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Congrats Dr. Covington!
Feb. 20, 2026—Congrats, Dr. Covington! Who: Brittney Covington, PhD Department: Molecular Physiology and Biophysics PI Mentor: Dr. Wenbiao Chen Research: My work investigates how the circadian rhythm and Ppid regulate the window of beta-cell susceptibility in an overnutrition model of type 2 diabetes. Vanderbilt Impact: “Teaching a course for the Vanderbilt Summer Academy had a big impact...
Congrats Dr. Harmych!
Feb. 12, 2026—Congrats, Dr. Harmych Who: Sarah Harmych, PhD Department: Cell and Developmental Biology PI Mentor: Dr. Bhuminder Singh Research: Utilizing the shape of 3D cancer colonies to improve treatment response in colorectal cancer. Vanderbilt Impact: “The high throughput screening core had a huge impact on my training. They helped me extensively with optimizing the drug screen...
Congrats Dr. Burman!
Feb. 11, 2026—Congrats, Dr. Burman! Who: Andreanna Burman, PhD Department: Cell and Developmental Biology PI Mentor: Dr. Izumi Kaji and Dr. Jim Goldenring Research: My research studied intestinal stem cell dysfunction in Microvillus Inclusion Disease (MVID). Vanderbilt Impact: “Several core facilities (DHSR, TPSR, CISR) were instrumental in moving my research forward. The ASPIRE program, specifically their “ASPIRE...
Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences welcomes the next generation of biomedical scientists
Oct. 13, 2025—Every August, the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences opens its doors to a new cohort of graduate students embarking on the transformative journey toward a Ph.D. in the biomedical sciences. This year’s incoming class of 42 students in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program and the Quantitative and Chemical Biology Program began their Vanderbilt experience with a week of...
Congrats, Dr. Benthal!
Sep. 3, 2025—Congrats, Dr. Benthal! Who: Joseph Benthal, PhD Department: Human Genetics PI Mentor: Dr. Michelle Southard-Smith Research: For my dissertation, I studied the development of the enteric nervous system (gut brain) using mice and single cell sequencing. Vanderbilt Impact: “I relied heavily on the Flow Cytometry shared resource for my experiments. I also appreciated the ASPIRE...
Congrats, Dr. Parker!
Aug. 28, 2025—Congrats, Dr. Parker! Who: Alyssa Parker, PhD Department: Human Genetics PI Mentor: Dr. Alexander Bick & Dr. Digna Velez Edwards Research: I have developed novel methods to detect, monitor, and treat clonal hematopoiesis. Vanderbilt Impact: “The VANTAGE sequencing core was essential for developing and deploying the sequencing assays used in my work. I am also...
Congrats, Dr. McClanahan!
Aug. 27, 2025—Congrats, Dr. McClanahan! Who: Kathleen McClanahan, PhD Department: Pathology, Microbiology, & Immunology PI Mentor: Dr. Luc Van Kaer Research: My research investigated how a breastmilk protein called osteopontin impacts the development of intestinal immune cells. Vanderbilt Impact: “The ASPIRE Program in Molecular Medicine really shaped my graduate training. It’s where I met the neonatologists that...
Congrats, Dr. Riedmann!
Aug. 27, 2025—Congrats, Dr. Riedmann! Who: Kyle Riedmann, PhD Department: Cell & Developmental Biology PI Mentor: Dr. Julie Bastarache Research: The impact of cell free hemoglobin on the blood vessels that line the lungs. Vanderbilt Impact: “The Cell Imaging Shared Resource (CISR), the ASPIRE Path in Molecular Medicine (APMM), and ASPIRE internship program were three impactful resources...
Congrats, Dr. Perkins!
Aug. 27, 2025—Congrats, Dr. Perkins! Who: Olivia Perkins, PhD Department: Cell & Developmental Biology PI Mentor: Dr. Matthew Tyska Research: Investigating the role of clathrin-mediated endocytosis in shaping epithelial cell morphology Vanderbilt Impact: “The Cell Imaging Shared Resource (CISR) along with the Cell and Developmental Biology department were essential in my training at Vanderbilt.” Post-PhD Plans: Academic...