During his welcome remarks, Investigator and Graduate School President Matt Gibson, Ph.D. reflected on the realities of scientific work and the perseverance required to pursue discovery. “We are here to celebrate successes, but we all know that it’s also the struggle,” he said. “The experiments that collapse, the hypotheses that refuse to cooperate, the moments that felt impossible. Science doesn’t move forward on brilliance alone. It’s also working through the struggle.”

Gerton welcomed graduates as peers into the scientific enterprise and reflected on the deeper lessons revealed through scientific education. “You are joining us as a fellow creator of knowledge,” Gerton said. “One of the truths that reveals itself while earning your Ph.D. in science is the vastness of the unknown. That’s what you are joining.”

Gibson also emphasized the importance of curiosity and wonder at a moment of rapid technological advancement in biology.

“For all the technological advances supporting our research, so much of our biology still remains a mystery,” Gibson said. “Technology has made it possible for our intelligence to be enhanced to ask who, what, when, and where. But it is still humanity that must wrestle with why.”

Family members, mentors, Institute leadership, faculty, staff, and fellow students gathered at the Institute for the commencement ceremony to celebrate each graduate. At a luncheon held before the ceremony, students reflected on their journey. Many of the remarks focused not only on scientific accomplishment, but also on the growth, uncertainty, and support systems that defined their graduate education.

Kuan-Chih Peng, Ph.D., who studied molecular, cellular, and developmental mechanisms in the lab of Scientific Director Kausik Si, Ph.D., reflected on the challenges and personal growth that shaped the graduate school experience, thanking his mentors, colleagues, friends, and family members for their encouragement. “Your support is what made this journey possible,” Peng said.

Stefanie Williams, Ph.D., who studied meiosis in the labs of Gibson and the late Stowers Investigator Scott Hawley, Ph.D., reflected on the emotional significance of commencement day itself and what first drew her to the Graduate School. “Stowers was my first choice because I knew that here we would not only learn the science, but also learn why it all ultimately matters,” she said.

Several students were recognized for special achievements. Wenhao Song was presented with the 2026 Outstanding Qualifying Assessment Award, and Stefanie Williams was presented with the 2026 Outstanding Thesis Award. In addition to these student achievements, Investigator Paul Trainor, Ph.D., was also recognized as the inaugural recipient of the 2026 R. Scott Hawley, Ph.D., Teaching and Mentoring Award.

The program included a commencement address from Caroline Kane, Ph.D., Chair of the Stowers Institute Board of Directors and Professor in Residence Emerita of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Kane encouraged graduates to embrace uncertainty, resilience, disagreement, and surprise as essential parts of the scientific process. She reflected on the joy of discovery and the unique moments that continue to drive scientific curiosity — particularly when “the data is telling you something that no one else in the world has ever known.”

Danielson Baia Amaral, Ph.D., who studied genetics and genomics in the lab of Investigator Ariel Bazzini, Ph.D., spoke about the role of curiosity in both science and personal growth, describing a path “guided by curiosity and the call to think with intention.” Echoing the words of the Institute’s founder Jim Stowers, Amaral concluded by saying, “We know the best is yet to be.”

2026 Graduates

• Danielson Baia Amaral, Ph.D., who studied genetics and genomics in the lab of Investigator Ariel Bazzini, Ph.D.
• Gabriel da Silva Pescador, Ph.D., who studied in the lab of Stowers Investigator Ariel Bazzini, Ph.D.
• Paloma Meneses Giles, Ph.D., who studied stem cells and regeneration in the lab of Stowers Investigator Tatiana Piotrowski, Ph.D.
• Sarah Gilmour, Ph.D., who studied genetics and genomics in the labs of Investigator and Graduate School Dean Jennifer Gerton, Ph.D., and Investigator and Graduate School Vice Dean SaraH Zanders, Ph.D.
• Kuan-Chih Peng, Ph.D., who studied molecular, cellular, and developmental mechanisms in the lab of Scientific Director Kausik Si, Ph.D.
• Amruta Swaminathan, Ph.D., who studied molecular, cellular, and developmental mechanisms in the lab of Stowers Investigator Ariel Bazzini, Ph.D.
• Fanning Xia, Ph.D., who studied molecular, cellular, and developmental mechanisms in the lab of Stowers Investigator Paul Trainor, Ph.D.
• Stefanie Williams, Ph.D., who studied meiosis in the labs of Stowers Investigator and Graduate School President Matt Gibson, Ph.D., and the late Stowers Investigator Scott Hawley, Ph.D.

Learn more about the Graduate School of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research here.