Graduate News, Events & Awards

Carolina Summer Fellows 2008 Start Research Projects

Carolina Summer Fellows 2008

Four new Carolina Summer Fellows arrived May 27 to start work on summer research projects with the Department of Pharmacology. A luncheon was held in their honor to welcome them to the department.

Photo: The four Carolina Summer Fellows are from left to right:

Amanda Blackwelder (UNC-CH), working with Lee Graves;
Robin Muller (UNC-CH), working with David Siderovski;
Eric Gardner (Univ. of Pittsburgh, School of Pharmacy), working with Rob Nicholas;
Alan Nguyen (Case Western Univ.),working with Klaus Hahn.

Five Students Receive Doctorates in May 2008

Donita Brady, Adrienne Cox and Channing Der at the Hooding Ceremony May 10, 2008

Five students received their Ph.D. degrees in May. They are: Donita Brady (Adrienne Cox's Lab), Jiyoung Cha (Channing Der's Lab), Mariya Chhatriwala (John Sondek's Lab), Michael Lee (Henrik Dohlman's Lab), and Amanda Sharko (Clyde Hodge's Lab). Congratulations, Graduates!

Photo above: (left to right) Channing Der, Adrienne Cox and Donita Brady at the Hooding Ceremony May 10, 2008.

Elizabeth Sweger recieves Thomas Collum Butler Award 2007

The winner of the 2007 Thomas Collum Butler Award is Elizabeth Sweger, a member of the McCarthy Lab. The award was announced at the Annual Pharmacology Holiday Party, on December 13. Elizabeth received a plaque and a check for $1000.

The Thomas Collum Butler Award supports outstanding advanced graduate students who are undertaking their research training in areas broadly related to the understanding of developmental disabilities; this might include work in neurobiology, neuropharmacology, or developmental biology.

Candidates for the Fellowship must be full-time Ph.D. or M.D. / Ph.D. students who have completed their doctoral oral and written exams, and who are engaged in research in the laboratory of a CORE or JOINT member of The Department of Pharmacology.

Candidates for this award submitted a 1-page summary of their research interest, which included a statement as to how their work relates to developmental disabilities and a list of publications, abstracts or awards.

Photo above: Gary Johnson, Pharmacology Department Chair, gives Elizabeth Sweger the Thomas Collum Butler Award plaque. Click image for enlargement.
Photo 2 - Elizabeth Sweger describes the research that won her the award.

Read Elizabeth's statement describing her research that won her the Thomas Collum Butler Award here.

Ten Students Receive Doctorates in the Summer

Five summer graduates are pictured here. From left to right: Mohamed Zayed (Parise Lab), Yi Xing (Emily) Zhou (Harden Lab), Bin Zhao (Parise Lab), Rafael Rojas (Sondek Lab), and Matthew Higgins (Graves Lab).

Graduates not pictured are Holly Genty (Parise Lab), Jeb Ferguson (Patterson Lab), Jiyoung Cha (Der Lab), Eric Wauson (Graves Lab), and Christopher Johnston (Siderovski Lab).

Congratulations, graduates! Click to Enlarge.

Carolina Summer Fellowship Program Presentations

This year's Carolina Summer Fellows gave their presentations Aug. 1, 2007.
Front row left to right: Martin Whittle, Benjamin Otopalik, and Christine Bruckner.
Back row left to right: Stephanie Grecco, Justin Brewster, Kate White and Vanessa Richards . Everyone did a great job! Click to Enlarge.

Katie Jungbluth Kelm Wins 2007 Gordis Award

Katie Jungbluth Kelm won the prestigious 2007 Gordis Award For the "Best Research Presentation for a Pre-Doctoral Student" at the recent Research Society for Alcoholism Meeting in Chicago. This accomplishment was recognized with a $3000 cash prize.

Ten Win Best Poster Awards at Pharmacology Research Retreat

Forty-one graduate students and postdocs presented posters at the Annual Pharmacology Research Retreat held at the Friday Center May 14, 2007. Ten received First Place Awards and a $100 check. All presenters received a Pharmacology T-shirt for participating in the retreat. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all who participated! See winners list with the titles of their posters.

Five Students receive doctorates in May

From left to right: Marielle Yohe (Sondek Lab), Breann Wolfe (Trejo Lab), Dayle Houston (Harden Lab), Prof. Ken Harden, Jason Seifert (Harden Lab), Melinda Willard (Siderovski Lab), Prof. David Siderovski. Congratulations graduates!
Click to Enlarge.

More Photos from the Hooding Ceremony:
Image 1: Marielle Yohe, Jason Seifert, Melinda Willard, Prof. Ken Harden, Dayle Houston, and Prof. David Siderovski. Image2: Another group photo of Marielle Yohe, Jason Seifert, Melinda Willard, Prof. Ken harden, Dayle Houston and Prof. David Siderovski. Image 3: Prof. David Siderovski, Melinda Willard, and Prof. Ken Harden. Image 4: Dayle Houston, Prof. Ken Harden and Jason Seifert. Image 5: Dayle Houston and Prof. Ken Harden with his Graduate School Faculty Award for Excellence in Doctoral Mentoring.

Read about Prof. Ken's Harden's award, with quotes from some of the the nominating letters that helped him to win it.

Lisa Stalheim wins 2006 Thomas Collum Butler Award

Lisa Stalheim was the recipient of this year's Thomas Collum Butler Graduate Fellowship Award, which is in its 16th year. This award is for the support of an outstanding advanced graduate student that is undertaking research training in areas broadly related to understanding developmental disabilities, which includes work in neurobiology, neuropharmacology or developmental biology. Candidates for the fellowship must be full-time Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. students who have completed their doctoral oral and written exams, and who are engaged in research in the laboratory of a core or joint member of the Pharmacology faculty. In recognition of this award, Ms. Stalheim was presented with a check in the amount of $1,000.

Dr. Robert A. Weinberg is Luminary Scientist Distinguished Lecturer

Dr. Robert A. Weinberg of the Whitehead Institute visited the Department of Pharmacology as the Distinguished Speaker for The Luminary Scientist - Distinguished Lecture Series on Tuesday, December 12, 2006. Dr. Weinberg is a world expert in the genetic basis of cancer. He is the winner of the Landon-AACR Prize for Basic Cancer Research (2006) and the National Medal of Science (1997) and is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences. His current research focuses on determining the mechanisms responsible for cell senescence, investigating the influence of the stroma on the biology of the tumor and identifying metastatic determinants. The title of his talk was "Mechanisms of Malignant Progression." The event was organized by the Pharmacology Graduate Students. See pictures!

Pharmacology Students Honored for Receiving External Funding

Many of our graduate students have been successful obtaining external funding from diverse sources. These students were recently honored at the Annual Graduate Student Recognition Ceremony organized by the UNC Graduate School on April 6, 2006.

Sheritha Lee - GEAB Impact Award & UNCF/Merck Dissertation Fellowship
Jed Ferguson - American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship
Dayle Houston - Howard Hughes Medical Institute Biological Sciences Predoctoral Fellowship
Christopher Johnston - NIH/NIGMS Fellowship (F32)
Dionne Morris - American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship
Raphael Rojas - Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Predoctoral Traineeship Award
Eric Wauson - American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education Predoctoral Fellowship
Melinda Willard - PhRMA Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship in Pharmacology/ Toxicology
Breann Wolfe - American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship

2005 Thomas Collum Butler Award given to Eric Wauson

Eric Wauson (Lee Graves Lab) received the Thomas Collum Butler Award for 2005. Eric was presented with a plaque and a check for $1000.

Eric Wauson receives award Candidates for the fellowship must be full-time Ph.D. or MD/Ph.D. students who have completed their doctoral oral and written exams, and who are engaged in research in the laboratory of a core or joint member of Pharmacology faculty. The awards are for the support of outstanding advanced graduate students who are undertaking their research training in areas broadly related to understanding developmental disabilities; this might include work in neurobiology, neuropharmacology, or developmental biology. The awards are based on a written statement (application) by the student to the Award Committee. (Photo: Eric Wauson receives Thomas Collum Butler Award at Annual Pharmacology Holiday Party in December.)
(See Eric Wauson's written statement)