Komal Verma Saluja receives ACP Researcher of the Year Award

Dr. Komal Verma Saluja, a final-year student at Government Medical College Kota (GMCK), has been named the “Researcher of the Year Award 2026” by the India chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP). Saluja is the youngest recipient of the award and the first medical student to receive this honor from the organization.

Her research focuses on two major global health areas. One study, published in Nature Scientific Reports, utilizes brain MRI measurements to identify biomarkers for early cognitive decline in patients with type 2 diabetes. Her second study involves a diagnostic method using routine echocardiography to screen for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Due to her work on liver disease screening, Saluja received a USD 2,000 international travel grant from the American College of Gastroenterology to attend a scientific meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. Saluja has advocated for increased investment in India to shift medical research focus from defining problems toward developing new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.