The Nebraska Institutional Development Idea Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence Program (INBRE) presented 10 undergraduate students from six Nebraska universities with the 2025-26 Richard Holland Future Scientist Awards from Nebraska Cures.
The students received cash awards in recognition of their research work during the summer INBRE program. The awards were presented by David Crouse, PhD, president of the board of directors of Nebraska Cures and one of UNMC’s co-investigators of the original INBRE grant establishing the Nebraska program in 2001.
The awards are named in honor of the late Richard Holland, an Omaha philanthropist and longtime supporter of research. This is the 16th year for the awards.
Awardees were:
Poster Presentation
First: Stephanie Limaye, Creighton University, “Nano-DSF Based Characterization of Two Proteins Involved in Gene Silencing”
Second: Daniel Cline, Creighton, “Targeting the onco-mucinome to radiosensitize pancreatic cancer”
Third: Piper Ryschon, Chadron State College, “Characterizing the role of conserved cysteine residues in Aim32-mediated mitochondrial metal homeostasis”
Honorable mention: Ashley Texel, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, “Agricultural injuries and fatalities among minors in seven midwestern states: A 2012–2026 analysis of media reports”
Honorable mention: Carter Moss, University of Nebraska at Kearney, “Exploring the role of Sprouty 2 in medulloblastoma”
Oral Presentation
First: Abigail Keating, University of Nebraska at Omaha, “Complement system drives chronic inflammation in Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms (IPMN)”
Second: Maddie Witchger, Creighton, “Staphylococcus aureus growth in a chemically defined medium”
Third: Kaleigh Williamson, UNO, “Immune cell recruitment to the zebrafish neuromast following Tobramycin exposure”
Honorable mention: Jenna Box, UNL, “Cerebrospinal fluid biomarker patterns in shunt and central nervous system infections”
Honorable mention: Orion Ulmer, Doane University, “Development of a hydraulic stance-control MPKAFO for enhanced gait stability and fall prevention”
