AGA announces $2.4 million in research funding for 74 recipients

The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) is proud to announce the selection of 74 recipients to receive $2.4 million in research funding through the annual AGA Research Foundation Awards Program. AGA also announces today the addition of 10 pilot grants, totaling $400,000 in funding, to the 2026 awards portfolio to ensure that scientific discovery continues despite federal funding cuts.

Since we established the AGA Research Foundation in 1984, AGA has been unwavering in the commitment to supporting exceptional researchers, growing the research pipeline, and fostering scientific discovery. As we face uncertainty in federal research funding, our work is more critical than ever. The AGA Research Foundation is proud to fund some of the most talented investigators in our field and is confident our investment will lead to ground-breaking discoveries that will benefit patients with issues related to digestive health."

 Michael Camilleri, MD, DSc, AGAF, chair, AGA Research Foundation

To address federal funding uncertainties and ensure scientific discovery continues, AGA will also invest $400,000 in 10 additional pilot research awards in 2026. Applications for the 2026 cycle open in May.

The AGA Research Awards Program is made possible thanks to generous donors and funders. Learn more about the AGA Research Foundation.

Meet the recipients

RESEARCH SCHOLAR AWARDS

AGA Research Scholar Award

• Jonathan Downie, MD, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital
• Olumuyiwa Awoniyi, MD, PhD, Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Simon Gray, MD, PhD, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Jessica Shay, MD, PhD, The University of Utah
• Sharon Wolfson, MD, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

AGA-Bern Schwartz Family Fund Research Scholar Award in Pancreatic Cancer

• Nikki Katherine Lytle, PhD, The Medical College of Wisconsin 

SPECIALTY AWARDS

AGA-Caroline Craig Augustyn & Damian Augustyn Award in Digestive Cancer   

• Ramon Jin, MD, PhD, Washington University in St. Louis

AGA-R. Robert & Sally Funderburg Research Award in Gastric Cancer   

• Harshabad Singh, MBBS, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

AGA Fellowship-to-Faculty Transition Award 

• Quazim Alayo, MBBS, Washington University in St. Louis

PILOT AWARDS

AGA Pilot Research Award 

• Yalan Deng, PhD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Shuang Wang, PhD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Xiaoqin Wu, PhD, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

AGA-Pfizer Pilot Research Award in Inflammatory Bowel Disease 

• Adebowale Bamidele, PhD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester
• Siyan Cao, MD, PhD, Washington University in St. Louis
• Shirley Cohen-Mekelburg, MD, The Regents of the University of Michigan

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AWARDS

AGA-Aman Armaan Ahmed Family SURF for Success Program 

• Aishat Adebisi, Washington University in St. Louis
• Jeremy Ahn, Emory University
• Nahed El Fiky, University of Maryland Baltimore County
• Alexa Gramajo, University of Southern California
• Maryam Omotola Jimoh, The College of Wooster
• NaShyla McQuirter, University of Connecticut – Storrs

AGA-Dr. Harvey Young Education & Development Foundation's Young Guts Scholar Program 

• Aishat Adebisi, Washington University in St. Louis
• Jacob Cao, University of Pennsylvania
• Katherine Gell, Vanderbilt University
• Steven Montecinos, Rutgers University New Brunswick
• Daliya Rizvi, Duke University
• Joud Haj Sakor, University of Minnesota – Rochester

ABSTRACT AWARDS

AGA-APFED Abstract Award in Eosinophilic GI Diseases

• Maya Kota, BS, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
• Angelica R. Lackey, MPH, University of North Carolina School of Medicine
• Tursun Turapov, BS, University of Utah School of Medicine

AGA Fellow Abstract of the Year Award 

• Biju Bharali, PhD, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute

AGA Fellow Abstract Awards  

• Manik Aggarwal, MBBS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester
• Anissa Armet, PhD, RD, University of Alberta
• Eduardo Castillo-Leon, MD, Nationwide Children's Hospital
• Yufeng Chen, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital
• Youngwon Cho, PhD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• Maria Antonia Espinosa, MD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester
• Akshita Gupta, MBBS, MD, Mount Sinai Hospital
• Harpreet Kaur, PhD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• Adnan Malik, MD, MBBS, MBA, MPH, Honorhealth Mountain Vista Medical Center
• Aida A. Metri, MD, Johns Hopkins Hospital
• Wilmarie Morales-Soto, PhD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester
• Shaneice Nettleford, PhD, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• Rachel C. Newsome, PhD, University of Florida
• Aisha Qazi, PhD, University of Illinois Chicago
• Allyson Richardson, MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital
• Jiaxian Shen, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital
• Jiayu Ye, PhD, Stanford University
• Zahra Yousefli, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins University

AGA Student Abstract of the Year Award 

• Chen Wang, MD, MSc, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

AGA Student Abstract Awards

• Ashley L. Cummings, Duke University School of Medicine
• Hillmin Lei, University of California, Riverside
• Rita Nakhle, MS, Queen's University
• Sameer Rao, MBBS, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
• Daniel Martin Simadibrata, MD, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University
• Isabella Sirit, Vanderbilt University
• Vijaya L. Sundaram, Marshall University School of Medicine
• Eliane F. Tsopmegha, BA, Marshall University
• Julia M. J. van der Zande, MD, Nationwide Children's Hospital
• Xinyu Wang, MBBS, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

AGA–Eric Esrailian Student Abstract Prize 

• Emily Guan, Johns Hopkins University
• Mary McGrath, MD, University of Virginia
• Ashwariya Ohri, MBBS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester
• Michael Anthony Perrin, MD, MPH, Baylor College of Medicine

AGA–Radhika Srinivasan Student Abstract Prize 

• Alexis Guenther, BS, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• Jeneane Hamideh, MD, Charles R. Drew School of Medicine
• Anthony Kerbage, MD, Cleveland Clinic
• Lauren Lynch, Baylor College of Medicine

AGA Abstract Award for Health Disparities Research 

• Akhila Chilakala, MD, Kaiser Permanente San Francisco
• Taranika Sarkar Das, MD, The Brooklyn Hospital Center
• Gabrielle Waclawik, MD, MPH, University of Wisconsin
• Abdelrahman Yousef, MD, University of New Mexico Hospital

AGA-Moti L. & Kamla Rustgi International Travel Award 

• Chen Jiaqi, MD, Shandong University
• Abhishek Yadav, MD, Pgimer Chandigarh