At the 2026 Doctoral and Master’s Convocation Ceremony, NYU Langone Health honored graduates of the Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, as well as the research, mentorship, and discovery shaping the future of medicine.

“Graduates, your task is not only to succeed,” Dafna Bar-Sagi, PhD, executive vice president, vice dean for science, and chief scientific officer, told the class of 2026, who were gathered in Murphy Auditorium on May 13. “Your task is to remain discoverers. Discover new knowledge. Discover better questions. Discover new ways to serve.”

Dr. Bar-Sagi’s remarks set the tone for the event, where graduates, faculty, family members, and institutional leaders gathered to celebrate 39 PhD recipients and 14 master’s graduates.

The work represented by the graduating class reflected the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of modern biomedical science. Dissertation and thesis projects explored subjects such as lung cancer metabolism, AI-powered embryo imaging, genome language models, housing insecurity and diabetes outcomes, melanoma metastasis, immune signaling, cochlear implant neuroscience, and the health effects of prenatal pesticide exposure.

Named for NYU Langone physician-scientist and philanthropist Jan Vilček, MD, PhD—whose pioneering work on tumor necrosis factor led to the development of the anti-inflammatory drug Remicade—the Vilcek Institute is the educational anchor of NYU Langone’s research mission, training future scientists and physician-scientists while fostering a culture of discovery, collaboration, and translational impact.

“Convocation is a chance to celebrate not only what our graduates have accomplished but the discoveries and impact still ahead of them,” said Susanne Tranguch, PhD, MBA, associate dean for research training and communications.

Alongside the conferral of degrees, the ceremony celebrated exceptional achievement across the Vilcek Institute community, with honors recognizing outstanding dissertation research and excellence in biomedical informatics, mentorship, and teaching.

Closing remarks were delivered by Dean and CEO Alec C. Kimmelman, MD, PhD. A renowned physician-scientist whose work focuses on pancreatic cancer metabolism, Dean Kimmelman urged graduates to remain persistent, original, and intellectually fearless as they enter a rapidly evolving scientific landscape.

“Ask the right question, stay with it long enough, and you can change a field,” said Dean Kimmelman. “The discoveries you make, whether next year or 10 years from now, can change outcomes and give patients and their families more time.”