Graduate Student Spotlight
Congratulations Jennifer Parrott!
Jennifer was notified that she has received a Trainee Scholar Award for the upcoming 19th Annual PsychoNeuroImmunology Research Society (PNIRS) Meeting - 'Brain, Behavior and Immunity in Health and Disease', to be held in San Diego, CA., June 7-9, 2012.
PNIRS has traditionally provided Scholar Awards to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Up to 25 trainees may be selected for this prestigious travel award. The award provides financial assistance for travel/hotel expenses.
The award is in recognition of her abstract submission titled 'Inhibition of Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase Prevents Amyloid-β-Induced Neuropsychiatric-Like Behaviors in Mice'. In addition, Jennifer will also be giving an oral presentation, for the abstract, at the meetings Poster Data Blitz session.
Congratulations
Teresa Evans!
Teresa Evans (pictured left w/Dr. Clarke and right w/Dr. McManus) received a $500 Travel Award at the 3rd Annual Frontiers of Translational Science Research Day, Institute for Integration of Medicine and Science at the UT Health Science Center. The purpose of the event is to bring together investigators from basic, clinical, and social sciences to highlight the bidirectional, and multiple stages of scientific translation, from the bench, to the bedside, to the community and to foster the development of innovative theories, approaches, and technologies in clinical and translational research through conducting presentations and showcasing posters that illustrate either completed or on-going research projects in Translational Science.
Her poster titled 'Small molecule modulators of protein aggregation protect against ALS pathology' was recognized in the Student/Resident Category.
A number of Pharmacology and Neuroscience graduate students gave up some of their weekends to work at the IMGP (Integrated Multidisciplinary Graduate Program) Recruiting Fairs, that were held in the months of February and March. Graduate students represented their respective tracks (Pharmacology or Neuroscience) and interacted with IMGP applicants by answering questions about the program, graduate school, and San Antonio. The students at the poster sessions represented their track and presented their research to the IMGP applicants at a reception. The recruiting weekends are sponsored by the GSBS (Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences) dean’s office and run by Nicquet Blake, Ph.D., Assistant Dean. Below is a table of the students, and respective tracks, that were represented. Thank you graduate students for your support!!!
| Pharmacology Recruiting Track Fair | Pharmacology Recruiting Poster Session | Neuroscience Recruiting Track Fair | Neuroscience Recruiting Poster Session |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vicky Bai | Raehannah Jamshidi | Jennifer Donegan | Deanna Apple |
| Colin Cunningham | Alex Martinez | Julianne Jett | Jennifer Donegan |
| Michael Eskander | Mayur Patil | Stephanie Perez | Stephanie Perez |
| Peter LoCoco | Margaret Wey | Elaine Por | |
| Blaine McGuire | Ale Soto-Pina |
Congratulations to Jake Junco!
Jake (pictured right) recently received a PreDoctoral Fellowship in Pharmacology/Toxicology, from the PhRMA Foundation, for the next year (2012). The award is made to the university on behalf of the fellow. The fellowship provides a stipend of $20,000 a year. Good job Jake!
Congratulations to Margaret Wey!
Margaret presented her dissertation titled: 'Deficient aldehyde detoxification in the nigrostriatal pathway: a potential animal model for parkinson’s disease' on March 9th, 2012, to a lecture hall audience, whose members included her defense review committee. Her defense committee notified her, that afternoon, that she had successfully defended her dissertation and would be receiving her Ph.D.. On March 19th, 2012, the Department of Pharmacology honored Dr. Wey with a breakfast reception and presented her with the departmental gift, a personalized office chair. Margaret did her research work in Dr. Randy Strong's lab, who was also her mentor. Margaret is pictured here (seated, left) with her mentor, Dr. Strong, as he comments about Margaret and her work in the lab, at the reception. Margaret has decided to accept the offer of a position as a Research Fellow, in the Postdoctoral Clinical Research Training Program, in the Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry. She will continue doing research in Dr. Strong's lab, in to May, before moving on to Harvard. Congratulations and Best Wishes Dr. Wey!