Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology - UNC School of Medicine
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Current Students
Students currently enrolled in the Cell & Molecular Physiology curriculum.
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Youjun Chen Snider lab | I came from China. I completed my undergraduate study in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Science and Technology of China, where I received extensive education in biological sciences. I did some research work in a lab focused on molecular oncology, where I found my great interest to be in cell biology. |
Hsin-Yuan Cheng | I earned my B.S. in the Department of Agricultural Chemistry and M.S. in the Graduate Institute of Molecular Medicine at the National Taiwan University, Taiwan. My work in the master's degree program was to identify and clone GP135, an apical membrane protein expressed in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line with unknown function and sequence. After receiving my master's degree in 2003, I decided to continue advanced graduate studies in the biosciences. Luckily, I got the chance to enter the Program of Cell and Molecular Physiology at UNC. After one year of rotation, I joined Dr. Susan Smyth’s lab to study the signaling of lipid molecules in the development of cardiovascular diseases. At the end of my second year in the program, my mentor, Susan, accepted a job in the University of Kentucky, and our lab shifted to Lexington. |
Melinda DiVito Cheney lab | I began my training as a biologist at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where I obtained a BS in cell and molecular biology. During my sophomore year, I entered a program called the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), which matches students who have an interest in research with investigators who want to help expose undergraduates to scientific research. Through UROP, I joined a lab that was studying the molecular mechanisms of Inflammatory Breast Cancer. For the next three years, I worked to help develop a transgenic mouse model of Inflammatory Breast Cancer. During this time, I developed a great passion for biology and research; therefore, I decided to apply to graduate school as the next step in my career path. |
Bob Fellner Goy lab | The journey that brought me to UNC was a bit untraditional. I started my secondary education by obtaining a business degree and then spent some years working in various related industries. After realizing that this might not have been the best fit for me, I reentered college and began to study biology. During my undergraduate studies at University of Missouri at St. Louis , I began working in a molecular biology lab that investigated the mechanisms behind alternate splicing and discovered that I had a passion for bench work. Though I found the research I was doing with yeast interesting, I desired studies that were integrated into more complex systems. The CMP program here at UNC was a perfect fit for me in the way that it marries the bench work of molecular sciences with the big picture thinking and analysis of being a physiologist. Since moving here from St. Louis , I have been very pleasantly surprised by the weather and the scenery as well as how I can easily continue my leisure time activities of mountain biking and rock climbing. It is also very nice being a short drive away from lovely beaches as well as beautiful mountains. I feel absolutely at home here due to both the surrounding environment and the comradeship within the department. |
James Green Bhat lab | James is an MD/PhD student who joined the Physiology curriculum and the Bhat lab in Fall 2008. |
Brooke Haddock Davis lab | I completed my undergraduate work at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA. There I received a B.S. in both biology and chemistry, with a minor in philosophy. During that time, I developed an abiding interest in Cystic Fibrosis (CF). I applied to UNC-Chapel Hill because it is home to one of the largest CF/Pulmonary Medicine Research Centers in the nation. After the interview process, the friendly environment, ample supply of research opportunities and resources, and cooperative atmosphere convinced me that this was the graduate program I desired. My research now focuses on studying the protein MARCKS, purported to be involved in the regulated mucin secretory pathway. This is an aberrant pathway in CF, thus of critical importance to understand. |
Kate Hamilton Lund lab | Originally from New Hampshire, I received my BA in Biology from Assumption College in Worcester, MA. Before joining the Cell and Molecular Physiology graduate program here at UNC, I conducted research for two years in Boston, MA, in the laboratory of Dr. Sean Colgan. |
Sushmita Jha Ting lab | My interest in science developed through walks with my father, as we discussed varied subjects from astronomy to chemistry and biology. My interests led me to St. Joseph 's College of Arts and Science, Bangalore, India. There I completed a B.Sc. in microbiology, chemistry and botany and took honors courses in entomology, biotechnology and genetics. During this period I developed an interest in biochemistry and moved on to pursue M. Sc. in biochemistry from the prestigious M.S. University at Baroda, India. During my master's, I studied the rearrangement of the nifD element of Anabaena in E.coli. In addition, I took an elective course in neurobiology. It was during this time that I developed a keen interest in cell and molecular physiology and neurobiology. |
Mahita Kadmiel Caron lab | My interest for life science research was sparked during my Bachelor's studies in India. I was eager to learn biology not just from books but from the bench. Very soon after that, I came to the US for an M.S. program in Microbiology at Michigan Technological University. After graduation, I spent 3 years working on both animal and plant research projects until I realized my passion was studying the biology of human disease at the molecular level. |
Mike Kerber Cheney lab | Designed to Rock, programmed to perform, and destined to change the world, I was sent back to this time period to learn from the greats: Hendrix, Slash, Optimus Prime, etc. Unfortunately, the scientists who assembled me miscalculated and I arrived roughly twenty years too late. Forced to cope with the unexpected surroundings, I immediately headed to North Carolina. I knew from my studies of this era that a certain small, college town regularly hosts the most talented up-and-coming Independent Rockers. In this time of Justins, Britneys, and American Idols, the only place I could accomplish my mission was Chapel Hill. |
Rylan Larsen Philpot lab
| I’m a first year student in the Physiology department. My college education began at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah, where I studied enzymes involved in the prevention of selenium-induced toxicity in brine shrimp from the Great Salt Lake. After graduating, I decided to pursue my non-brine shrimp related interest, neuroscience, at the National Institutes of Health, where I studied the role of voltage-gated potassium channels in synaptic plasticity under Dr. Dax Hoffman. I came to UNC this year and have rotated in a number of neuroscience labs where I have learned a great deal. When I’m not pipeting, the Chapel Hill area offers a decent combination of friendly people and a relaxed atmosphere to hang out in. The surrounding area and the great people in the physiology department led me to come to UNC to pursue my PhD. |
Katy Liu Cheney lab | My road to the Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology has been a circuitous one. I received a B.S. in Engineering from Princeton University. During my summers as an undergraduate, I returned to warmer weather, to my home town of Chapel Hill; I worked in a physics lab where I was introduced to myosin V, controlling its movements on a micropatterned surface. After college, I wanted the experience of living in another country, so I pursued a Masters in Bioengineering at Cambridge University, England. There I studied the mechanics of myosin VI, the reverse motor protein. In my case, all roads lead to home, and I again returned to Chapel Hill for medical school. Continuing on my tour of myosins, I spent a summer in the Cheney lab working on myosin X in microvilli. I enjoyed my experience in the lab and the department so much that I had to stay. The Physiology department appealed to me because of the diverse research interests of its labs and the flexible curriculum provided for its students who have come from a variety of academic paths. As for Chapel Hill, it’s a town with great bars and restaurants, sports teams, and an active arts and music scene. The beach and mountains are only a short drive away, which is great for me because there’s nowhere else I’d rather be (except for lab, maybe…) than on the Carolina beach. |
Maggie McCormick Tzima lab | In May 2004, I graduated with a BS in biology from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. Prior to graduation I was unsure about my post-college plan. I was interested in the sciences but undecided whether my interest was in medicine or research. To postpone any major decisions and gain research experience, I took a job at the University of Pennsylvania as a research technician at the Institute of Medicine and Engineering, a department aimed at the integration of the medical and mechanical sciences. It was a stimulating environment. I worked primarily with salmon coagulation proteins in various capacities, including purification for the development of wound bandages and for use as substrates for neuronal growth. While at UPenn I realized that research science was what I wanted to do, making the decision to get my PhD crystal clear. I applied to UNC-Chapel Hill in the fall of 2006 and was accepted for the fall of 2007. I love the environment at UNC, both of Chapel Hill and the department of Cell and Molecular Physiology. They are both tremendously friendly and welcoming. So far, the seven months I’ve been here have been challenging but great. I joined Dr. Ellie Tzima’s lab where we study the mechanisms endothelial cells use to sense blood flow. Specifically I am interested in the role of PECAM-1 in the eNOS-mediated anti-inflammatory response. I am looking forward to the future of my project and excited to see where it takes me. |
Vicki Newton Lund lab | I always knew that I would be a scientist and my journey has been a strange one. I am originally from Augusta, GA, though I lived in Atlanta for the last few years while I was in school. I received my B.S. in Applied Biology from Georgia Tech. At Tech, I was an undergraduate assistant for Dr. Radhakrishna and studied the signaling mechanisms of GPCRs, specifically the LPA receptors. It was there that I attended the first and second meetings of the Georgia Cancer Coalition and the start of my interest in cancer. While I began to understand the cellular basis of cancer, I wanted to bring my understanding to a more organismal level. I found myself at home in the Cell and Molecular Physiology department at UNC. I performed my first rotation in Kathleen Caron's lab where I worked on a project to determine the tissue expression profile of the RAMP proteins. I did my second rotation in Kay Lund's lab working on a project investigating the proliferative responses of SOCS3 conditional knock-out mice, and I elected to remain in the Lund lab. I feel very welcomed and enthusiastic about my studies here. I am excited about continuing my journey to be a scientist here at UNC in such an engaging learning environment and very supportive (and fun) faculty. |
Deepti Rao Manis lab | After obtaining an engineering degree in industrial biotechnology, I worked for a year in a cellular neurophysiology lab in India as a Junior Research Fellow. There I realized my obsession for neuroscience! My goal for graduate study is to be in an intellectually stimulating enviroment while doing neuroscience research, which I found in the Physiology department here at UNC. I was attracted to this department as it provides an integrated and interdisciplinary environment to learn science and carry out translational research. My first rotation was in the lab of Dr. Paul Manis where I worked on auditory cortex plasticity using whole cell patch clamp electrophysiology. My second rotation in Dr. Mark Zylka's lab involved characterizing channelrhodopsin to enable optical control of neural activity. I elected to join the Manis lab for my dissertation studies. |
Brett Rollins Tarran lab | As an undergraduate, I majored in chemistry and biology at UNC-Chapel Hill. These departments offered undergraduate research programs that I took advantage of my junior year. My first exposure to a research was in Dr. Channing Der’s lab of the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Following graduation, I began working in Dr. Tarran’s lab at UNC’s Cystic Fibrosis Center. I was encouraged by these positive experiences with research and the opportunity to contribute to advancing medical understanding. With this in mind I applied to the Cell and Molecular Physiology department, as this field naturally yields itself to translational investigations. To date I have rotated in Dr. Zylka’s lab and am currently rotating in Dr. Tzima’s lab. |
Lucia Seminario Vidal
| During my last year of medical school in Peru, I discovered through an elective rotation at UNC a new passion: research. This experience showed me a different perspective of health and disease, and prompted my decision to embark in a new career. |
Ivana Semova Rawls lab | I became interested in science at the age of five when I started asking my mother, a doctor, to tell me ‘bedtime stories' about how food that we eat gets transformed in our bodies. She gave me the simple version of the digestion process, and I was hooked! I wanted to know more about how our body works and how mixing two things can give a third one. During school in my native Macedonia, I expressed interest in chemistry and I learned more about the properties of metals from my mother's medical books. I finished high school in the International Baccalaureate program in Greece. I received an honors scholarship from my high school to come to the US and pursue higher education. I received my bachelor degree in biological chemistry from Grinnell College, Iowa. As an undergraduate, I studied the allosteric binding properties of human nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and I also spent a semester at Oak Ridge National Lab, where I investigated the biochemical and biophysical properties of Photosystem I in photosynthesis. |
Shiliang Wang Pomp lab | After I earned my BS in microbiology, I worked for Promega Inc. and Johnson & Johnson Company in China for several years. I came to the United States in June 2002 and worked for Animal Model Core Facility in the Lineberger Cancer Center at UNC-CH for three years. There I developed several gene targeting mouse lines such as hemidesmosomal proteins BP180 knock-in and knock-out mouse and Calponin Homology-Associated Smooth Muscle protein (CHASM) conventional knock out mouse. |
