1 month ago
Matthew Vander Ploeg successfully defended his thesis entitled “Integrin signaling and platelet migration: mechanistic insights and pathophysiological relevance” and earned his PhD on Thursday, April 30, 2026. Matthew Vander Ploeg is an MD/PhD graduate student in the Bergmeier lab.
2 months ago
The 28th Annual Graduate Student Recognition Celebration by the UNC Graduate School will acknowledge Biochemistry and Biophysics external award winners Emily “Gracie” Clark, Dillon Sloan, and Matt Vender Ploeg and will include a poster from Humeyra Kaanoglu.
2 months ago
Uriel Jean-Baptiste successfully defended his dissertation, titled “New Frontiers in Lipase Regulation: Apolipoprotein J as a Chaperone for Endothelial Lipase,” on April 8, 2026, under the direction of Dr. Saskia B. Neher.
3 months ago
On March 17, 2026, Jingting Chen of Elizabeth Brunk's lab successfully defended his thesis entitled, "Evolution on Fast-Forward: EcDNA-Driven Adaptive Trajectories at Single-Cell Resolution" and earned his PhD. Following his PhD, Jingting will be continuing his passion for cancer biology as a post-doc toward becoming an independent PI dedicated to precision medicine and improving patient outcomes.
3 months ago
Christopher Shelby, a doctoral student in the laboratory of Dr. Brian Kuhlman, successfully defended his PhD dissertation in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics on March 9, 2026. His dissertation, titled “Enhancing enzymatic bioconjugation efficiency via computer-based installation of a substrate recruitment domain,” focused on improving enzymatic bioconjugation through computationally guided protein design. The work highlights new strategies for increasing reaction efficiency by engineering substrate recruitment mechanisms.
3 months ago
University earns JED Campus alumni status: The national collegiate mental health program’s designation recognizes Carolina’s ongoing efforts to strengthen support for student well-being.
3 months ago
We would like to honor Mary Ellen Jones, PhD. You may recognize her name from the building that sits on the edge of the UNC Medical Center campus, but Jones is recognized for so much more.
3 months ago
We have launched a new research video series to spotlight the breadth and impact of its basic science discoveries. Featuring faculty laboratories, the series uses short, professionally produced videos to share how foundational research drives advances in human health. The initiative expands the department’s reach through visual storytelling across UNC Health and university digital platforms.
4 months ago
Alumna spotlight ✨ Gabrielle Dardis ’23 marks an exciting promotion at RTI Health Solutions—click to read more about her journey after Carolina.
4 months ago
We are delighted to announce that Dr. Clint Stalnecker joined the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics as a tenure-track Assistant Professor, on December 15, 2025. He has been appointed as a full member of the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
5 months ago
Over half the articles in Fall 2025's issue feature our labs—discover 14 stories of innovation and student-driven science in UNC’s top research magazine. Special thanks to Carolyn Clabo!
5 months ago
We are delighted to announce that Dr. Joanna Kovalski has joined the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics as a tenure-track Assistant Professor, effective January 12, 2026. She has been appointed as a full member of the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.