1970 to 1987. Dr. Gilmore is respected for elevating cardiovascular and renal research at UNMC and obtaining UNMC’s first National Institutes of Health training grant.
The award was established following Dr. Gilmore’s retirement in 1987.