Alumni

Recent Graduates, Department of Pharmacology

Suzanne Minton, Ph.D.Suzanne Minton

Graduation Date: 1/15/13
Advisor: Ken McCarthy
Title of Dissertation: "Stimulating glial Gq-coupled GPCR pathways blocks acute pain and itch"
Current Position: Marketing specialist at the Certara Corporation

Margaret Duncan, Ph.D. Margaret Duncan

Graduation Date: 6/22/12
Advisor: Rob Nicholas
Title of Dissertation: "Probing the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in the gonococcus"
Current Position: Returned to UNC-CH Medical School to complete MD (enrolled in MD/PhD program)

Asya Borikova, Ph.D. Michal Nagiec

Graduation Date: 5/25/12
Advisor: Gary Johnson
Title of Dissertation: "Cerebral Cavernous Malformations is a disease of dysregulated expression of RhoA and Rap1 proteins"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Cardiovascular Research Center, Harvard Medical School

Brent Hehl, M.S. Brent Hehl

Graduation Date: 5/9/12
Advisor: Howard McLeod
Title of Dissertation: "Identifying genetic factors affecting anthracycline-induced cytotoxcity."
Current Position: Strategic Account Executive, Gentris Corporation, Morrisville, NC

Jasmyn Dardy, M.S. Jasmyn Dardy

Graduation Date: 4/20/12
Advisor: Channing Der
Title of Dissertation: "Validation of PAK Kinases for the Development of Novel Therapeutics for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment"
Current Position:

Jason Goldsmith, Ph.D. Jason Goldsmith

Graduation Date: 4/16/12
Advisor: Christian Jobin
Title of Dissertation: ""Mechanisms of mu opioid receptor mediated protection from multiple models of acute injury"
Current Position: Returned to UNC-CH Medical School to complete MD (enrolled in MD/PhD program)

Xin Zou, M.S. Xin Zou

Graduation Date: 3/30/12
Advisor: Klaus Hahn
Title of Dissertation: "Using Aureochrome to Control Protein-Protein Interactions with Light"
Current Position: Continuing graduate studies at NCSU Department of Statistics

Allison McMullen, Ph.D. Allison McMullen

Graduation Date: 11/1/11
Advisor: Ken McCarthy
Title of Dissertation: "Cellular, histological and behavioral changes in the pathogenesis of hydrocephalus in the Ro1 mouse model"
Current Position: Editing Team Leader at American Journal Experts, Durham, NC

Michal Nagiec, Ph.D. Michal Nagiec

Graduation Date: 6/14/11
Advisor: Henrik Dohlman
Title of Dissertation: "Coordination of MAP Kinase Signaling During Cell Fate Decisions."
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Medical School

Chris Welch, Ph.D. High HonorsChris Welch

Graduation Date: 5/20/11
Advisor: Klaus Hahn
Title of Dissertation: "Revealing Rho GTPase Dynamics in Cell Migration."
Current Position: Returned to UNC-CH Medical School to complete MD (enrolled in MD/PhD program)

Katy Cappell, Ph.D.Katy Cappell

Graduation Date: 5/13/11
Advisor:Angelique Whitehurst
Title of Dissertation: "Symplekin and Transforming Acidic Coiled-Coil Containing Protein 3 Support the Cancer Cell Mitotic Spindle."
Current Position: Returned to UNC-CH Medical School to complete MD (enrolled in MD/PhD program)

Eric Zimmerman, Ph.D. Eric Zimmerman

Graduation Date: 3/24/11
Advisors: Lee Graves
Title of Dissertation: "Lyn kinase regulation of microRNA and Mcl-1 in drug-resistant myelogenous leukemia."
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN

Sarah Rogan, Ph.D. Sarah Rogan

Graduation Date: 2/14/11
Advisors: Bryan Roth
Title of Dissertation: "Remote control of neuronal signaling in vivo."
Current Position: Returned to UNC-CH Medical School to complete MD (enrolled in MD/PhD program)

Steven Cappell, Ph.D. Steven Cappell

Graduation Date: 12/16/10
Advisors: Henrik Dohlman
Title of Dissertation: "Systematic Analysis of Essential Genes Reveals New Regulators of G protein Signaling."
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University

John Bauman, Ph.D. John Bauman

Graduation Date: 12/6/10
Advisor: Ryszard Kole
Title of Dissertation: "Modification of Bcl-x and Mcl-1 pre-mRNA splicing using splice-switching oligonucleotide."
Current Position: Business Development Team, ILS, Research Triangle Park, NC

Aurelie Gresset, Ph.D.Aurelie Gressett

Graduation Date: 8/5/10
Advisor: John Sondek
Title of Dissertation: "Mechanism of phosphorylation-induced activation of phospholipase C-gamma isozymes"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France

Ellen Stevens, Ph.D. Ellen Stevens

Graduation Date: 6/3/10
Advisor: Channing Der
Title of Dissertation: "Identification of Novel Therapeutic Approaches and Targets for the Treatment of Ovarian Carcinoma"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Zuckerman Research Center New York

Adam Kimple, Ph.D. Adam Kimple

Graduation Date: 5/5/10
Advisor: David Siderovski
Title of Dissertation: "R4 and R12 subfamily RGS proteins-Structure, funtion, and emerging chemical biology"
Current Position: Returned to UNC-CH Medical School to complete MD (enrolled in MD/PhD program)

Jamie Alan, Ph.D. Jamie Alan

Graduation Date: 3/15/10
Advisor: Adrienne Cox
Title of Dissertation: "Tyrosine kinase modulation of trafficking and biological functions of the atypical Rho GTPase, Wrch-1"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Kansas

Tanya Zand, Ph.D. Tanya Zand

Graduation Date: 3/12/10
Advisor: Channing Der
Title of Dissertation: "Ras signaling through the RalGEF-Ral pathway in C. elegans"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Duke University

Tiffany K. Ricks, Ph.D. Tiffany Ricks

Graduation Date: 2/26/2010
Title of Dissertation: "Signal Regulation of Protease-activated Receptor-2 and Structural Determinants of Gaq -dependent Activation and Deactivation of Phospholipase C-ß"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, NIH

Randal Hand, Ph.D. Randal Hand

Graduation Date: 12/29/09
Advisor: Franck Polleux
Title of Dissertation: "The regulation of cortical development by Neurogenin2"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Johns Hopkins University

Jarrod Johnson, Ph.D. Jarrod Johnson

Graduation Date: 9/11/09
Advisor: R. Jude Samulski
Title of Dissertation: "Virion components and subcellular parameters that impact trafficking, nuclear targeting, and infection of adeno-associated virus"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, UNC-CH

Dionne R. Glast, Ph.D.Dionne Glast

Graduation Date:8/27/2009
Advisor: Rob Nichols
Title of Dissertation: "G Protein-coupled Receptor Signaling: Role of PAR-2 in Breast Carcinoma Metastasis and Regulation of Agonist-Promoted Internalization of P2Y1 Receptors"
Current Position: Regulatory Affairs Fellow, Novella Clinical, Durham, NC

Angela Russo, Ph.D. Angela Russo

Graduation Date: 5/18/09
Advisor: Pilar Blancafort
Title of Dissertation: "Delineating and rationally perturbing signaling mechanisms involved in metastasis"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Illinois-Chicago

Sabrice Guerrier, Ph.D. Sabrice Guerriere

Graduation Date: 3/31/09
Advisor: Franck Polleux
Title of Dissertation: "Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying srGaP2 function during neuronal development"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Mayo Clinic

Elizabeth Sweger, Ph.D.Elizabeth Sweger

Graduation Date: 3/27/09
Advisor: Ken McCarthy
Title of Dissertation: "Expression of the Gi-coupled RASSL Ro1 in GFAP-positive cells: a novel model of hydrocephalus"
Current Position:

Lisa Stalheim Crose, Ph.D.Lisa Stalheim Crose

Graduation Date: 3/24/09
Advisor: Gary L. Johnson
Title of Dissertation: "Regulation and Function of the Cerebral Cavernous Malformation 2 Protein"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Duke University

Katie Kelm, Ph.D.Katie Kelm

Graduation Date: 3/23/09
Advisor: George Breese
Title of Dissertation: "Investigating the Mechanism of Ethanol-enhanced GABA Release"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, UNC-CH

Nina DiPrimio, Ph.D.Nina DiPrimio

Graduation Date: 3/20/09
Advisor: R. Jude Samulski
Title of Dissertation: "Surface loop dynamics of a Parvovirus"
Current Position: Teaching Faculty, Carnegie Mellon University

Ingrid Fricks, Ph.D.Ingrid Fricks

Graduation Date: 3/18/09
Advisor: Ken Harden
Title of Dissertation: "Molecular Pharmacology and Function of the P2Y14 Receptor"
Current Position: Innovation Acceleration Fellow, Washington University in St. Louis, MO

Justin Brown, Ph.D.Justin Brown

Graduation Date: 11/7/08
Advisor: Richard Mailman
Title of Dissertation: "Structural basis for ligand-binding and activation of D1-like dopamine receptors"
Current Position: Innovation Acceleration Fellow, Washington University in St. Louis, MO

Michael J. Lee, Ph.D.Michael Lee

Graduation Date: 4/8/08
Advisor: Henrik Dohlman
Title of Dissertation: "Activation of G protein signaling by a non-receptor exchange factor"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, MIT

Amanda C. Sharko, Ph.D.Amanda Sharko

Graduation Date: 4/1/08
Advisor: Clyde Hodge
Title of Dissertation: "The role of metabotropic glutamate receptors and associated cell signaling pathways in the acute sedative-hypnotic effects of ethanol"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept. of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina Medical School

Mariya Chhatriwala, Ph.D.Mariya Chhatriwala

Graduation Date: 3/31/08
Advisor: John Sondek
Title of Dissertation: "Defining diverse mechanisms that regulate the activity of Dbl-family guanine nucleotide exchange factors"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute

Ryan Shanks, M.S.Ryan Shanks

Graduation Date: 3/26/08
Advisor: Henrik Dohlman
Title of Dissertation: "GAP independent RGS action"
Current Position: Returned to UNC-CH Med School to obtain MD (is enrolled in MD/Masters program)

Donita Brady, Ph.D.Donita Brady

Graduation Date: 3/17/08
Advisor: Adrienne Cox
Title of Dissertation: "The transforming Rho family GTPase, Wrch-1, regulates epithelial cell morphogenesis through modulating cell junctions and actin cytoskeletal dynamics"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow,Duke University

Jiyoung Cha, Ph.D.Jiyoung Cha

Graduation Date: 7/24/07
Advisor: Channing Der
Title of Dissertation: "The role and mechanism of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 in cellular transformation"
Current Position: Posdoctoral Fellow, Dept. of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University

Bin Zhao, Ph.D.Bin Zhao

Graduation Date: 7/11/07
Advisor: Leslie Parise
Title of Dissertation: "Regulation of cell survival by CIB1, a new modulator of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1)"
Current Position: Returned to China

Eric Wauson, Ph.D.Eric Wauson

Graduation Date: 7/3/07
Advisor: Lee Graves
Title of Dissertation: "The Regulation of the Pyrimidine Biosynthetic Protein CAD by Phosphorylation and Protein-Protein Interactions"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Southwestern Texas, Dallas, TX

Matthew Higgins, Ph.D.Matthew Higgins

Graduation Date: 7/2/07
Advisor: Lee Graves
Title of Dissertation: "Regulation of Human Cytidine Triphosphate Synthetase 1 by Phosphorylation and Interacting Proteins"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Gladstone Inst., University of California at San Francisco

Christopher Johnston, Ph.D.Christopher Johnston

Graduation Date: 6/29/07
Advisor: David Siderovski
Title of Dissertation: "Structural Insights into the Molecular Basis of Heterotrimeric G-protein Signal Transduction"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Institutes of Molecular Biology and Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR

YiXing (Emily) Zhou, Ph.D.Yi Xing Emily Zhou

Graduation Date: 6/28/07
Advisor: Ken Harden
Title of Dissertation: "Cloning and Characterization of a Novel Phospholipase C Isozyme, PLC-n2"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Mohamed Zayed, Ph.D.Mohamed Zayed

Graduation Date: 6/6/07
Advisor: Leslie Parise
Title of Dissertation: "ClB1 Mediated Regulation of Endothelial Cells and Pathological Angiogenesis"
Current Position: 2nd year Vascular Surgery Resident, Division of Vascular Surgery, Stanford University Medical Center

Rafael Rojas, Ph.D.Rafael Rojas

Graduation Date: 5/21/07
Advisor: John Sondek
Title of Dissertation: "Coordinating the activation of RhoA by diverse RhoGEFs: SmgGDS and G-alpha-q-responsive Dbl family guanine nucleotide exchange factors"
Current Position: Scientist I - Emerging Technologies BRIDG, Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. 12790 El Camino Real, San Diego, CA

James Ferguson, Ph.D.James Ferguson

Graduation Date: 5/10/07
Advisor: Cam Patterson
Title of Dissertation: "Ankyrin Repeat and SOCS Box Protein 4 (ASB4) is a Hydroxylation Substrate of Factor Inhibiting HlF1a(FlH) and Promotes Vascular Differentiation via an Oxygen-Dependent Mechanism"
Current Position: Medicine Resident, Massachusetts General Hospital

Holly Gentry, Ph.D.Holly Gentry

Graduation Date: 5/3/07
Advisor: Leslie Parise
Title of Dissertation: "Structure and Biochemical Characterization of CIB1"
Current Position: Medical Science Writer, Education and Training Systems International, Chapel Hill, NC

Jason Seifert, Ph.D.Jason Seifert

Graduation Date: 3/30/07
Advisor: Ken Harden
Title of Dissertation: "Regulation of phospholipase C-epsilon by Rho and Ras Family GTPases"
Current Position: Law School, University of Minnesota

Breann Wolfe, Ph.D.Breann Wolf

Graduation Date: 3/26/07
Advisor: JoAnn Trejo
Title of Dissertation: "Clathrin-dependent Internalization of Protease-activated Protease-activated Receptor-1: Regulation by Ubiquitination and Epsin"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.

Dayle Houston, Ph.D.Dayle Houston

Graduation Date: 3/23/07
Advisor: Ken Harden
Title of Dissertation: "Agonist-Promoted Regulation of the P2Y1 Receptor: Quantification of Native and Recombinant Receptors with the Novel Radioligand [32P]MRS2500"
Current Position: Medical Writer, PPD, Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC

Marielle Yohe, Ph.D.Marielle Yohe

Graduation Date: 3/19/07
Advisor: John Sondek
Title of Dissertation: "Auto-inhibition of Tim and Related Dbl-family Rho GEFs by an N-terminal Helical Motif"
Current Position: Returned to UNC-CH Med School to obtain MD (is enrolled in MD/PHD program)

Melinda Hains Willard, Ph.D.Melinda Willard

Graduation Date: 10/27/06
Advisor: David Siderovski
Title of Dissertation: “Multiple Domain ‘Nexus’ Proteins in Receptor-Mediated Cell Signaling”
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Eli Lilly, Indianapolis, IN

Sheritha P. Lee, Ph.D.Sheritha Lee

Graduation Date: 6/19/06
Advisor: Leslie Parise
Title of Dissertation: “Chronic Inflammation in Sickle Cell Disease: Potential Role of Platelets and the Inflammatory Mediator CD40L”
Current Position: Clinical Scientist with Centecor-Ortho Biotech

Qian Dai, M.D., Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 5/06
Advisor: Cam Patterson
Title of Dissertation: “The cochaperone and ubiquitin ligase CHIP in protein quality control”
Current Position: Hematopathology fellow, University of California

Biljania Djukic, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 4/11/06
Advisor: Ken McCarthy
Title of Dissertation: “Role of the inward rectifying K+ channel, Kir4.1, in astrocyte physiology and neuronal excitability”
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, UNC-CH

May M. Paing, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 8/25/05
Advisor: JoAnn Trejo
Title of Dissertation: Regulation of Protease-activated Receptor 1 Signaling and Trafficking
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Howard Hughes Med. Institute, Washington University Medical School

Nathan Allen, M.S.

Graduation Date: 7/28/05
Advisor: Jude Samulski
Title of Dissertation: "Investigation of the Potential for Adeno-Associated Virus Type 5 to Establish Latency by Integration"
Current Position: Department of Biology, Carnegie Mellon University

Patricia Joyce Keller, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 7/5/05
Advisor: Adrienne Cox
Title of Dissertation: "Characterization of the small GTPase Rac3 in signaling and transformation"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Tufts University

Anurag Singh, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 5/16/05
Advisor: Channing Der
Title of Dissertation: "The Role of Divergent Rho Family Members Rac1b and Rnd3 in Cellular Transformation and Oncogenesis"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Medical School

Scott Oloff, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 4/20/05
Advisor: Richard Mailman, Alex Tropsha
Title of Dissertation: "Development of Computer Aided Drug Discovery Methods Based on Machine Learning Techniques and Application to the Dopamine D1 Receptor"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, UNC-CH

Vivian Choi, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 4/1/05
Advisor: Jude Samulski
Title of Dissertation: "The Involvement of DNA Replication and Repair Pathways in DNA Recombination Utilizing Viral DNA Terminal Repeat Hairpin Structures"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Univesity

Matthew Edin, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 3/29/05
Advisor: Rudy Juliano
Title of Dissertation: "Role of PAK and PKA in Adhesion-Dependent ERK Activation by EGF"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Psycology, Duke University

Thomas Hilder, Ph.D.Thomas Hilder

Graduation Date: 3/18/05
Advisor: Lee Graves
Title of Dissertation: "Phosphorylase Kinase and MAP Kinase Regulation During Skeletal Muscle Apoptosis and Atrophy"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, UNC-CH

Shannon Penland, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 3/4/05
Advisor: Leslie Morrow
Title of Dissertation: "Effects of Ethanol on Biosynthesis of GABAergic Neurosteroids"
Current Position: Research Fellow, Cato Research, Ltd., Durham, NC

Erik Bodor, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 2/21/05
Advisor: Ken Harden
Title of Dissertation: "Purification of the Human P2Y12 Receptor: Ligand Binding, G Protein Coupling, and Regulation by RGS Proteins"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Max Planck Institute, Heidelberg, GER

Sarah Leonard, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 11/15/04
Advisor: Richard Mailman
Title of Dissertation: "The Amygdala: A Model System for Novel Dopamine Receptor Pharmacology"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Neuroscience Division, Princeton, NJ

Todd Palmby, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 7/6/04
Advisor: Channing Der
Title of Dissertation: "Components of Vav Mediated Transformation and Signal Transduction"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, National Inst. of Dental and Cranofacial Research, Bethesda MD

Rhonda Saunders Wilder, M.S.

Graduation Date: 3/24/04
Advisor: Adrienne Cox
Title of Dissertation: "Regulation of Ect2, a Dbl family RhoGEF, by its Pleckstrin Homology (PH) domain"
Current Position: Clinical Research Specialist, Duke University

Carolyn Coyne, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 4/30/03
Advisor: Larry Johnson
Title of Dissertation: "Characterization and Modulation of Airway Tight Junctions"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Children’s Hospital of PA, U Penn, Philadelphia, PA

Donnie Eddins, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 11/24/03
Advisor: Bob Rosenberg
Title of Dissertation: "Regulation of alpha7 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by extracellular divalent cations"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept. of Psychiatry, Duke University, Durham, NC

Sally A. Hunsucker, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 6/18/03
Advisor: Beverly Mitchell
Title of Dissertation: "The Role of Cytosolic 5’-Nucleotidase IA in Nucleoside Analog Metabolism"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, UNC-CH Lineberger Cancer Center

Randall Kimple, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 6/25/03
Advisor: David Siderovski
Title of Dissertation: "The Goloco Motifs of RGS12 and RGS14—Novel Regulators of G-Protein Signaling"
Current Position: Resident, UNC-CH Medical, Department of Oncology

Mark K. Larson, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 12/15/03
Advisor: Leslie Parise
Title of Dissertation: "Mechanisms and functions of glycoprotein VI-mediated Rap1 activation in platelets"
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Louisiana State University

Aylin Ulku, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 5/16/03
Advisor: Channing Der
Title of Dissertation: "RAS Regulation of Gene Expression in Ovarian Carcinogenesis"
Current Position: Resident Physician, Yale New Haven Hospital

Amy Brinson, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 8/22/02
Advisor: Ken Harden
Title of Dissertation: "Differential Regulation of Uridine Nucleotide-activated P2Y4 and P2Y6 Receptors"
Current Position: Scientific writer, IMFORM GmbH, International Clinical Research

Chris Herold, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 8/12/02
Advisor: Rob Nicholas
Title of Dissertation: "Nucleotide Selectivities of the Human and Rat P2Y4 Receptors and Pharmacological Analysis of Chimeric Human/Rat P2Y4 Receptors"
Current Position: Research Scientist, RheoGene, Norristown, PA

Peter Sazani, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 7/26/02
Advisor: Ryszard Kole
Title of Dissertation: "The Role of Chemical Structure in the Delivery and Activity of Antisense Oligonucleotides"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA

Melanie Olesky, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 6/10/02
Advisor: Rob Nicholas
Title of Dissertation: "The Mechanism of Porin-mediated Antibiotic Resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae"
Current Position: Medical Science Liason for Cephalon Pharmaceuticals

John Lambert, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 5/14/02
Advisor: Channing Der
Title of Dissertation: "Rac: Upstream Activation and Downstream Signaling"
Current Position: Manager, Business Development, Invitrogen Corporation

Patrick Hines, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 3/22/02
Advisor: Leslie Parise
Title of Dissertation: "Intracellular Cyclic AMP Promotes Sickle RBC Aggregation and Adhesion to Laminin"
Current Position: Resident, Children’s Hospital of PA, U Penn

Jason Kralic, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 10/3/02
Advisor: Leslie Morrow
Title of Dissertation: "GABAA Receptor α1 Subunity Knockout Mice Exhibit Plasticity of Gabaergic Function and Behavior"
Current Position: Scientific Manager, Schwarz Pharma, Raleigh, NC

Danielle Mercatante Carrick, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 10/11/02
Advisor: Ryszard Kole
Title of Dissertation: "Modification of the Alternative Splicing Pattern of BCL-x pre-mRNA: Induction of Cell Death and Chemo-sensitization of Cancer Cells"
Current Position: Senior Study Director, Westat, Rockville, MD

Peter Ward, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 1/28/02
Advisor: Dhiren Thakker
Title of Dissertation: "Phospholipase C as a Regulator of Epithelial Tight Junction Permeability: Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms"
Current Position: Research Scientist, Arena Pharmaceuticals, San Diego CA

Victoria Harding, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 11/20/01
Advisor: Howard Rockman
Title of Dissertation: "Role of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling in the Pathogenesis of Heart Failure"
Current Position: Postdoctoral fellow, UCSD, La Jolla CA

Kevin Pruitt, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 11/6/01
Advisor: Channing Der
Title of Dissertation: "Ras and Rho Regulation of the Cell Cycle and Oncogenesis"
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Louisiana State University

Jennifer Obernier, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 6/8/01
Advisor: Fulton Crews
Title of Dissertation: "The Relationship between Binge Drinking, Neurodegeneration and Cognitive Dysfunction"
Current Position: Study Director, Inst. for Laboratory Animal Research, National Academy of Sciences, Washington DC

Terry Amiss, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 4/6/01
Advisor: Jude Samulski
Title of Dissertation: "Investigation of the DNA Sequences Required for Site-specific Integration of Adeno-associate Virus Type 4"
Current Position: Research Scientist, Becton Dickinson Technologies, RTP NC

Julie Brittain, Ph.D.Julie Brittain

Graduation Date: 10/27/00
Advisor: Leslie Parise
Title of Dissertation: "Integrin-Associated Protein is an Agonist and Adhesion Receptor on Sickle Red Blood Cells"
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Biochemistry/Biophsics, UNC-Chapel Hill

Jung Weon Lee, Ph.D.Jung Weon Lee

Graduation Date: 7/11/00
Advisor: Rudy Juliano
Title of Dissertation: "The Role of Alpha 5 Beta 1 Integrin in Intestinal Epithelial Cell Survival "
Current Position: Associate Professor, Seoul National University, Korea

Mike Wheeler, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 5/10/00
Advisor: Ron Thurman
Title of Dissertation: "Oxidative Stress and Hepatic Gene Delivery: Studies with Adenovirus and Adeno-associated Virus"
Current Position: Assistant Professor, UNC-Chapel Hill

Erik Dahlstrand, M.S.

Graduation Date: 6/28/00
Advisor: Lee Graves
Title of Dissertation: "Evidence of Unique Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase Localization to the Mitochondria"
Current Position: Research Scientist, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge MA

Michelle Cunningham, Ph.D.

Graduation Date: 3/10/00
Advisor: Ken Harden
Title of Dissertation: "Regulation of Inositol Lipid Signaling at Multiple Levels through Protein Kinase C-promoted Phosphorylation"
Current Position: Patent Attorney