Molecules to Communities
Publication Awards
Awardees:
| Awardee: Jason Falvey, PhD Academic Rank: Associate Professor School: University of Maryland School of Medicine Primary Department: Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science Publication Title: Neighborhood Deprivation and Days Spent at Home After Fall-Related Hip Fracture PMCID: PMC12728656 Publication Journal: JAMA Network Open Publication Date: December 1, 2025 Authors: Alyssa M Baginski, Robynne G Braun, Chixiang Chen, Na Sun, Jay Magaziner, C Daniel Mullins, Jason R Falvey Award Category: Clinical / Community-Engaged Research |
| Awardee: Mark Travassos, MD Academic Rank: Associate Professor School: University of Maryland School of Medicine Primary Department: Pediatrics Publication Title: A shared inflammatory signature across severe malaria syndromes manifested by transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic analyses PMCID: PMC12086225 Publication Journal: Nature Communications Publication Date: May 18, 2025 Authors: Rafal S Sobota, Emily M Stucke, Drissa Coulibaly, Jonathan G Lawton, Bryan E Cummings, Savy Sebastian, Antoine Dara, James B Munro, Amed Ouattara, Abdoulaye K Kone, Bourama Kane, Karim Traoré, Bouréima Guindo, Bourama M Tangara, Amadou Niangaly, Noah T Ventimiglia, Modibo Daou, Issa Diarra, Youssouf Tolo, Mody Sissoko, Fayçal Maiga, Aichatou Diawara, Amidou Traore, Ali Thera, Matthew B Laurens, Kirsten E Lyke, Bourema Kouriba, Ogobara K Doumbo, Christopher V Plowe, David R Goodlett, Joana C Silva, Mahamadou A Thera, Mark A Travassos Award Category: Basic Translational Science |
| Awardee: Hannah Zierden, PhD Academic Rank: Assistant Professor School: University of Maryland, College Park Primary Department: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Publication Title: Vaginal bacteria-derived extracellular vesicles diffuse through human cervicovaginal mucus to enable microbe-host signaling PMCID: PMC12789437 Publication Journal: NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes Publication Date: January 9, 2026 Authors: Darby Steinman, Alyssa P. Petersen, Yasmi Chibber, Caleb Crawford, Pranshu Tyagi & Hannah C. Zierden Award Category: Basic Translational Science |
Honorable Mentions:
| Awardee: James Doub, MD Academic Rank: Associate Professor School: University of Maryland School of Medicine Primary Department: Medicine Publication Title: Feasibility and Potential Clinical Ramifications of Using Bacteriophage Therapy for S. aureus Necrotizing Fasciitis PMCID: PMC12386667 Publication Journal: Journal of Clinical Medicine (J Clin Med) Publication Date: August 8, 2025 Authors: James B Doub, Dakarai Dunbar, Sara Jain, Maggie Manchester, Lila Berle, Janvi Madhiwala, Bradley Anderson, Riva Malick, Max Jacobs, Kenneth L Urish Award Category: Basic Translational Science |
| Awardee: Amber Kleckner, PhD Academic Rank: Assistant Professor School: University of Maryland School of Nursing Primary Department: Pain and Translational Symptom Science Publication Title: Time-restricted eating to address persistent cancer-related fatigue among cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial PMCID: PMC12547982 Publication Journal: Supportive Care in Cancer Publication Date: April 5, 2025 Authors: Amber S Kleckner, Carin L Clingan, Shari M Youngblood, Ian R Kleckner, Lauren Quick, Rebecca D Elrod, Shijun Zhu, Emily N C Manoogian, Satchidananda Panda, Ashraf Z Badros, Ashkan Emadi Award Category: Clinical Research |
| Awardee: James Polli, PhD Academic Rank: Professor School: University of Maryland School of Pharmacy Primary Department: Pharmaceutical Sciences Publication Title: In Vitro‑In Vivo Correlation Of Amorphous Solid Dispersion Enabled Itraconazole Tablets PMCID: PMC11961502 Publication Journal: Pharmaceutical Research Publication Date: March 11, 2025 Authors: Ana L Coutinho, Asmita Adhikari, Samuel Krug, Maureen Kane, R Gary Hollenbeck, Stephen W Hoag, James E Polli Award Category: Basic Translational Science |
| Awardee: Jean-Pierre Raufman, MD Academic Rank: Professor School: University of Maryland School of Medicine Primary Department: Medicine Publication Title: Selective modulation of murine intestinal M1 and M3 muscarinic receptor expression has divergent effects on specialized epithelial cells and body weight PMCID: PMC12840908 Publication Journal: American Journal of Physiology Cell Physiology Publication Date: December 26, 2025 Authors: Natalia Sampaio Moura, Alyssa Schledwitz, Kunrong Cheng, Yang Song, Min Seong Kwon, Cassandra A Cairns, Lea-Pearl Njei, Benjamin Raufman, Cinthia B Drachenberg, Jian-Ying Wang, Bing Ma, Jean-Pierre Raufman Award Category: Basic Translational Science |
| Awardee: Mary Ann Rizk, PhD Academic Rank: Professor School: University of Maryland School of Dentistry Primary Department: Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences Publication Title: In vivo evolution of Candida auris multi-drug resistance in a patient receiving antifungal treatment PMCID: PMC12132263 Publication Journal: Journal of Infectious Diseases Publication Date: May 14, 2025 Authors: Tristan W Wang, Nicole Putnam, J Kristie Johnson, Mary Ann Jabra-Rizk Award Category: Basic Translational Science |
| Awardee: Sui Seng Tee, PhD Academic Rank: Assistant Professor School: University of Maryland School of Medicine Primary Department: Radiology Publication Title: Sweet Science: Exploring the Impact of Fructose and Glucose on Brown Adipocyte Differentiation Using Optical Diffraction Tomography PMCID: PMC12207058 Publication Journal: Journal of Cellular Biochemistry Publication Date: June 29, 2025 Authors: Pooja Anantha, Xiangdong Wu, Salaheldeen Elsaid, Piyush Raj, Junkai Hu, Ishan Barman, Sui Seng Tee Award Category: Basic Translational Science |
This funding opportunity round is now closed. Archived application information is available below.
ICTR Recognizes Excellence in Clinical & Translational Research Publications
The ICTR is pleased to announce the inaugural Publication Awards, recognizing exceptional peer‑reviewed publications that reflect the ICTR mission to accelerate scientific discovery, improve health outcomes, and advance clinical and translational research.
Purpose of the Awards
ICTR Publication Awards honor faculty and research teams whose publications showcase the value and impact of ICTR support — including funding, resources, and infrastructure — in advancing high‑quality clinical and translational science. Winning publications highlight ICTR’s role in fostering discovery and moving research from bench to bedside and into community practice.
Eligibility Criteria
All submissions must meet the following requirements:
- Publication window: January 1 – December 31, 2025
- Publication type: Open-access peer‑reviewed journal article (original research)
- ICTR support: The research must have been supported in part or in whole by ICTR funding and/or services and the PI of the ICTR-supported project (noted on the ICTR funding/services application) must be the First or Senior Author. Multiple submissions from the same investigator are accepted.
- Acknowledgment: The publication must include a formal acknowledgment of ICTR support.
How to Apply
Request application no later than 24 hours before the deadline via application link. Request an Application
Deadline: Friday, August 21, 2026, at 5 p.m. (EST).
Application Requirements:
- PDF of the publication and DOI/PubMed link
- PMCID
- Category selection with justification
- Impact Statement describing the significance and translational relevance of the work (up to 200 words)
Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Award Categories
Submissions will be considered across the following categories:
- Basic Translational Science
- Clinical Research
- Community-Engaged Research
- Social Science
- AI, Cybersecurity, Machine Learning
- Best Collaborative Publication
- Innovative Methodology
The ICTR Review Committee may designate additional special recognitions.
Evaluation Criteria
A multidisciplinary panel will evaluate submissions based on:
Quantitative Indicators
- Journal impact factor and/or specialty ranking
- Citation metrics
- Altmetric Attention Score (media/social impact)
Qualitative Indicators
- Scientific rigor and novelty
- Translational significance
- Evidence of interdisciplinary collaboration
- Demonstrated or potential real‑world application or health impact
- Clear acknowledgment of ICTR support
Award Benefits
Award recipients will receive:
- ICTR Publication Award certificate
- Opportunity to present research at ICTR events
- $2,500 for future publication fees (internal revenue transfer to dept acct)
- Recognition on the ICTR website, newsletter, social media, ICTR Impact reports, and leadership presentations
Questions?
For questions about eligibility or the submission process, please contact ictr-navigator@umaryland.edu
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Contact
UMB ICTR
The University of Maryland, Baltimore collaborates with Johns Hopkins University for the prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA).
