Sara Gaiser receives 2026 Robles Leadership Award for service and science outreach

The COSTAR DDS/PhD student and Lab RATS founder was recognized by the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences for leadership in the university and San Antonio communities.

Sara Gaiser, a fifth-year student in the COSTAR DDS/PhD program at The University of Texas at San Antonio School of Dentistry, has received the 2026 Robles Leadership Award from the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS). 

The GSBS Awards Committee selected Gaiser for her leadership and service to the university and greater San Antonio communities, most notably as founder and president of Lab Researchers with Ambition to Serve (Lab RATS). The committee also cited her community outreach initiatives, her mentorship of fellow students and her work to engage others in science and service.

The Robles Leadership Award honors retired Air Force Gen. Joe Robles and his wife, Patty, and recognizes a graduate student who demonstrates excellence in leadership and service within the local and university communities. 

“I feel very grateful to receive the Robles Leadership Award, but even more thankful that Lab RATS has been able to have such a great impact on the community in such a short amount of time,” Gaiser said.

Gaiser’s commitment to service began as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, where she was a member of the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega and the sorority Sigma Alpha Omega. She volunteered at Pitt’s dental school for Give Kids A Smile Day, organized mentorship events for Pitt’s Volunteers Around the World Dental Chapter and made care packages for UPMC Children’s Hospital.

“I wanted to continue my passion for community service in San Antonio and specifically wanted to perform science-related outreach to see firsthand how my research during my PhD and dental training could help others,” she said.

Lab RATS brings together student researchers who want to give back. The organization volunteers across San Antonio, works to strengthen scientific literacy in the community and helps students learn more about the communities their research is meant to benefit. Under Gaiser’s leadership, the group has led STEM outreach at local schools, food drives, community cleanups, supply drives for Kerr County and service projects supporting families, children and patients throughout San Antonio.

Lab RATS received the 2026 Student Organization Community Service Award from the Office of Student Life. The organization also received $20,000 from the pharmaceutical company Lilly to support curriculum and program development and expand Lab RATS to other universities.

Gaiser has also served as a GSBS Transition Peer Mentor, an Integrated Biomedical Sciences tutor, a junior mentor for the Voelcker Biomedical Research Academy and South Texas Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, and an organizer of the MIMG Conklyn Mini-Symposium. In the School of Dentistry, she serves as volunteer coordinator for the Dental Investment and Business Society, where she plans health-related volunteer efforts in San Antonio.

The Robles award follows two GSBS honors Gaiser received in 2025, the Heather Menzie Junior Student of the Year Award and a travel award to present her research at the Candida and Candidiasis 2025 Conference in Berlin.

From the lab to the clinic

Gaiser’s interest in dentistry began in high school, when she saw how dental treatment transformed the health and confidence of a close family member. At Pitt, her first biology professor, Allison Slinskey-Legg, PhD, encouraged her to explore research. As an undergraduate, Gaiser worked on an artificial intelligence program to aid oral surgeons in administering dental anesthesia and studied the UV tolerance of bacteria on flower petals, work that ignited her interest in microbiology.

“My exposure to research as an undergraduate student transformed my passions and long-term career goals, as I realized I could pursue dentistry and research as a clinician-scientist,” Gaiser said.

Gaiser conducts her dissertation research in the lab of David Kadosh, PhD, in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics. Her work focuses on the translational mechanisms that control environmental stress responses, morphogenesis and biofilm formation in Candida albicans, a major human oral fungal pathogen. She is funded by a National Institutes of Health F30 fellowship for dual-degree students. Her long-term goal is to become an independent dental clinician-scientist, conducting translational research on the oral microbiome that directly benefits her patients.

Gaiser returned to start dental school this summer for her DDS training, starting on her 26th birthday. She said the persistence she built in the lab will carry into the clinic.

“Just as I needed to develop solutions for failed Western blots in the lab, I know that treating patients will require the same problem-solving mindset, whether that is staying grounded under pressure or developing treatment plans for difficult cases,” she said.

Gaiser credits COSTAR and DDS/PhD faculty with shaping her path. Dean Kenneth Hargreaves, DDS, PhD, Nikita B. Ruparel, MS, DDS, PhD, and Cara Gonzales, DDS, PhD, mentored her in scientific writing and grant submissions, helping her secure the F30 award. Yong-Hee Chun, DDS, DMD, MS, PhD, mentored her in running a laboratory, teaching students and working in the clinic, and Brij Singh, PhD, has been an advocate for student research.

“I really admire the research advancements of each faculty member and how they can still balance teaching and seeing patients,” Gaiser said.

For students weighing a dual degree or a leadership role alongside a heavy academic load, Gaiser recommends building a strong support system of friends, mentors and faculty.

“I would also suggest that leadership and volunteering do not need to compete with academic courses but can actually enhance your learning,” she said.

For Gaiser, founding Lab RATS offered a mental break from demanding coursework and renewed motivation in the lab, because it allowed her to work directly with the communities her research ultimately affects.

The School of Dentistry congratulates Sara on this recognition and her continued service to the university and San Antonio communities.