Dual Decree Baltimore � Volume VI � Issue 3 � Summer 2015

the university of marylanD meDical scientist training program’s

Off-Campus PhD Life at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)

rotation at the national institute on aging (nia)living on a boat

graduate programs overview

30th anniversary: speaker previews

(continued on page 3) (continued on page 7)

page 3

The seventh annual MSTP retreat took place on August 10th at the Inn at Hender-son’s Wharf in the heart of Fells Point. The MSTP retreat is certainly a widely an-ticipated event each year, and this year’s retreat was a success as always. The retreat’s

purpose is three-fold: it is an opportunity for students longitudinally across the program to in-teract and share wisdom, a chance to hear distinguished physician-scientist speakers discuss their careers, and a chance to review the state of the MSTP as a whole.

The morning session began with the directors introducing the seven new members of the MSTP (in reverse alphabetical order, as usual). They acknowledged some of the accolades of this incoming MS1 class, another large and impressive group. They also described cer-tain changes to the program, including counting the M2M journal club as an official medical school class for the MS1s and MS2s. The keynote speaker was Dr. Graeme Woodworth, associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Maryland. Dr. Woodworth gave an expertly-crafted talk weaving together his history as a neurosurgeon-scientist with his current research interests in targeted drug delivery for glioblastoma. A consistent theme from Dr. Woodworth’s presentation was the importance of creating a unique niche for one’s career, and finding an expert team to help pursue that research. Following Dr. Woodworth, two alumni speakers gave addresses. Dr. Paul Lee, a 2006 graduate of the MSTP, gave an engaging look

The difference becomes evident as soon as I arrive on the UMBC campus. There are no loud sirens, no busy traffic, and no fast-paced city life. Instead, I hear the sounds of birds chirping, and I’m surrounded by greenery. Walking on the campus and seeing the bake sales and student clubs is reminiscent of be-ing in undergrad. The Summers laboratory is one of the largest on campus, taking up a whole wing of the first floor, which includes multiple wet lab rooms and office space. Currently, two post-doctoral researchers, six graduate students, and three staff employees are included in the laboratory personnel.

Joshua D. Brown, gs i

page 6pages 4-5 page 7

RETREAT 2015: The annual MSTP retreat was held on August 10, 2015 at the Inn at Henderson’s Wharf in the Fell’s Point neigh-borbood of Baltimore. The day was filled with a keynote address, alumni speakers, student presentations, and breakout sessions.

PhiliP smith, ms ii

PROGRAM HOLDS SEVENTH ANNUAL RETREAT

INSIDE DD:

Dual Decreethe university of marylanD meDical scientist training program

Baltimore � Volume VI � Issue 3 � Summer 2015

EDitor-in-ChiEf:Kristi Chakrabarti

managing EDitor:Elise Ma

CoPy EDitor:Carolyn Rosinsky

EDitor of PhotograPhy:Alexander Tsai

ContriButing EDitors:Sarah AronsonAnthony Cole

Sai Sachin DivakaruniJeffrey Kleinberger

Jackline LasolaMichael LeePhillip Smith

contact us: dualdecree@gmail.comThe views expressed herein are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Maryland School of Medicine or any affiliated institution.

Summer 20152 the Dual Decree

Ah, summer is such a lovely season. We can all enjoy spending more time outdoors. Many of us have milestones to celebrate, like completing the first year of medical school (or second or third), completing graduate course work and passing qualifying exams, or even successfully defending a doctoral thesis. On the Program Leadership side, we can breathe a sigh of relief at a very successful recruiting season and implementation of several new initiatives.

Our biggest source of pride for the past year is certainly renewal of the MSTP T32 award. While I have not yet received the Notice of Grant Award, the status of the grant on NIH Commons now reads “awarded!” I love the way that sounds. Furthermore, our request for a doubling of grant-supported stipends from four to eight has been approved. Clearly, the review panel and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences think we’re doing something right.

In accord with the study section review of the grant and with comments from our external review committee, we’ve implemented several initiatives this year. For example, due to a terrific effort from the Student Council, we now have an annual program evaluation. Thanks to all who have completed yours. Those of you who haven’t, please do so soon. Also as suggested, we have implemented an annual mandatory F30 writing workshop for all those who have completed GS1, who

don’t yet have one, and who are still eligible. Feedback from the first one was very positive. Again, if you attended and didn’t give us feedback, please do. We have also strengthened our procedures for selecting rotation mentors, relying more on program directors and less on word-of-mouth from fellow students (although the latter is still appreciated).

All members of the review panel noted that we did not have in place mandatory refresher training in Responsible Conduct of Research for our students. Accordingly, we drafted the following response:

Every 4 years, MSTP students will engage in refresher training. MSTP students will audit CIPP 907, attending 5 modules chosen in consultation with the MSTP Director and Associate Director. Students will select 5 out of the 10 possible modules … based on their interests and current activities. For example, if they are engaged in human subjects research, they may choose to attend “The Use of Human Subjects in Research” module. The returning MSTP students will assist the faculty group leader in at least one of the discussion modules.

Lastly, following the advice of our external review committee, we invited PhD students from the PhD Program for Clinicians to engage with our program. Look for them at the retreat and Physician Scientist Seminars this year.

In addition to the initiatives precipitated by the MSTP grant renewal, we have officially updated the Clinical Longitudinal Elective and have negotiated a new MSTP Molecules to Medicine track that will allow our incoming students to forgo more than half of Foundations of Research and Critical Thinking.

miChaEl DonnEnBErg, mD mstP DirECtor

part 2.2INTRODUCING...

The MSTP welcomed twelve new students and one internal applicant to our program for the 2014-2015 school year. copy by Jeffrey Kleinberger, gs iii

Kriste is the anchor leg of the 12-person relay that is the MSTP incoming class of 2014/2015. Although she was born in nearby Washington, DC, she grew up in Hamilton, MA before attending Yale for undergrad (an Eli is a Yale alumni – I had to look it up too). While at Yale, Kriste studied Biology, but her education centered around ecology and evolutionary biology. Her lifelong interests in nature and in-sects helped focus her studies on these topics. She first found her interest in nature studies when she read an autobiography of Jane Goodall as an elementary student.Naturally, Kriste’s interest in insects has led her toward the fields of infectious dis-

eases, especially those transmitted through insect vectors. She is very excited about the opportunity to work with the University of Maryland Center for Vaccine Development and the Institute of Human Virology. She is looking forward to melding her interests in medicine, infectious disease, and insects here at the Maryland MSTP.Kriste’s interest in insects is definitely her most unique hobby. She even has a “best bug” discovery: an adult antlion that she found in Florida (Google Image search for “antlion” at your own risk). Besides insects, she also enjoys reading, running, and watching football. We are thrilled to have Kriste as a part of the Maryland MSTP, and we are expecting great things from her; after all, the anchor leg of any relay is usually one of the fastest on the team!

KRISTE BRAO: THE ELI ENTOMOLOGIST

DIRECTOR’S DECREE

Summer 2015 3mdphd.umaryland.edu

nEri CohEn graEmE wooDworth Paul lEE JEssE stokum JEffrEy frEiBErg nEDa frayha

into his position as a pediatric neurologist at the NIH, while Dr. Neri Cohen, a 1989 MSTP graduate, emphasized the importance of always staying open to new opportunities as he described his varied journey through academia and industry leading to a post as a clinician-scientist at a community hospital.

Following lunch, GS3 students Jeff Freiberg and Jesse Stokum pre-sented their current research on antibiotic-resistant biofilms and neu-rosurgical edema, respectively. Dr. Neda Frayha also gave a brief talk about her role as a liaison between the MSTP and the Office of Stu-dent Affairs in the School of Medicine. Students split up by cohort to attend several interactive breakout sessions. These sessions covered the full range of the MD/PhD experience, from an introduction to MS1

up to residency planning. MS1’s received a formal introduction to the program from Dr. Keegan, followed by an informal panel of survival tips from MS2’s. MS2 and GS1 students attended a student-led session on USMLE Step 1 preparation followed by a student-led session on how to navigate the graduate years. GS2 and GS3 students attended a session with Dr. Donnenberg on the redesigned longitudinal clerkship experience, while GS4, GS5, MS3, and MS4 students received tips on residency planning from Dr. Joseph Martinez. GS2 and up students then combined to attend a session led by Dr. Frayha that covered the M3 and M4 years, with a special focus how that experience can be dif-ferent for MSTP students. The retreat concluded with students, facul-ty, and alumni alike heading to the Red Star restaurant for a social hour which provided further opportunity to socialize and take stock of our exceptional program’s progress and promise.

RETREAT(continued from page 1)

MSTP to Celebrate 30th Anniversary

THEN: “Characterization of Epidemiologic Signif-icance of a Plasmid En-coding an Adhesive Fac-tor in Enteropathogenic Escherichia Coli” in De-partment of Microbiology

& Immunology with James Kaper, PhD.

THEN: “The study of Gene Expression in Prostate Cancer Progression from Human Tissues” in Department of Pathology with Sanford Stass, MD and Lance Liotta, MD PhD.

This year, the University of Maryland’s Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) celebrates its 30th anniversary from October 9-10. All 102 alumni and 49 current students are invited along with current and former mentors, advisory committee members, and past and present administration of the MSTP. The event will begin on Friday with a welcome reception and dinner at the Marriot Waterfront Hotel beginning at 4:30pm. On Saturday morning we will gather at the Health Sciences Facility II on campus for a scientific symposium that will feature the following alumni speakers:

THEN: “Regulation of cytokine gene expres-sion in astrocytes” in the Department of Pathology with Moon Shin, PhD.

james nataro, md, phd andrew lieberman, md, phd kristina cole, md, phd

NOW: Professor and Chair of Pediatrics and the University of Virginia.

NOW: Abrams Colle-giate Professor of Pa-thology at the Universi-ty of Michigan Medical School.

NOW: Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and pediatric oncologist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

ALUMNI SPEAKER PREVIEW: NOW & THEN

Research interests: Pathogenesis of inherit-ed neurodegenerative diseases.

Research Interests: Non-coding RNAs and neuroblastoma

Research Interests: Pathogenesis of diar-rheagenic E. coli and Shigella.

class of 1993class of 1987 class of 2001

For details and information for the event, please visit http://mdphd.umaryland.edu/30thAnniversary/

the Dual Decree � Summer 2015 � mdphd.umaryland.edu4

“FINDING A BOAT IS PRETTY SIMILAR TO LOOKING FOR AN APARTMENT.“LIVING ON

A BOAT IS AFFORDABLE, EXTREMELY MANAGEABLE, AND FUN.

Why we decided to live on a boat is a great question. As students of the MSTP program, we think of ourselves as logical beings. We do things as sci-entists would, in calculated, careful manners sup-

ported by facts and data. So as crazy as the idea sounds, let us try to lay out all of the information we used to trick ourselves into believing this logically makes sense: we will own our own home (kind of) so we don’t have to pay rent (for the most part), it is much cheaper than buying a house (as long as nothing goes hor-ribly wrong), and we will learn a lot (actually entirely true). And

what better way to experience a harbor city such as Baltimore than from a waterfront property? See-ing as we currently have no real voices of reason in our lives (we’re looking at you, married people), we went for it.

Living on a boat is affordable, extremely man-ageable, and fun. Yachts are certainly a luxury, and by no means cheap toys. But if you consider the price tags in the framework of housing options, owning a yacht is affordable, and not so different than living on land. We run our boat on metered shore power as well as a freshwater line from the

shore. We get our waste tank pumped out once a month for a fee, and pay a yearly “slip fee” to keep our boat in the slip as well as live onboard it. The slip fee is proportional to the length of the boat and comes with many amenities such as free membership to sev-eral gyms and pools around Baltimore, the ability to dock at any other BMC marina for a short time at no charge, membership to the Tiki Barge pool, and cable. And if you’re wondering about the affordability of a yacht the size of ours, we have calculated that

with a relatively generous allowance for our month-to-month boat fees, we will have the boat paid off in about two years when compared to typical rental prices in the city. So while boats are not generally considered sound investments, financially we will come out with a “free” boat in two years when compared to otherwise losing that money to rent payments.

We could also tell you that finding a boat is pretty similar to looking for an apartment. We used a website that is called…get ready for it…www.yachtworld.com. The website lays out all the specifications for you such as number of cabins (bedrooms), number of heads (bathrooms), various gal-ley systems (kitchen appliances), in addition to expected things like length, price, and location. One great thing about boat shop-ping is that you can look for homes in faraway places and then just drive it where you want it. We knew we wanted two large cabins and two heads within our price range, so we were able to sort everything based on that information and then set up times to go see different options, just like you would a house. We also worked with a yacht broker to help us sort through the details that our inexperience could cause us to miss. In the end, we settled on a 38-foot Sea Ray Aft Cabin motoryacht, and we could not be hap-pier with our choice. The boat had been carefully maintained to a level nearing paranoia according to our boat friends (you could eat off the engine room floor), and it has plenty of space for the both of us to live comfortably. Because the boat was fortuitously

Taking to the Sea: MSTP Student Life on a Boat

anthony ColE, ms iimiChaEl lEE, ms ii

the Dual Decree � Summer 2015 � mdphd.umaryland.edu 5

FINDING A BOAT IS PRETTY SIMILAR TO LOOKING FOR AN APARTMENT.

with a relatively generous allowance for our month-to-month boat fees, we will have the boat paid off in about two years when compared to typical rental prices in the city. So while boats are not generally considered sound investments, financially we will come out with a “free” boat in two years when compared to otherwise losing that money to rent payments.

We could also tell you that finding a boat is pretty similar to looking for an apartment. We used a website that is called…get ready for it…www.yachtworld.com. The website lays out all the specifications for you such as number of cabins (bedrooms), number of heads (bathrooms), various gal-ley systems (kitchen appliances), in addition to expected things like length, price, and location. One great thing about boat shop-ping is that you can look for homes in faraway places and then just drive it where you want it. We knew we wanted two large cabins and two heads within our price range, so we were able to sort everything based on that information and then set up times to go see different options, just like you would a house. We also worked with a yacht broker to help us sort through the details that our inexperience could cause us to miss. In the end, we settled on a 38-foot Sea Ray Aft Cabin motoryacht, and we could not be hap-pier with our choice. The boat had been carefully maintained to a level nearing paranoia according to our boat friends (you could eat off the engine room floor), and it has plenty of space for the both of us to live comfortably. Because the boat was fortuitously

in the same marina we were planning to live in, we also had our slip fees paid through March of 2016 as part of the deal. Overall, this means that our first month of living expenses totaled $180... which we split.

As we have this conversation over and over with others, in-evitably we are faced with the question “…but why?” And to be honest, the aforementioned reasoning is only a small portion of why we are doing this. The main reason is that we are both more excited than ever about the experience. Of course on the water, we are more closely tied to the weather, and there are going to be tough times. We will have to learn to winterize the boat so that all of our systems don’t break and freeze. But every tough part of this endeavor will be balanced out by awesome experiences. Waking up in the morning on the water with the sun rising, tak-ing cruises past Fort McHenry, and meeting so many interesting and knowledgeable people are just some of the parts of living on a boat that make it all worth it. As we lie at the Tiki Barge pool sipping cocktails, we can’t help but laugh at the fact that we are saving money. Surely we must have discovered some type of loop-hole in the real estate game. Or maybe we really are as crazy as people think. We certainly spend a fair amount of time laughing at the simple absurdity of it all. But we can’t help but be excited for the experience and the learning we are sure to do as summer turns into fall, because, as we all know, winter is coming…

PhotograPhy By alExanDEr tsai, gs iii

Summer 20156 the Dual Decree

Program & Directors Course Require-ments (Credits)

Qualifying Exam Format

Thesis Proposal Requirements

Thesis Defense Requirements Current Students

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

(Joint Program Between UMB and UMBC)

Directors: Michael Summers (UMBC), Gerald Wilson (UMB)Coordinator: Koula Cozmo

Adv. Biochem. (3), Adv. Mol. Biol. (3), 2

Electives (6), Seminar (2)

NIH NRSA-style pro-posal on theoretical

research project; Oral Exam regard-ing proposal and general biochem-

istry

Follow general UMB guidelines with

guidance from thesis committee

Written dissertation followed by public

dissertation defense followed by private

Q/A session

Joshua Brown

Molecular Microbiology and

ImmunologyDirector: Bret Hassel Coordinator: June Green

Basic Immunol. (3), Microbial Path. (3),

Virology (3), Elective (3), Seminar (1)

3 hour oral exam emphasizing the stu-dent’s chosen disci-pline, covering basic course material and

scientific thinking

No later than 24 months after quali-

fying. Submission of 12 page proposal

document, followed by oral defense

Written dissertation followed by public

dissertation defense followed by private

Q/A session

L. Latey Bradford, Sarah Boudova, Jeffrey Freiberg,

Molly Hritzo

NeuroscienceDirectors: Michael Shipley and Jessica MongCoordinator: Renee Cockerham

Fundamentals of Biostatistics (3), Neu-

roscience Journal Club (1), Choice of

Elective (3)

NIH NRSA-style research proposal

based on set of aims related to thesis lab, followed by

oral defense of this document

Approximately 1 year after qualifying

and 1 year before dissertation defense.

Written proposal, private proposal

defense, and then public proposal

defense.

Written dissertation followed by private

dissertation de-fense followed by public dissertation defense and Q/A

session

Tuo Peter Li, Anthony Park, David Kurland, Hai-wen Chen, Jesse Stokum, Sara Stockman, Elise Ma,

Sai Sachin Divakaruni, Natalie Hesselgrave

Bioengineering (UMCP)

Chair: William E Bentley Graduate Director: John P. Fischer Academic and Student Affairs Director: Tracy Chung

Rate Processes in Bio Systems (3), Trans-

port Phenomena (3), Physiological Eval of Bioeng Designs (3),

Choice of Elec-tive (3), Choice of

Unrestricted Elective Courses (12), and

Bioeng Seminar (1)

Research aptitude exam (RAE)– NIH R21-style written proposal and oral

presentation

Within two years after completion of RAE and by fourth

year. At least 12 months before

defense. Written proposal (approx 30 pages) and proposal

examination (oral presentation and

formal questioning)

Within two years after proposal.

Written disserta-tion followed by

public presentation, followed by private

examination

—

Molecular MedicineDirector: Toni Antalis Coordinator: Marcina Garner Track Leaders: Jeff Winkles (Cancer Biology), Scott Devine (Genome Biology), and Terez Shea-Donohue (Physiology and Pharmacology)

Molecular Medicine Survival Skills (2),

Electives (4-5), Sem-inar (2), Dissertation Research (12), and

track specific courses

NIH NRSA-style pro-posal followed by

oral exam regarding the proposal

Within 18 months after qualifying, and at least 12 months before dissertation defense. R01/F31

style written propos-al followed by public

proposal defense

Written dissertation followed by public

dissertation defense followed by private

Q/A session

Cancer Biology: Kristi Chakrabarti, Alex Tsai,

Haley Simpson, Carolyn Rosinsky, and Nathan

Roberts Molecular Physiology

and Pharmacology: Andrew Wescott

Genome Biology: Jeff Kleinberger

Epidemiology and Human Genetics

Director: Laura Hungerford Coordinator: Jessica Kelley Track Leaders: Mona Baumgar-ten (Epi), O. Colin Stein (Molecular Epi), and Toni Pollin (Human Genetics and Genome Medicine)

Track specific

3 part 3 day written exam (both closed

and open book ses-sions). Must analyze

a data set within 48 hrs; Submis-

sion of a NIH-style general research

plan describing the research planned for

dissertation

Within 6 months of attaining candidacy

status. Public presen-tation followed by closed Q/A session

Written dissertation followed by public

dissertation defense followed by private

Q/A session

Human Genetics and Genome Medicine:

Christy Perry

Toxicology Director: Katherine Squibb Coordinator: Linda Horne Tracks: Molecular and Mechanistic and Environmental Health

Pharmacology (2 or 3), General Patholo-gy (3), Statistics (3),

Seminar (3), Methods in Toxicology (2),

General Electives (5 or 6) and track specif-

ic courses

Write abstract for three non-thesis

proposals; Abstract with most commit-

tee votes will be selected for a full length proposal, followed by Oral

exam regarding this proposal

Submit written proposal followed by oral proposal

defense

Written disserta-tion followed by

public dissertation defense and private

Q/A session

—

SUMMARY OF GRADUATE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS FOR MSTP STUDENTS

Summer 2015 7mdphd.umaryland.edu

For my second rotation, I am spent the summer at the NIH’s National Institute on Aging (NIA) in the Laboratory of Genetics (LG) under the supervision of Myriam Gorospe, PhD, the LG chief and head of the RNA Regulation Section. I worked with one of the post-docs in the section, Ji Heon Noh, to investigate the role of GRSF1, an RNA binding protein, in tumorigenesis, involving mitochondrial dysfunction. After working with Bret Hassel, PhD, last summer on another RNA binding protein, RNaseL, I was interested in learning more about laboratory techniques in RNA biology.

Upon starting in the lab, one thing you are immediately struck by is the large open lab layout with expansive views of all of Baltimore. Unlike many labs where there are three to five benches under the supervision of one principal investigator, the tenth floor of the Biomedical Research Center building on the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Campus (where the NIA is located) is composed of two wings with LG open labs that span the entire floor to encourage collaboration. Specifically, the RNA Regulation Section takes up six lab bays and is composed of two biologists, one staff scientist, five fellows, and rotating lab visitors from as close as Baltimore County to as far as South Korea, China, Greece, Egypt, India, and Spain.

Given that NIA labs are post-doc-heavy laboratories, as a rotation student I was put to work with Ji Heon, whose interest is in mitochondrial RNA binding proteins, and I was given a fair amount of freedom to pursue a research question under the framework of his research interests with his guidance. The experience has been incredible. I have learned a lot in a short time about RNA laboratory techniques as well as the variety of projects pursued in the lab. Although I am not sure if I intend to further pursue an NIH laboratory for my PhD studies, I highly recommend rotating through the NIH for anyone who may be interested in this opportunity, and the NIA is a great option if you want to stay close to campus.

JaCklinE lasola, ms ii

MS II’s Lab Rotation at the National Institute on Aging

UMBC PhD LIFE(continued from page 1)

Dr. Summers’s mentoring style is much more hands-off in comparison to how most PIs structure their laboratories. Most of his time is spent writing grants and reviewing papers with minimal time in the wet lab. Dr. Summers and I usually have a meeting every few days, when I update him about the project and we plan the next steps. He makes recommendations, and the rest is up to me. I decide what steps to take and delegate the tasks to my team. This independence is one of my favorite aspects of the lab. Despite Dr. Summers’s busy schedule, he has an open door policy for his students to have a meeting or any general conversation. This balance of independence and supervision allows me the liberty to direct my own project while still receiving the needed guidance. The Summers lab is also well-funded through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. This funding complements the independence and has giving me the ability to pursue multiple avenues for my project. Research aside, Dr. Summers is enjoyable to be around. His age is definitely misleading when it comes to physical activity. The lab out-ings consist of weekly two-hour mountain biking rides, periodic hikes, and the yearly lab ski trip to Maine.

Another major novel aspect of this laboratory’s structure is the heavy pres-ence of undergraduate and high school students. Some of these students are UMBC undergraduates who conduct research throughout the year, but during the summer semesters other students arrive from institutions across the nation. This summer, a total of forty undergraduate and three high school students were gaining laboratory experience here. Despite the large lab space, there are times when I can barely walk through the wet lab and must weave through a sea of undergraduates all gathered around one gel. At first glance, the lab may seem simply too crowded and unorganized, but it is actually well-structured. The high school and undergraduate students are divided among the graduate students and post-doctoral researchers. My group consists of a total of six students, ranging from a recently graduated student to a rising high school senior. Together, we are working to characterize and solve the solution structure of the 5’-untranslated region of the HIV-1 RNA genome. I am very fortunate to have a highly efficient and reliable team. Most of the wet lab experiments can be completed without my supervision, allowing me to focus on other aspects of my research. Allowing undergraduates to work in the laboratory has many benefits for both sides: they obtain valuable research experience and the graduate students gain the extra help. Personally, I feel the greatest satisfaction is the unique mentoring experience. For most of the undergraduates that join the lab, it is their first research position, and I have a key role in shaping their first “hands on” experience in science. I have made a considerable effort to ensure that my students are not only conducting experiments but, more importantly, that they understand the questions that we are trying to solve. Students in the lab are aspiring toward an MD or PhD, but a majority of them are aiming for MD/PhD programs. As the only MD/PhD stu-dent on the campus, I have a unique position, helping and advising the students from my experience. The lab is focused on basic science structural work, so to help bridge the gap to clinical application, I require my students to learn AIDS related diseases and antiretroviral target classes. My group’s enthusiasm has gone above and beyond my initial expectations by knowing the related CD4+ count for each disease and drug mechanisms and side effects.

The combination of the well-structured lab, motivated undergrad help, self-di-rected projects, and compelling mentorship has created an amazing environment for me to do my PhD work. With the help of my competent and amusing under-grad team, I can leave for a conference without my project losing a single day’s worth of wet lab experiments. With Dr. Summers’ guidance, I have a large role in leading the direction of my project. Despite being on a separate campus from my classmates and program, the great atmosphere has made it easy to call this lab and campus home.

8 the Dual Decree Summer 2015

conferencesAlex Tsai received a Trainee Poster Award for his presentation of “Identification and characterization of novel immunosensitizing therapeutics for melanoma“ at American Association of Immunologists (AAI) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA from May 8-12.

Haiwen Chen received a Best Talk Award for her presentation of “Distinct Organization of Evoked and Spontaneous Vesicle Fusion Sites” and Tuo Peter Li presented “Postsynaptic crowding can impede the escape of membrane proteins” at the Gordon Research Seminar and Conference Excitatory Synapses and Brain Function at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI from June 6-12.

Sarah Boudova, Kristi Chakrabarti and Christy Perry attended the National Student MD/PhD Conference in Keystone, CO from July 17-19.

congrats!

Affix Mailing Label & Postage

Jeffrey Kleinberger, GS III & Laura Gomez-Martin married on May 16, 2015

in Pittsburgh, PA.

Tuo Peter Li, GS V & Bingqing Yemarried on May 22, 2015 in Changde, China.

Mark KvartaNeuroscience

“Synaptic Blues:  Corticosteroids and AMPA Receptor Function in Depression and Antidepressant Action”Mentor: Scott Thompson

Kyle WilsonMolecular Microbiology & Immunology

“NK1.1+B220+ Cell Depletion Enhanc-es the Rejection of Established Melano-ma by TAA-Specific CD4+ T Cells” Mentor: Paul Antony

Adam FischMolecular Medicine

“The Pharmacogenomics of Clopidogrel and Aspirin” Mentor: Alan Shuldiner

Grace MaldarelliMolecular Microbiology & Immunology

“Function of PilJ in the Clostridium difficile type IV pilus” from Mentor: Michael Donnenberg

DOCTORAL DISSERATIONS

Nicolas Dorsey had a baby! William Remington Dorsey, May 13, 2015

Natalie Hasselgrave had a second baby! Evyn Mae Cecile, June 16, 2015

PERSONALS