Page 2 - IBP In Focus Newsletter 2020

t GRADUATE PROGRAM UPDATES
Dr. Stephen Katz, Associate Professor a
EDUCATION UPDATE
to defend her thesis within the next year.
Director of Education
IBP Graduate Program Highlights 2020
The Graduate Program is doing really well with exciting news to share. But first, I wanted to briefly introduce myself as the in- coming Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Inte- grative Biology and Physiology, since I am not a faculty member in the department. The van Berlo laboratory studies the cellular and molecular mechanisms of cardiac remodeling and repair, and is located in the Cancer and Cardiovascular Research Build- ing on the 4th floor, and affiliated with the Cardiovascular Di- vision and the Lillehei Heart Institute. Once we are all allowed to return to work, my office door is almost always open, and I welcome anybody to come and talk with me. As incoming DGS, I will be working with Dr. Catherine Kotz who is staying on as associate DGS, as well as the steering committee to serve the needs of our graduate students and the graduate program. We are currently working on developing plans to further bolster the quality of our graduate program, so stay tuned.
Now, for the most important part of this section of the newsletter. In the past year, we had 2 graduate students defend their thesis, bringing the total of graduated students from our program to 14. Kadambari Chandra Shekar successfully defended her thesis “poloxamer 188 in pre-clinical models of acute myocardial in- farction-old problem, new perspectives, and Amber Lockridge successfully defended their PhD thesis “When to secrete and when to rest? Protein O-GlcNacylation in beta cell functional responses to hyperlipidemia”. Kad has moved on to a position as Study Director at Wuxi Apptec, while Amber has started her postdoctoral fellowship at the NIH in the lab of Dr. John Hanover. Carolina Ortiz is finishing up her graduate work, and is expected
IBP 2021, continued
• IBP launching diversity and inclusion program for
human physiology undergraduates. Under the direction of Dr. Vincent Barnett, and with guidance from IBP faculty and CLA, IBP is developing an exciting proactive initiative for enabling underrepresented students (including income status) to partner with IBP faculty for mentoring and development. Look for this program to begin this academic year.
• IBP’s innovative international postdoctoral program initiated. Under the leadership of Dr. Alessandro Bartolomucci, IBP initiated a novel program to enhance
the opportunities of international postdoctoral trainees working with IBP faculty. In this first year, Dr. Ming Zhao and Dr. Addeli Spies were selected as awardees. Hats off to thee, Addeli and Ming!
Dr. Jop van Berlo,
The educational mission of the Department
Director of Graduate Studies
Integrative Biology and Physiology (IBP) fo
on physiology and anatomy classes aimed at
undergraduate, graduate and professional stu
Congratulations to Daniel Baumann,
For the year ending in June 2014, we offered
Pedro Rodriguez, and Dogacan Yucel
than 40 separate courses reaching over 3,000 students and y
for passing the oral preliminary exam.
total tuition revenue of approximately $5.7 million. Our tw
Congratulations to Iffy Akinola, Houda
Medical School courses, Human Structure and Function (A
Cohen, Seokwon Jo, Jean Pierre Palais,
and Physiology, each placed well above the mean in seven
Fanta Barrow and Preethy Parthiban for successfully complet-
areas of medical school course comparisons. They also plac
ing the written preliminary exam. Houda Cohen was awarded
and second respectively in the most recent graduation quest
a training spot on the Functional Proteomics of Aging Train-
concerning course preparation for clerkships. IBP started a
ing Grant run by Drs. Deborah Ferrington and Edgar Arriaga.
program to prepare future physiology teachers. We have ex
Seokwon Jo was awarded the Allan Hemingway award for
our teaching program to now include graduate students and
accomplishing the highest cumulative GPA upon completion of
docs who want to pursue extra teaching assignments. IBP al
the first year of coursework. Finally, I am happy to announce that
added a new anatomy teacher, Dr. Mercedes Gutierrez. Mer
we will have an incoming class of 4 students starting their gradu-
is an anthropologist with previous anatomy teaching experi
ate work this Fall. Arthur de la Cruz is an MSTP student who will Washington University, Harvard, the Mass. General PT pro
start his graduate work with Dr. John Osborn, Ingrid Rodriguez
and Tufts. Medical student Benjamin A. Johnson-Tesch was
Aragon is a graduate of our undergraduate Physiology Program, recipient of the Clarence Martin Jackson Award for 2013 ba
and is currently completing a Master’s in the Bioinformatics and
upon outstanding performance in Gross Anatomy. Graduate
Computational Biology program, run by Dr. Yuk Sham. Ingrid was
Snider Desir and undergraduate physiology majors Kelsea
awarded a 3M fellowship. Jennifer Mikkila received her BS from
and Joel Peterson received Lifson/Johnson Memorial Awar
the University of Connecticut, and a MS in Stem Cell Biology
outstanding teaching.
from the University of Minnesota. Richard Gonigam received a BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Welcome to all incoming students.
THE IBP WAY, continue
For the upcoming year, it is likely that recruiting will be done
entirely online, so I will be reaching out to students and faculty
at times to ask for help with recruiting. I hope we can count on
This fall IBP launched the inaugural Dr. Zofia Zukowska D
your enthusiastic participation.
guished Lectureship. This lectureship, organized and led by
graduate students, featured Dr. Ronald Victor, UCLA. Dr.
gave an excellent lecture on his basic and clinical studies in
lar dystrophy. The IBP graduate students are already hard a
organizing next year’s lectureship to be held in the fall of 2
In concert with IBP’s mission and vision, we seek
continued growth and national prominence. In this
As we launch into the New Year, 2015 promises great new
light, IBP has initiated a national search for the presti-
for IBP. One goal this year is to enhance IBP outreach and
gious Bacaner Endowed Chair. A committee has been
munication. We are committed to reach out to all past IBP s
assembled, led by Dr. Alessandro Bartolomucci to seek alums, faculty and friends. Inside this brochure, please find
IoBuPtstalnudmingi cdantadbidaasteesfoformr t.hPislepaosseittiaokne. a moment to fill this return it to us so we can re-connect and keep you informed pArsowgreesasy.gWooedablyseothoo2p0e20to,aunsdehthelilsoatsoa20n2e1w,tnhetfwutourrkeingfor optimize career path options for our graduate students.
is indeed bright for IBP. Please make it a point to visit our department web page as we highlight the excellent
I look forward to working with you in the coming year.
achievements of the department in FY21 and beyond!
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
Joseph M. Metzger, Ph.D.
Joseph M. Metzger
Maurice B. Visscher Endowed Chair in Physiology Professor and Head of the Department of Integrative
Biology and Physiology
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