Two research associates, Olivia Ihedioha, PhD, and Subrata Shil, PhD, were recognized with awards at the UNMC Office of Postdoctoral Education’s annual event, held Oct. 26.
Dr. Ihedioha received the 2026 Excellence in Research Award for research and presentation titled “Platelet DKK 1 promotes tolerogenic dendritic cells and non-healing responses in cutaneous leishmaniasis.”
Dr. Ihedioha’s mentor, Alfred Bothwell, PhD, professor in the UNMC Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, said that her work, “In aggregate….has demonstrated how fundamentally importantly the DKK 1 signaling pathway affects several centrally important signaling pathways that regulate immunity.”
Dr. Shil was recognized as runner-up for the award, for his research and presentation titled “Disease modeling of myocilin mutation-dependent normal tension glaucoma: Human retinal ganglion cell susceptibility to unfolded protein response and mTOR signaling.”
Mentor Iqbal Ahmad, PhD, professor in the UNMC Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, said Dr. Shil “…has not only mastered the concepts of the field and learned all the techniques needed for the ongoing modeling of glaucoma but also took the lead in establishing a new model of RP (retinitis pigmentosa). This is no small feat for a postdoc, particularly in such a short period of time.”
Both Drs. Bothwell and Ahmad were recognized with Excellence in Mentoring Awards at the event, as well.
Dr. Ahmad, who also is associate dean and director of postdoctoral education and research, opened the event with a welcome address highlighting postdoc achievements from the past year.
Featured at the event was keynote speaker, Katie East, PhD, board certified forensic anthropologist, who presented “Science Communication: The Secret to Success in Science and Beyond.”
Other awards and recognitions presented at the event:
- Alaina Buchanan, PhD, instructor at Metropolitan Community College, was presented a certificate of appreciation for her contributions to the UNMC Postdoctoral Education Teaching Partnership with MCC.
- Aitizaz Ul Ahsan, PhD, was presented a certificate for completing the UNMC/MCC Teaching Apprenticeship Program as well as a certificate for completion of the UNMC Postdoctoral Teaching and Educational Excellence Program with honors.
- Bidya Mondal, PhD, and Prabhakar Arumugam, PhD, were recognized for their research images, which were voted by their peers as best from a collection of images submitted by postdocs.
