College of Medicine honors four with Research Excellence Awards

The Texas A&M University College of Medicine closed out 2024 by recognizing four researchers for their outstanding contributions to their fields with the Research Excellence Awards.

The awards celebrate exceptional work across various career stages and roles, including junior and senior faculty, research scientists and postdoctoral trainees. An awardee’s research must have provided originality, depth and impact on their respective scientific, clinical or educational field. The research accomplishments of the nominees were evaluated by the College of Medicine’s Research Advisory Committee and by at least four accomplished researchers in the respective fields working in other research institutions.

This year’s honorees are:

• Junior Faculty Research Excellence Award: Cedric Geoffroy, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, was recognized for his groundbreaking research on axon growth and repair following spinal cord injury. With more than $5 million in grant funding and 11 publications in three years, including in Science Advances, Geoffroy has also co-founded two biotech statups and holds five patents. He is lauded for his mentorship of more than 30 students and trainees who have moved into impactful positions in academia, industry and health care.
• Senior Faculty Research Excellence Award: Rajesh Miranda, PhD, professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, has dedicated 25 years to advancing research on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. His work has garnered 21 grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 114 peer-reviewed publications and numerous accolades, including the G. Alan Marlatt Mentorship Award. Miranda has mentored more than 60 emerging scientists, five of whom have received NIH National Research Service Award (NRSA) support and many other distinctions.
• Research Excellence Award for Research Scientists and Academic Professional Track Faculty: Clifford Stephan, PhD, research associate professor in the Department of Translational Medical Sciences and director of the High Throughput Research and Screening Center, has significantly contributed to drug discovery research. His leadership has secured more than $14 million in funding from the NIH and Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, resulting in 47 peer-reviewed publications. Stephan’s innovations have bolstered research across Texas A&M Health and its partner institutions.
• Research Excellence Award for Postdoctoral Fellows: Siara Rouzer, PhD, postdoctoral fellow under Miranda’s mentorship, has advanced understanding of polysubstance use in pregnancy. Her graduate work resulted in four research publications, including two as first author, and she has published four research papers with Miranda. With a recent F32 NRSA fellowship and an independent NIH K99/R00 application, Rouzer is noted for her impactful research and mentorship of undergraduate and graduate students.

“These researchers exemplify the college’s commitment to excellence. They are also examples of how our researchers at all career stages use a collaborative mindset and innovative technologies to improve human life,” said J. Thomas Cunningham, PhD, senior associate dean for research for the College of Medicine. “Their work advances our understanding of critical scientific challenges, drives innovation in their fields, and enriches the academic community at Texas A&M Health and beyond.”