Six faculty members from Baylor College of Medicine have been awarded the Michael E. DeBakey M.D. Award for Excellence in Research, recognizing their significant contributions to clinical and basic science research over the past three years.
The 2025 recipients are Dr. Alastair Thompson, Dr. Anna Mandalakas, Dr. Anthony Maresso, Dr. Hongjie Li, Dr. Lilei Zhang, and Dr. Na Li. The award ceremony took place on June 24.
The awards honor the legacy of Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, a pioneering heart surgeon and the first president of Baylor College of Medicine, and are sponsored by the DeBakey Medical Foundation. Each recipient receives a commemorative medallion and funding to support future research endeavors.
Dr. Paul Klotman, president, CEO, and executive dean of Baylor College of Medicine stated: “This is a special and fun day at Baylor College of Medicine, where we can celebrate the people that are leading science at the institution. We are proud of their work, and we appreciate the support of the DeBakey Medical Foundation that allows this to happen.”
Dr. Carolyn Smith, senior vice president and dean of research at Baylor College of Medicine introduced each awardee before they presented brief summaries of their work.
Dr. Alastair Thompson's research has advanced breast cancer treatment by exploring molecular mechanisms and developing targeted interventions for early breast cancer.
Dr. Anna Mandalakas has focused her translational research on pediatric tuberculosis over nearly three decades, contributing significantly to global TB morbidity reduction through numerous publications.
Dr. Anthony Maresso developed an innovative monitoring program for tracking disease-causing viruses in wastewater which has been adopted nationwide.
Dr. Hongjie Li’s work includes developing single-cell sequencing techniques to study aging processes in Drosophila (fruit flies), contributing to an international collaboration resulting in a Fly Cell Atlas.
Dr. Lilei Zhang researches circadian regulation in the heart and rare inherited cardiac diseases while bridging basic discovery with clinical translation.
Dr. Na Li is recognized for her work in cardiac electrophysiology with a focus on inflammatory pathways related to atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias.
