Accolades: Awards, honors and appointments August
Tony Munoz Awarded 2025 Gilliam Fellowship for neuroscience excellence
Tony Munoz, a graduate student and Ph.D. candidate in Oregon Health & Science University’s Neuroscience Graduate Program, has been awarded the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s 2025 Gilliam Fellows Program grant. He is also an active member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in STEM at OHSU, which aims to promote inclusivity and community within the institution.
Munoz conducts research in the lab of Swetha Murthy, Ph.D., an assistant scientist in the Vollum Institute who specializes in mechanotransduction and ion channels. He is one of 30 graduate students and their advisers nationwide selected for the 2025 cohort of the Gilliam Fellows Program.
“I am very proud and excited for Tony to receive this fellowship. He was a postbaccalaureate scholar in my lab before re-joining as a graduate student. Therefore, it is extra special to watch him succeed,” Murthy said. “Tony has a deep passion for basic research and has incredible determination to advance science communication and outreach at OHSU and in the local community. The opportunities and funding from the HHMI Gilliam Fellows program will propel Tony's trajectory to excellence in science and outreach. I am very thankful for the support from HHMI, and I will do my best to bolster Tony's endeavors in every way that I can.”
"I chose to pursue my graduate education at OHSU because of its vibrant scientific community and to conduct my thesis research in Dr. Swetha Murthy’s lab,” Munoz said. “Being nominated for this award by HHMI alongside Dr. Murthy is incredibly gratifying. I’m excited that this fellowship funds my thesis work to uncover how mechanically activated ion channels are involved in physiological processes such as swallowing. This fellowship will also allow me to network with the amazing community at HHMI and fellow Gilliam scholars. These connections will empower my personal and professional development for the rest of my scientific career. This fellowship supports my scientific research, my commitment to building community on campus, and my desire to enhance science outreach in the greater Portland area."
The Gilliam Fellows Program aims to launch promising Ph.D. students into impactful scientific research careers while promoting inclusive training environments.
Through this program, HHMI supports both graduate students and their faculty thesis advisers. Fellows receive up to three years of financial support for their Ph.D. dissertation, as well as numerous opportunities to connect with peers, program alumni, and HHMI scientists at all stages of their careers. Both students and advisers benefit from tailored professional development programs and become part of HHMI’s vibrant scientific community.
Share link: https://news.ohsu.edu/2025/08/25/accolades-awards-honors-and-appointments-august-6913004#Munoz
Maria Fleseriu earns Lifetime Achievement Award at 19th International Pituitary Congress
At the 19th International Pituitary Congress meeting in July, the Pituitary Society presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Maria Fleseriu, M.D., FACE, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the field. The award is the society’s highest accolade and recognizes excellence in scholarship, research, mentorship and clinical expertise in rare pituitary disorders.
Awardees have been global leaders of discovery in pituitary medicine coupled with selfless dedication and commitment to advancing the cause of treating pituitary disorders. This honor recognizes Fleseriu's pivotal role in the clinical development of several novel drugs for Cushing’s syndrome and acromegaly, which ultimately led to FDA approval, high-impact publications and chairing five international guidelines. Fleseriu is the third woman to win this award since the Pituitary Society's founding in 1993.
Share link: https://news.ohsu.edu/2025/08/25/accolades-awards-honors-and-appointments-august-6913004#Fleseriu
Tanaya Shree a 2025 Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator
Tanaya Shree, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in medicine (hematology/medical oncology) in the OHSU School of Medicine, OHSU Knight Cancer Insitute, has earned the 2025 Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding early-career physician-scientists who actively conduct patient-oriented cancer research at major research institutions, guided by the nation's top scientists and clinicians.
“I am grateful to the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation for this honor and for their steadfast support of patient-centered cancer research,” Shree said. “This generous funding will allow us to study immune responses as they occur in patients receiving bispecific antibodies and help translate the ingredients for successful treatment to more patients.”
Shree will be working under the mentorship of Brian Druker, M.D., JELD-WEN Chair of Leukemia Research and professor of medicine (hematology/medical oncology) in the OHSU School of Medicine, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, to understand the requirements for generating an effective bispecific antibody response in patients. Treatment approaches for patients with lymphoma could be improved, while also informing the design of bispecific T cell-engaging strategies for other types of tumors.
“We are extremely pleased that Dr. Shree has been selected to receive the highly prestigious and competitive Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award,” Druker said. “Her innovative works aims to understand how to improve outcomes for patients with lymphoma being treated with bispecific antibodies and we look forward to the advances her work will contribute.”
The Clinical Investigator Award program was designed to increase the number of physician-scientists capable of translating discoveries in the lab into new treatments for cancer patients. Shree was recognized as one of five new Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators in 2025.
Share link: https://news.ohsu.edu/2025/08/25/accolades-awards-honors-and-appointments-august-6913004#Shree
OHSU earns award for bike program
Oregon Health and Science University received the Outstanding Transportation Demand Management Strategy Award at the 39th Annual International Conference of the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) in New Orleans, Louisiana. The ACT awards celebrate organizations that find creative solutions to help people travel, commute, and connect more efficiently. The Outstanding TDM Strategy Award honors a specific strategy that successfully changes how people travel through smart planning, programs, policies, incentives, pricing, data, or technology. OHSU earned this recognition for its strong bike program, managed by Campus Access and Commute Services and partnered with Go By Bike. The program offers daily rewards, a bike loaner program, valet and secure bike parking, educational workshops, and commute challenges. Its goal is to make biking to campus easier and more appealing, benefiting both personal health and the environment, while helping to solve parking shortages. By providing resources and support, the program makes biking a practical and affordable way to get to campus.
Share link: https://news.ohsu.edu/2025/08/25/accolades-awards-honors-and-appointments-august-6913004#Bike
Recognize team or individual achievements with OHSU Accolades
Every day, OHSU members do amazing things. We want to celebrate the significant achievements of OHSU members, units and programs, such as awards, grants, appointments, publications and public recognitions. We publish these announcements regularly on OHSU Now and OHSU News: Awards and Accomplishments to celebrate with all 27,000 of our members and our community. Nominate yourself, a colleague or any OHSU member using this Accolades intake form. Submissions will be edited for length and clarity.