From kung fu to consciousness

By Maeve McQueeny-Lynch [email protected] 10-01-2026

Artiom Peshkur is an ambitious first-year biomedical engineering student at the University of Miami College of Engineering who wants to use his education to investigate questions that have been eluding neuroscientists and philosophers for centuries: What is consciousness? How does the mind create intangible ideas and translate them into tangible actions? How do the same atoms that make up inanimate objects also form complex beings, thoughts and sensations?

With the support of the Stamps Scholars Program, Peshkur hopes to further research that can improve lives, build a company that helps people sleep better and, one day, win a Nobel Prize for his work on consciousness. That combination of ambition, curiosity and opportunity is at the heart of the Stamps Scholars Program.

The program was launched and generously funded at the University in 2009 by University of Miami Trustee Roe Stamps and his late wife, Penny. The University's most prestigious merit award, the program provides undergraduate scholars with the full cost of attendance as well as an enrichment fund for service trips, unpaid internships and independent projects, plus access to research and leadership opportunities through the comprehensive support of the Office of Academic Enhancement.

Pursuing the mysteries of the mind

Peshkur's fascination with consciousness began with kung fu movies.

As a child, he learned of monks who practice the ancient martial arts as a form of moving meditation. His curiosity eventually led him to a deeper question: Where, exactly, does consciousness reside in the mind?

He wasted no time looking for answers.

He shadowed neuroscientists throughout high school, studied philosophy and Eastern medicine and even published his own Alzheimer's research in the Journal of Emerging Investigators.

"I consider myself a polymath, but my mom calls me a grasshopper because I jump between different interests all the time," he said. "Really, I just want to use my knowledge to help as many people as possible in my lifetime and to share that knowledge with the world."

Where ambition meets opportunity

A Miamian by way of Belarus, Peshkur was drawn to the University's impressive healthcare system, distinguished alumni network and renowned research programs. Perhaps most importantly, he said, his family is nearby.

He first learned of the Stamps Scholarship Program during a campus tour with his parents and grandmother in his senior year of high school. When he learned he was awarded the University's most prestigious and competitive scholarship, his whole family celebrated with him.

"Artiom was one of the most impressive applicants I've interviewed in my five years working with Stamps Scholars-his academic range set him apart, and his enthusiasm for the future was contagious," said Christopher Doell, executive director at the Office of Academic Enhancement. "He has really hit the ground running at the University, building relationships with his fellow Stamps Scholars and faculty, making connections across disciplines and embracing opportunities to learn, both in and out of the classroom."

A month into his studies at the University, he splits his time between classes and settling into his new home. His favorite class so far is Books That Matter, an interdisciplinary seminar taught by William Scott Green and John Paul Russo.

"It's the class I most look forward to because not only do we read and discuss interesting books, but the best part is that it happens in the dining hall, which is unheard of for me because we can eat while we have class, so my mouth and my mind can be busy at the same time," Peshkur said.

Already he's learning from his classmates and the culture at the University.

"I think the University of Miami is the perfect place for a person like me who's very ambitious, but wants to develop his entrepreneurial side," he said. "About a third of American adults don't get enough sleep, and I've been thinking about developing a device to help people rest and feel more at ease. It's a billion-dollar market, but really, I just want to use my knowledge to help stressed-out people get a good night's rest."

A lifetime of questions ahead

Enrolling at the University of Miami marked the realization of one of Peshkur's longtime goals, leading him to reflect on what might be next for him.

"I've always been a problem solver ever since I was 4 years old, and I love an enigma," he said. "My love of mysteries led me to study the ocean, astronomy, but there are only so many unanswered questions we can spend time on in our lifetimes, so I decided to focus my attention on the mind and health because that felt the most tangible to me."

In five years, he hopes to be doing something that makes a difference in the lives of other people.

But for now, he's just trying to soak it all in.

"My mom and my 7-year-old sister came to visit me last week, and we were feeding the ducks on campus, and I realized what a blessing it is to be here and to share these moments with my family," he said. "The Stamps Scholars Program has been such an incredible gift."