Dear Alumni and Friends,
A few Highlights from 2022-2023 Click each blue link to expand our highlighted news. There are over 200 news posts on our website, please look through all our content when you have time. We have so much to celebrate.
Department News
March is Women’s History Month
Mary Ellen Jones: A Woman of Many Firsts
Cook Named Chair of Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Jeanette Cook, PhD, has been named chair. She began her new role on July 11, 2022.
Our Research Retreat was held on October 21 at the Museum of Life and Science
Our keynote speaker was Dr. Mary Munson. We held a DEI/Career panel to expose our trainees to both academic and non-academic career paths.
International Women’s Day 2023
Highlighted photos of our researchers and staff.
Faculty News
Killing Cancerous Brain Cells — Aziz Sancar
Experiments from the Sancar lab show how a common molecular tool for DNA labeling also has anticancer properties worthy of further investigation, especially for brain cancers.
Exploring The Beginnings of Life
Scientists Charles Carter, Qi Zhang, and Abigail Knight were awarded $1 million from the W.M. Keck Foundation to answer the age-old question: How did life on Earth begin?
A Convergent Code — Brian Strahl
The growing field of epigenetics holds the promise of future treatments for those facing cancer and rare diseases.
Dr. Nikea Pittman named teaching assistant professor in June
Sharon Campbell receives an Award for Excellent in Basic Science Mentoring
“She inspires, motivates, encourages, and guides students in pursuing their passions and reaching their full potential and scientific goals.”
Gary Pielak awarded the 2023 Johnston Teaching Excellence Award
Congrats to Dr. Gary Pielak, Kenan Distinguished Professor for being awarded the 2023 Johnston Teaching Excellence Award. Prof. Pielak has a 30-yr track record of top-notch teaching & research.
Dr. Chrystal Starbird joined the department in February
Spotlight on research in Jill Dowen’s lab
Gabrielle Dardis graduate student communicator profiles the Dowen Lab in this article and video.
more faculty news
Student News
Cathy Spangler (2022 alum) receives 2023 Dean’s Distinguished Dissertation Award
She was recognized for creating exceptional dissertations in the field of biological and life sciences.
Celebrating Black History Month—Xavier Bonner
We have many students who received PhDs this year, our most recent graduate is Dr. Odessa Goudy
Thesis Defense title: “Computational design of autoinhibitory domains for a protease-activated PD-L1 inhibitor”
Congratulations to grad student Dalia Fleifel for being awarded a Predoctoral Fellowship from AHA
Her project title is “Angiogenesis regulation by c-Myc-mediated endothelial cell proliferation”
Spotlight on research in the Neher lab at UNC Chapel Hill with Uriel Jean-Baptiste
Dalia Fleifel graduate student communicator profiles the Neher Lab in this article.
more student news
Postdoc News
Post-Doc spotlight: Leiah Carey PhD
Dr. Carey talks about her research projects over the past 5 years.
Dr. Kathryn Gunn receives K99 Pathway to Independence Award from the NIGMS
Congratulations to Dr. Gunn for receiving the highly prestigious K99/R00 award!
Postdoc Kevin Cannon has the cover article in the March 2023 issue of Journal of Cell Biology
The cover image shows a maximum projection of Ashyba gossypii expressing the septin Cdc11a-GFP where color corresponds to the Z-height.
Researchers publish in Advanced Science: Innate immunity-independent STING function is identified as a vulnerability in kidney cancer
Efforts from various labs have recently identified an innate immunity-independent function of STING in kidney cancer that can be explored as a potential therapeutic target in treating kidney cancer.
more postdoc news
Staff News
Ray to Retire After Nearly 50 Years of Service
Marsha Lynn Ray retired at the end of 2022. Lynn has been a driving force in the Department for more than 15 years.
Staff receive excellence awards in 2022
Garrett Chappell of Berlow lab and Rhonda Strickland were honored at the year end holiday party in December 2022.
Welcome new staff member, Larry Adams
He is a new staff accountant with the UNC Finance and Research Support Team.
more staff news
Alumni News
Reem Hakeem PhD (2022 alum) publishes research in ACS Nano
In this research, the authors build a hydrogel system with gradients of stiffness to better understand how durotaxis migration works.
Stephani Page (2015) featured in 3-part video series on Forbes Twitter
more alumni news
As a friend and family of the UNC Biochemistry and Biophysics, we need your help on March 28, 2023, and any time of the year. We pulled together some opportunities where you can make an impact below.