Improving Medical Testing and Treatment: Chris Piatnichouk ’26 Named Goldwater Scholar
May 13, 2025
- Author
- Mary Elizabeth DeAngelis
Ben Levy had just left his first physics department meet-and-greet gathering at Davidson College when Chris Piatnichouk ’26, then a first-year student, walked into his office with an earnest request.
“Hi, I’m interested in your research,” Piatnichouk said. “Tell me everything!”
That enthusiasm, and an intense interest in learning all he can about the projects he’s tackled at Davidson have distinguished Piatnichouk as a first-rate student and researcher, professors say.
“He’s super-motivated,” said Levy, a visiting assistant professor of physics. “When I give him a task, where some students often get stuck if option A doesn’t work out, Chris will find options B, C, D and E.”
Piatnichouk double majors in physics and chemistry. He’s been a standout in both at Davidson and was recently recognized nationally as a 2025 Goldwater Scholar.
The Goldwater Scholarship Program is one of the country’s most prestigious scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics. It identifies and supports college sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming the country’s next generation of research leaders.
Piatnichouk was among 441 scholars selected from this year’s pool of 1,350 nominees. His research focuses largely on developing therapeutics that combine diagnosing diseases and advancing treatments.
He joined Levy’s ongoing research involving ultrasound imaging, which seeks to develop a method to make that less invasive testing procedure glean diagnostic information more commonly found by the more invasive and costly imaging techniques such as a computed tomography (CT) scan and Magnetic Resonance Imagining (MRI).
He was one of four students, who with Levy, co-authored a paper on the research that appeared in the Biomedical Physics and Engineering Express journal in March (Jacqueline Nyakunu ’26, Henry C. Russell ’26 and Niels J. van Duijnhoven ’25 were the publication’s other co-authors.).
Their work involves creating models that simulate the high-powered magnets found in improved versions of the ultrasound-based imaging technique.
From Davidson to Freiburg and Back Again
In spring of 2024, Piatnichouk took “Chemistry 250” with Professor Nicole L. Snyder, who says he “hit the ground running and never stopped."
Chris is an intelligent and motivated scholar who relishes the opportunity to grow and gain more knowledge. His work in organic chemistry was truly exceptional. He is also a kind and generous person who cares deeply about how he can use his talents to benefit others.
Professor of Chemistry
Snyder was excited when Piatnichouk dropped by her office to ask about research opportunities. He had a proposal she couldn’t refuse: “He knocked on my door and said, ‘Hear me out!’”
He convinced her that his combined interest in physics and chemistry would make him an asset to her program developing novel photosensitizers for targeting Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Snyder invited Piatnichouk to join her team in the summer of 2024, and he traveled with her and six other Davidson students to Freiburg, Germany, to collaborate with Professor Laura Hartmann at Albert Ludwig’s Universität.
“Chris proved to be a significant asset to our collaboration” Snyder said.
Within two weeks he had mastered the techniques needed to advance his project and then took it in a new direction that ultimately led to another second solo author publication now under review.
“It is rare for an undergraduate to have a single publication before they graduate let alone two,” Snyder said. “I am incredibly proud of Chris, and I am lucky to have such a stellar undergraduate collaborator on my team.”
Piatnichouk plans to complete his senior honors thesis with Snyder next year.
Student, Researcher, Mentor
Besides his own studies and research, Piatnichouk serves as an organic chemistry and physics tutor, teaching assistant and mentor to other students. At Davidson’s Spring Convocation, he received the David Halbert Howard Jr. Chemistry Award.
“Chris is a dedicated and well-rounded scholar excelling in chemistry and physics,” the award citation said. “His strong academic record and commitment to research are evident through co-authored publications in both fields. Despite juggling a schedule with multiple laboratory courses, Chris continues to pursue his studies and research with impressive focus and determination.”
Piatnichouk grew up in Cream Ridge, New Jersey, and attended Allentown High School. He’s an only child; his parents immigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine before he was born. His mom, Gita, is a dentist; his dad, Igor, is a bus driver with the New York metropolitan area’s transit system.
He’d considered going to larger schools for engineering but wanted the research opportunities and broader liberal arts curriculum Davidson offered. One of his favorite roles has been working with younger or new-to-research students.
I am devoted to mentorship. For students interested in research and STEM, you do not have to be an advanced scholar to start — you just have to have the interest and passion. I’m certainly no Einstein — not yet — but eventually you pick it up. I know people who weren’t the best in organic chemistry but turned out to be fabulous researchers. Interest and ambition are what ends us driving the learning process.
He tackles each project with a mix of curiosity and adventure.
“It’s all trial and error. I like to tinker and to try weird things in experiments,” Piatnichouk said. “The most exciting thing is when it works.”
That sense of wonder follows him outside of laboratories. Trips abroad with Davidson and his parents have offered opportunities to pursue favorite hobbies that include hiking, traveling and collecting trinkets from those travels.
“I’m every business’s favorite tourist,” he joked. “Show me a tchotchke and I’ll buy it.”
After graduation next year, he plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biophysics. He envisions a career as a physician, researcher and academic.
He said the need to continue advancing medical research is paramount for fighting disease. He’s dismayed by proposed federal funding cuts to research at colleges and universities across the United States.
“This research is very necessary,” he said. “When the next plague comes along, they’ll realize that washing your hands properly will only get you so far.
“I like my work — it’s important. If we find the next best imaging system or the next best tuberculosis drug, the results are literally lifesaving. It doesn’t get much more impactful than that.”
The Goldwater competition is administered at Davidson College through the Office of Fellowships.
