Second-year doctoral student Peyton Swanson recognized among top applicants nationwide for proposed study on biomedical technology in rural communities
Peyton Swanson, a second-year PhD student in the Institute for Bioethics and Health Humanities at UTMB's School of Public and Population Health (SPPH), has been awarded an Honorable Mention in the 2025 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) competition. The recognition places her among the most meritorious applicants in a highly competitive national pool of thousands of graduate students in STEM fields.
The NSF GRFP, which has supported over 60,000 graduate students since 1952—including 40 who later won Nobel Prizes—provides three years of financial support for outstanding early-career researchers. Honorable Mention recipients are recognized for demonstrating exceptional potential for significant research achievements in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or STEM education.
Bridging Rural Experience with Academic Research
Swanson's recognition stems from her proposed research examining how rural communities engage with biomedical technology innovation. Growing up on a family farm in rural Minnesota, she observed a disconnect between how academic and policy discussions typically frame rural healthcare needs and the technological realities she witnessed firsthand.
"There's this idea that rural populations are 'out there,' and a lot of equity work focuses on bringing health systems to rural areas," Swanson explains. "But I look at it differently—many of those technologies already exist in rural areas, they're just used in different ways."
Her research proposal explores how rural communities don't simply lack access to biomedical technologies but rather engage with innovation through different frameworks and knowledge systems. For example, while urban healthcare emphasizes genetic testing through hospital systems, rural communities have long applied similar technologies in agricultural contexts through plant and livestock breeding programs.
Ethical Questions in Genetic Research Led to Career Pivot
Swanson's path to bioethics began during her undergraduate years in South Dakota, where she participated in an NSF-funded research program studying genetic variations in platelet coagulation responses, particularly within Indigenous populations. The experience raised fundamental questions about research ethics and community benefit that traditional laboratory training didn't address.
"I began to consider the ethical implications of studying genetic markers in marginalized populations," she reflects. "How do we determine which scientific inquiries genuinely benefit specific communities?"
These questions led her to explore medical humanities as an undergraduate minor and eventually to found a Medical Humanities Student Organization on her campus.
Learning to Navigate Complex Arguments Through STS Framework
At UTMB, Swanson has found an intellectually demanding environment that has sharpened her analytical capabilities while exposing her to the breadth of bioethics scholarship. Under the mentorship of Dr. Stephen Molldrem, an expert in Science and Technology Studies (STS) and critical bioethics, Dr. Alberto Aparicio, who specializes in governance and emerging biotechnologies, and Dr. Elise Smith, an expert in research ethics, she has developed methodological skills that integrate qualitative and quantitative approaches.
"The beautiful thing about STS and bioethics is that professors teach you tools and skills rather than just their specific niche areas," Swanson notes. "You're challenged to make arguments and decisions based on literature, and you're doing it in safe classroom spaces where you can explore ideas."
Last summer, she served as a National Human Genome Research Institute iSPRinG Fellow, gaining insights into federal science policy operations in Washington, D.C.
Proposed Research Examines Rural Stakeholder Strategies
Swanson's NSF proposal centers on understanding how advocates for rural biomedical innovation engage with academic institutions, government organizations, and the private sector. Using science and technology studies methodologies, her research would examine the cultural, economic, and political interactions that influence biomedical technology development in rural settings.
The study aims to ensure rural communities don't merely receive benefits from technologies developed in urban areas but become integral participants in research and development processes. When biomedical technologies are developed with rural communities in mind, rather than just applied to them, they often take on radically different forms that reflect local knowledge, values, and priorities. Her approach draws on theoretical frameworks from scholars like Sheila Jasanoff's work on co-production and Sebastian Pfotenhauer's research on regional innovation cultures.
Plans to Return to Rural Teaching and Policy Work
Following completion of her PhD, Swanson plans to return to a rural area for teaching and research at a regional institution, combining her academic work with hands-on farming. Her long-term goals include public service roles that could influence policy development around rural technology and healthcare access.
"I want to inspire young scholars to engage with their environments and gain insights into broader societal issues," she says. "Rural perspectives are crucial in bioethics, and there's tremendous value in understanding spaces that are often left unacknowledged or misunderstood."
National Recognition Reflects Scholarly Potential
The NSF GRFP Honorable Mention represents recognition at the highest levels of graduate education in STEM fields. Each year, the program considers applications from thousands of highly qualified students nationwide, making inclusion in any recognition category a significant achievement. The fellowship program explicitly seeks to broaden participation in STEM fields and develop the next generation of scientific leaders.
Swanson's recognition reflects both her individual scholarly potential and UTMB SPPH's commitment to interdisciplinary research that addresses real-world challenges through rigorous academic inquiry. Her work exemplifies the school's mission to improve health through impactful research and scholarship that serves diverse communities.
Peyton Swanson is expected to complete her qualifying exams this fall and advance to dissertation research under the continued mentorship of Dr. Stephen Molldrem and Dr. Alberto Aparicio in the Institute for Bioethics and Health Humanities.