UTHealth Houston sweeps T1-T4 research contest

Winners from the T1-T4 research contest pose for a photo holding their certificates. — (L-R): Second place winner Jacob Mattia, judge Michael Kurilla, MD, PhD, judge Robert Clark, MD, first place winner Trey Waldrop, and third place winner Antonio Pagán. (Courtesy photo)

Researchers from UTHealth Houston dominated the T1-T4 in 3 Minutes competition by taking all three top spots during the Texas Regional Clinical and Translational Science Awards Consortium meeting held at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

The competition challenged participants to present complex clinical and translational science projects in just three minutes.

The winners

Trey Waldrop, a graduate research assistant in radiation physics at MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, won first place for his presentation, “Gone in a FLASH: Treating Pancreatic Cancer with Ultra-high Dose Rate Radiotherapy.” Waldrop is a sixth-year MD/PhD student who is affiliated with the Therapeutics and Pharmacology Program and works in the lab of Emil Schueler, PhD, studying novel radiation therapy approaches.

Second place went to Jacob Mattia, a graduate student at MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School, for his project, “Listening to the Genetic Symphony of Neurodevelopment in Down Syndrome.” Mattia is a fifth-year MD/PhD student and a T32 scholar who is studying the epigenetic underpinnings of neurodevelopment in Down syndrome with the aim of identifying novel pathways for therapeutic intervention.

Antonio Pagán, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences, took third place with “Bridging the Gap: Neural Mechanisms and Culturally Adapted Interventions for Latino Young Adults with Autism.”

Pagán is a T32 Fellow and was recently awarded the prestigious K99/R00 fellowship through the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Pagán's research is dedicated to developing and culturally adapting interventions for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, specifically focusing on autism spectrum disorder within underserved populations like the Latino community.

All three researchers are trainees in the UTHealth Houston Clinical and Translational Science Award TL1 Training Program, which provides support for predoctoral and postdoctoral scholars whose research addresses problems with direct clinical implications.

The program offers interdisciplinary training through didactic courses, seminars, and mentoring, and supports scholars with stipends, tuition, health insurance, and travel funds.

About the competition

The annual event is part of the broader mission of the Texas Regional Clinical and Translational Science Awards Consortium, which seeks to advance clinical and translational research across the state by fostering collaboration among institutions in the program.

The consortium includes leading biomedical institutions across the state and aims to accelerate scientific discoveries into improved health outcomes for Texans and beyond.