The Rex Montgomery Dissertation Prize recognizes the most meritorious dissertation by a doctoral student conducting research in prevention of disease and/or the translation of research into clinical practice.

Iowa began awarding this dissertation prize in 2013.

2023 Winner

• Alexandra Petrucci, Neuroscience
  Gordon F. Buchanan, Dissertation Advisor
  The Role of DNR Circuitry in Post-Ictal Generalized EEG Suppression, Arousal, and Seizure-Induced Mortality

2022 Winner

• Beth Osia, Integrated Biology
  Anna Malkova, Dissertation Advisor
  Sources and Signatures of Mutagenesis in Break-Induced Replication

2021 Winner

• Victoria Muller Ewald, Neuroscience
  Ryan LaLumiere, Dissertation Advisor
  Inhibiting Cocaine Seeking, Infralimbic Cortical Activity During Extinction Learning and Reinstatement

2020 Winner

• Serena Banu Gumusoglu, Neuroscience
  Hanna Stevens, Dissertation Advisor
  Maternal Immune Mechanisms and Offspring Neurodevelopment

2019 Winners

• Kevin Booth, Molecular Medicine
  Richard Smith, Dissertation Advisor
  Unraveling the Hidden Complexities of Genetic Hearing Loss
  Also CGS/UMI Outstanding Dissertation Finalist, Honorable Mention
• Jacob Herrmann, Biomedical Engineering
  David Kaczka, Dissertation Advisor
  Frequency-Dependent Ventilation Heterogeneity in the Acutely Injured Lung

2018 Winner

• Arianna Rigon, Neuroscience
  Melissa Duff and Michelle Voss, Dissertation Advisors
  Structural and Functional Neural Networks Underlying Facial Affect Recognition Impairment Following Traumatic Brain Injury

2017 Winners

• Allison Cox, Genetics
  Alexander Bassuk, Dissertation Advisor
  Whole Exome Analysis of Individuals and Families with Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis (CRMO)
• Matthew Sutterer, Neuroscience
  Matthew Howard and Daniel Tranel, Co-Dissertation Advisors
  Plasticity and Reorganization of Brain Networks Subserving Emotion and Decision-Making

2016 Winners

• Deborah Burdsall, Nursing
  Sue E. Gardner, Dissertation Advisor
  Exploring Inappropriate Glove Use in Long Term Care
• Ernest Chivero, Molecular & Cellular Biology
  Jack Stapleton, Dissertation Advisor
  Tropism of Human Pegivirus (formerly know as GB virus C) and Host Immunomodulation: Insights into Viral Persistence

2015 Winner

• Sajan Lingala , Biomedical Engineering
  Mathews Jacob, Dissertation Advisor
  Novel Adaptive Reconstruction Schemes for Accelerated Myocaridal Perfusion MRI

2014 Winner

• Laura Whitmore, Molecular & Cellular Biology
  Jessica Moreland, Dissertation Advisor
  The Roles of Neutrophil NADPH Oxidase in Resolving Systemic Inflammation

2013 Winner

• Eliot Shearer, Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
  Richard Smith, Dissertation Advisor
  Deafness in the Genomics Era