Robert C. Anderson Memorial Award 2026

Hannah Arnade, a combined D.V.M./Ph.D. candidate in the College of Veterinary Medicine, studies the development of orthobiologics for challenging joint infections in horses. Her work focuses on platelet-derived therapies that integrate regenerative and antimicrobial strategies to address conditions with limited effective treatments. Working under her faculty adviser, Dr. John Peroni, Arnade developed a clinically relevant, three-dimensional joint tissue model using post-mortem equine tissue, creating a scalable platform for evaluating orthobiologic therapies while reducing reliance on live-animal testing. Her research has contributed to the refinement of platelet formulations, including shelf-stable preparations suitable for clinical use, and has informed treatments applied in the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital. In parallel, Arnade has participated in the UGA IDEAS program and NSF I-Corps, translating her research toward real-world application through customer discovery and commercialization training. Together, these efforts reflect a research profile that combines scientific rigor, translational focus, and entrepreneurial engagement at an early career stage. 

Olutosin Adesogan, a 2025 Ph.D. graduate of the Franklin College Department of Psychology and current postdoctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, is recognized for a highly productive research program examining health inequities among Black Americans. Working under faculty adviser Justin Lavner, she investigates how stressors rooted in systemic racism shape mental and physical health across the lifespan, while also identifying sources of resilience. Adesogan has authored 10 peer-reviewed publications, including multiple first-authored articles, in leading journals such as Clinical Psychological Science and Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Her research and training have been supported by prestigious national programs, including her selection as a visiting future faculty scholar at the University at Buffalo and as a trainee in the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research. Adesogan also secured a National Institute on Aging Research Supplement to Promote Diversity, reflecting recognition of both her scholarship and its relevance to aging and health equity research.