Annual event brings together students from UNT Health, UNT, UNT Dallas and TCU to present research advancing health and biomedical discovery.
UNT Health Fort Worth will host its annual Research Appreciation Day on April 17 — the first time the event will be held in person since the COVID-19 pandemic and the first to bring together student researchers from multiple North Texas universities. Hosted by UNT Health’s Division of Research and Innovation, RAD highlights emerging scientists and gives them the opportunity to present their work, discuss findings and connect with faculty, peers and researchers from across the region. Researchers attending will come from UNT Health, the University of North Texas in Denton, UNT Dallas and Texas Christian University. “RAD provides a unique platform for students to share their work, exchange ideas and build meaningful connections across institutions,” said Dimitrios Karamichos, Ph.D., vice president of UNT Health Research and Graduate Studies. “This expanded regional collaboration reflects our shared commitment to advancing research and training the next generation of scholars.”
The event is expected to draw about 500 attendees, including students, faculty, staff and community members, and will feature poster presentations across biomedical sciences, clinical research, public health, interdisciplinary health sciences and emerging areas such as artificial intelligence. Presenters will engage directly with attendees to discuss their findings and potential impact. More than 50 student awards will be presented.
RAD 2026 will also feature keynote speaker Dr. Russell Swerdlow, a university distinguished professor and director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He will present “Mitochondria and Mitochondrial Cascades in Alzheimer’s Disease.” Alzheimer’s is the most common neurologic disease of aging, and Swerdlow’s talk will explore the “Mitochondrial Cascade Hypothesis” — which positions mitochondria as a biological link between aging and the disease — examining how mitochondrial dysfunction may point toward new therapeutic approaches.
The program will also include two panel discussions focused on research collaboration and innovation across the region. The first, “Better Together: Collaborative Training Networks in North Texas,” will explore how institutions across the region are joining forces to invest in the researchers of tomorrow — sharing resources, mentorship and opportunities across universities in ways that benefit the entire North Texas ecosystem. The second, “The Future of Health Innovation in North Texas, from Discovery to Impact, ”will examine what happens after the breakthrough — how research institutions and regional partners are moving discoveries out of the lab and into real-world health solutions that affect patients and communities.
“RAD highlights the incredible research taking place across our institutions and provides an opportunity for emerging researchers to share their discoveries with the broader academic community,” Karamichos said. “In alignment with one of our values, Better Together, this regional event signals a growing momentum for North Texas research, fostering partnerships that will drive innovation, talent development and scientific impact well into the future.” For more information about the event, please visit unthealthrad2026.oa-event.com.
About UNT Health UNT Health Fort Worth is located in the heart of the Fort Worth Cultural District. UNT Health trains the health care providers, public health workforce and scientists of the future in an interprofessional ecosystem. Through its six colleges—Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, College of Public Health, College of Health Professions, College of Pharmacy and College of Nursing—students learn to work in teams and develop an innovative mindset that prepares them for a rapidly changing health landscape. UNT Health Clinical Practice Group, the clinical enterprise of UNT Health, provides patient-centered care to people across Tarrant County. UNT Health’s research enterprise provides a foundation to expand the frontiers of scientific discovery to improve health and well-being.
