Top Research Stories of 2025: UT Health Science Center’s Year of Impact

Awarded to only 5% of universities nationwide, UT Health Sciences earned the prestigious R1 designation, the highest level of research excellence in the United States.

In 2025, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center didn't just advance science, it reshaped what's possible for research, health care, and collaboration across Tennessee and beyond. From achieving the highest national research designation to leading statewide initiatives and driving breakthroughs in cancer, neuroscience, and infectious disease, UT Health Sciences emerged as a powerful force at the intersection of discovery and real-world impact.

"These accomplishments reflect the strength of our research community and the power of working together across disciplines, institutions, and the state," said Jessica Snowden, vice chancellor for Research. "Earning R1 designation and leading transformative initiatives are important milestones, but they matter most because of the impact they enable - on discovery, on health care, and on the lives of Tennesseans. As we look ahead, UT Health Sciences is poised to build on this momentum and pursue even bolder research that shapes the future of health."

Here's a look back at the top research stories that defined an extraordinary year.

R1 Designation: A Milestone Moment

In 2025, UT Health Sciences earned the prestigious R1 designation from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the highest level of research excellence in the United States. Awarded to only 5% of universities nationwide, the R1 designation recognizes institutions with the most robust research funding, faculty-led discovery, and doctoral programs. This achievement places UT Health Sciences among the nation's elite research universities and makes the University of Tennessee System one of only 14 public systems in the country with more than one R1-designated institution. It also positions Memphis as one of just six U.S. cities home to two R1 public universities, underscoring the region's growing role as a hub for innovation, economic development, and top-tier talent.

Statewide Leadership in Cancer Research

In October 2025, UT Health Sciences convened the first-ever Tennessee Statewide Cancer Collaborative Scientific Meeting in Nashville. The two-day conference brought together researchers, clinicians, and institutional partners from across the state to align strategies and strengthen collaboration in cancer research. With the theme "Advancing Cancer Research Across Tennessee," the meeting highlighted opportunities to expand research infrastructure, attract state and federal investment, and improve cancer outcomes for Tennesseans, marking a significant step toward a more unified statewide approach.

Center of Excellence for Rural Health

The Tennessee Department of Health selected UT Health Sciences as the Tennessee Rural Health Care Center of Excellence, awarding a $12 million grant to support a four-year initiative focused on reducing health disparities in rural communities. The initiative will expand public-private partnerships and administer $7 million in planning and implementation grants to address critical rural health challenges. Building on UT Health Sciences' statewide footprint, the Center of Excellence aims to create sustainable systems that allow rural communities to thrive.

Cutting-Edge Technology Meets Infectious Disease Research

Colleen Jonsson, PhD, Harriet S. Van Vleet Chair of Excellence in Virology and director of the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, is leading pioneering research using a human brain-on-a-chip to study how deadly encephalitis viruses infect the brain and how to stop them. Working with graduate student Walter Reichard, the team is pushing the boundaries of biomedical research, offering new insight into host-pathogen interactions that could accelerate treatment development for life-threatening infections.

A "brain-on-a-chip" serves as a model for researchers at UT Health Sciences to study how viruses and potential treatments work inside the human brain.

Shaping National and Global Conversations

Liza Makowski, PhD, associate director for Education and Development in the Center for Cancer Research, co-authored a high-profile commentary in Nature Reviews Cancer examining the potential cancer-related implications of GLP-1 receptor agonists such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound. Titled "Are GLP-1 receptor agonists a 'magic bullet' for cancer?" the article places UT Health Sciences at the forefront of a critical global discussion on the long-term impacts of some of the most widely used drugs of the decade.

Il Hwan Kim, PhD, associate professor of anatomy and neurobiology, published groundbreaking findings revealing how disruptions in the blood-brain barrier contribute to Autism Spectrum Disorder development. His team's work sheds new light on a key mechanism at the center of national autism research efforts, opening the door to novel therapeutic approaches.

Major Awards Driving Discovery

Wei Li, PhD, distinguished professor and director of the Drug Discovery Center, received a $3.24 million National Cancer Institute grant to develop a promising new therapy for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease.

John Cox, PhD, received a $3.68 million Nation Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases grant to uncover how Chlamydia trachomatis reproduces, a mystery that has long challenged scientists. The findings could lead to improved treatments for the world's most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection.

Led by Qi Zhao, MD, PhD, the long-running Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Learning in Early Childhood (CANDLE) Study received continued NIH funding through the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program to examine how early-life environmental exposures affect child and adolescent health, including neurodevelopment, obesity, and respiratory outcomes.

Student Research Excellence

Michaela Meehl, a graduate student in the College of Graduate Health Sciences, received a $131,712 National Cancer Institute predoctoral fellowship to advance research aimed at improving CAR T-cell therapy, one of today's most promising cancer treatments.

Pharmaceutical sciences PhD student Ishita Kathuria earned multiple awards for her research on vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis, including first place at the Vascular Research Initiatives Conference and competitive funding to pursue independent research on metabolic liver disease.

For more research stories from 2025, visit the UT Health Sciences news site.