AJIA unites academia, industry, and venture capital to honor emerging leaders in medicine and biotechnology
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--More than 200 leaders from academia, biotechnology, venture capital, and patient advocacy gathered at the Yale Club of New York City for the inaugural America's Got Research (AGR). The first-of-its-kind national competition hosted by the American Junior Investigator Association (AJIA) celebrated the scientists and physician-scientists shaping the future of medicine.
Founded by Jennifer M Kwan, MD, PhD (Yale School of Medicine) and Evan Noch, MD, PhD (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center), AJIA exists to address one of medicine's most pressing challenges: sustaining the pipeline of physician-scientists and biomedical innovators.
"Scientific breakthroughs don't happen by accident - they happen because talented people devote their lives to solving difficult problems," said Kwan. "AGR was created to celebrate those individuals, elevate their visibility, and build connections that help turn discoveries into real-world impact."
"Too often, early-career investigators do extraordinary work behind the scenes," added Noch. "AGR puts them on center stage and brings together the entire biomedical ecosystem - researchers, investors, industry leaders, philanthropists, and patients - to invest in the future of science."
The Winners
Selected from a competitive national pool spanning AI, oncology, neurology, regenerative medicine, and precision health, the inaugural AGR winners are:
First Place – Scientific Research Aleksandar Obradovic, MD, PhD (Columbia University) Dr. Obradovic integrates computational biology and large-scale molecular data to identify mechanisms of treatment response and resistance in kidney cancer.
Second Place – Scientific Research Leo Wang, MD, PhD (University of Pennsylvania) Dr. Wang develops biomaterial-based therapies for inflammatory and autoimmune skin diseases.
Third Place – Entrepreneurship & Innovation Martin Spang, PhD (Yale University) Dr. Spang applies tissue engineering and regenerative biology to chronic wound healing and diabetic foot ulcers.
In recognition of their achievements, the top three presenters received Eko Health AI powered digital stethoscopes, featured in the landmark Lancet Digital Health "Tricorder" study on AI-assisted cardiac diagnosis.
An Extraordinary Gathering
The judging panel featured nationally recognized leaders including Claire Pomeroy, MD, MBA (Lasker Foundation, recipient of AJIA's 2025 Founder's Award), Louis Muglia, MD, PhD (Burroughs Wellcome Fund), David Altshuler, MD, PhD (Vertex Pharmaceuticals), Julie Kim (Takeda), and partners from Foresite Capital and AlleyCorp, among others.
With strong enthusiasm from attendees and sponsors, AJIA announced plans to make America's Got Research an annual event.
"The future of medicine is sitting in our laboratories, clinics, and training programs today," said Kwan. "Our job is to make sure those future innovators have the support they need to succeed."
Sponsors for the event included the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Eko Health, Leerink Partners, CareDx, Joan Raab Memorial Fund, Chris and Kirsten Leonard, Pat Romero Gilbert, Waichi Wong, MD, and GoldHouse.
New Member Opportunities
Admera Health unveiled plans to work with AJIA to provide members with expanded access and discounts for sequencing services. Admera Health is proud to support early-career investigators with pilot or proof of concept grants. To learn more about available services and AJIA member pricing, visit www.admerahealth.com.
About AJIA The American Junior Investigator Association is a national nonprofit supporting early-career physician-scientists through mentorship, advocacy, networking, and leadership development. Founded by Jennifer M Kwan, MD, PhD and Evan Noch, MD, PhD, AJIA works to strengthen the biomedical research workforce and empower the next generation of scientific leaders. juniorinvestigator.org
Contacts
Media Contact:
Chelsea Kindred
info@juniorinvestigator.org
