WASHINGTON - TelAve -- The Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA) is pleased to announce that Dr. Natasha Sheybani, Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia (UVA), has been awarded the 2026 Early Career Scientist Award. Each year, this distinction celebrates an emerging scientific leader from a SURA member institution within ten years of completing their terminal degree, selected for exceptional scholarship and contributions to their discipline. Recognized as a Forbes "30 Under 30" and STAT News "Wunderkind," Sheybani has already advanced the burgeoning field of focused ultrasound therapies and established herself among the next generation of leading biomedical researchers.

Through the NIH Director's Early Independence Award, Sheybani established her lab at UVA in late 2021, beginning her independent research career just one year after finishing her doctorate at UVA.

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"This award celebrates researchers whose early achievements signal exceptional promise and lasting impact," said SURA President and CEO Dr. Sean Hearne. "Dr. Sheybani has shown a high level of ingenuity and ambition in every aspect of her career."

During her doctoral research, Sheybani developed a novel treatment approach combining traditional chemotherapy with focused ultrasound to target breast cancer, and her research program continues to build on and expand this pioneering work. Now, her lab integrates focused ultrasound technology with other approaches to advance biomarker detection, drug delivery, and device development for adult and pediatric cancers. Her approach focuses on every step of the biomedical discovery cycle, encompassing basic science, clinical trials, and patient experience.

"As a lab, we try to stay close to the voices of those who stand to benefit from this work. Our science is guided by the patient experience, and this helps us maintain perspective when we return to the bench," Sheybani said.

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Sheybani has also secured millions of dollars in research funding from a broad range of public and private sponsors. Recently, she was awarded $5.5 million in federal research funding through the Breast Cancer Research Program's Era of Hope Scholar Award, which emphasizes effective partnerships and patient community engagement.

Sheybani will be recognized alongside other SURA awardees at the 2026 SURA Annual Members Meeting this September.

As the Early Career Scientist Award recipient, Sheybani exemplifies the emerging scientific leadership within the SURA consortium. Her accomplishments demonstrate how early-career researchers are shaping the future of scientific impact and discovery through bold, collaborative innovation.

Read the full announcement here.

The Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA) advances the nation's scientific enterprise through research operations and workforce solutions in partnership with government agencies, national laboratories, and its member universities.