The Indiana University School of Medicine has named the four recipients of the 2025 Showalter Scholars Award.
Each scholar will receive $50,000 per year for three years in order to support their research programs. The awards are funded by the Ralph W. and Grace M. Showalter Trust and IU School of Medicine to help advance the work of early-career scientists with a track record of research success.
The 2025 Showalter Scholars are:
Over the last five years, these researchers have brought in a combined $19 million in active grants and authored a total of 88 scholarly publications.
Yao-Ying Ma: Investigating neurobiology mechanisms of substance abuse
Ma is a neuroscientist and associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology who has expertise in Alzheimer’s disease, neurodevelopment, substance abuse and traumatic brain injury. She was awarded a grant for her work on “synaptic adaptations induced by prenatal alcohol exposure.”
Ma’s lab at the IU School of Medicine is comprised of neuroscientists, physiologists and data scientists.
“I believe this diversity of expertise in the lab is what gives her a competitive advantage in pursuing multiple lines of research simultaneously,” said Alexander G. Robling, PhD, chair of the Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology.
Ma has built research connections across the country and globe. She is also an outstanding teacher.
“Her teaching commitments speak loudly to her character and willingness to carry her own weight, and to be a great citizen for her colleagues,” Robling wrote in a nomination letter for Ma.
Just in the past two years, Ma has published 12 papers, 80% of which she was senior author.
“Yao-Yang has been very consistent in including her trainees in publications, and in nearly all her senior-authored papers she has her trainees as the first author, making sure they receive credit and fortifying their career opportunities in the future,” Robling noted.
Ma’s accomplishments and attributes were highlighted in several other nomination letters submitted on her behalf.
“One of Dr. Yao-Ying’s unique attributes is that she is an unassuming person who is a genuine pleasure to interact with,” wrote colleague Brian A. Pierchala, PhD, a professor of anatomy, cell biology and physiology at the IU School of Medicine.
Adrian Oblak: Accelerating Alzheimer's treatment development
Oblak serves as director of neurodegenerative disorders at the Stark Neurosciences Research Institute at the IU School of Medicine. She joined IU in 2010 and is on multiple leadership boards surrounding research, education and scientific strategy. Oblak also serves as the scientific director and principal investigator for MODEL-AD, a national NIH-funded initiative that develops and applies advanced animal models for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Through her research, Oblak seeks to understand and identify the mechanisms that drive inception and progression toward Alzheimer’s disease. This, in turn, enables the development of novel therapeutic interventions for treatment and prevention.
“Dr. Oblak’s work is poised to have a direct and lasting effect on human health,” wrote Stacey J. Sukoff Rizzo, PhD, an associate professor of neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh, in her nomination for Oblak. “On top of her extensive research commitments, Dr. Oblak is dedicated to teaching and mentoring the next generation of scientists as well as having a deep commitment to service both within the IU scientific research community as well as to the greater neuroscience and Alzheimer’s disease research communities.”
With more than 15 years of research experience, Oblak has authored over 40-peer reviewed scientific articles, many of which have been published in high-impact journals.
“As a colleague and mentor, Dr. Oblak is a remarkably unassuming person who is a genuine pleasure to interact and collaborate with,” said Bruce Lamb, PhD, executive director of the Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, who also wrote a letter supporting Oblak’s nomination.
Along with her work in the lab, Oblak also serves on several committees and teaches eight graduate courses in anatomy and medical neuroscience.
“She is beloved by her own students and others that she mentors in the Medical Neuroscience graduate program,” wrote Gary Landreth, PhD, who supported Oblak’s nomination. “She is an extremely effective teacher, mentor and role model.”
Nathan Schmidt: Understanding the influence of gut microbiota on malaria
Schmidt is an associate professor of pediatrics and adjunct associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the IU School of Medicine. His research is primarily focused on malaria and understanding how its development is impacted by outside factors as he aims to identify approaches to prevent children from dying of malaria.
Schmidt’s research has made “remarkable contributions that have elevated both his field and the institution’s national and international reputation,” said Reuben Kapur, PhD, director of the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research at the IU School of Medicine. “His groundbreaking research, published in top-tier journals, has advanced our understanding of malaria pathogenesis, while his commitment to mentoring PhD and master’s students, as well as junior faculty, has strengthened the IU academic community.”
Schmidt received a 2024 IU Trustees’ Teaching Award and is the assistant director of facilities at the Wells Center. He has mentored five students and served on several academic committees. At the national level, Schmidt served as an ad hoc reviewer for the National Science Foundation’s Symbiosis, Infection and Immunity program in 2025. He has also presented his work in infectious disease and immunology at institutions and conferences around the world, including a visit to Africa.
During Schmidt’s time with IU, he has developed a strong research funding portfolio and has built upon each success.
“Not only is he dedicated, enthusiastic and responsible as a researcher and collaborator, but he has also garnered respect for his professionalism,” wrote Mark Kaplan, PhD, chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, in a nomination letter supporting Schmidt. “That devotion to his work, his growing committed team, and his cutting-edge and translational research program will each contribute to his continued success at IU.”
Tuan Tran: Studying malaria immunity and pathophysiology using systems biology
Tran is an associate professor of medicine, of microbiology and immunology, and of pediatrics at the IU School of Medicine. His lab investigates the immune system by applying multiomic technologies to biological samples from malaria-exposed individuals. His research aims to explain how the body protects itself from malaria and how the immune system works to fight it off.
Tran has collaborated with the universities research group in Western Kenya, working with a colleague to set up a pilot study to test the effects of “asymptomatic P. falciparum infections and subclinical inflammation on cognition in young children.” Due to his notable work, Tran has gained a national and international reputation in the field.
To further his work, Tran started his own research program at the IU School of Medicine and has authored 35 publications as an IU faculty member.
“Tuan has been very successful at securing extramural funding, with multiple NIH grants, including one funded R01 (P1) and one that is awaiting funding,” noted Peter D. Crompton, MD, MPH, chief of malaria infection biology and immunity at the National Institutes of Health, who wrote a letter of recommendation for Tran’s nomination.
At IU, Tran teaches medical students and residents as an infectious disease clinician and faculty member in microbiology and immunology. “Tuan has been the primary mentor for one PhD student and three master’s degree students and has served as a committee member for several PhD students,” wrote Chandy C. John, MD, MS, the Ryan White Professor of Pediatrics and division chief of pediatric infectious diseases and global health at the IU School of Medicine.
“Tuan has an exceptional training and research record and an extremely high ceiling in academic medicine,” added Crompton. “He is an exceptionally gifted and hard-working physician-scientist.”
