Congratulations to our graduate students on their accomplishments!
2023 Student Awards
2023 Solomon Klotz Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Immunology Research
Anamaria Morales, Nguyen lab
First Place, 17th Annual Biomedical Sciences Graduate Student Symposium
Anamaria Morales Alvarez, Nguyen lab
“GPR84 receptor: A Novel Metabolic Checkpoint Blockade for Cancer Immunotherapy”
Second Place, 17th Annual Biomedical Sciences Graduate Student Symposium
Emeline Ward, Gilbertson lab
“Distinct Fatty Acid Signaling Pathways in Type II and Type III Taste Cells”
Third Place, 17th Annual Biomedical Sciences Graduate Student Symposium
Kaylyn Scanlon, T. Jewett lab
“Chlamydia trachomatis Early Effector TmeB Inhibits Arp2/3 Driven Actin Polymerization”
2023 UCF Student Scholar Symposium Award
Christopher Ngo, Zhang lab
“The Use of a Designer Nanozyme to Mitigate Osteoclastic Formation”
2023 UCF Student Scholar Symposium Award
Holly Moots, Phanstiel lab
“First In-Class LAT-1 Efflux Agonists for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancers”
2023 UCF Student Scholar Symposium Award
Anamaria Morales Alvarez, Nguyen lab
“GPR84 Receptor: A Novel Metabolic Checkpoint Blockade for Cancer Immunotherapy”
2023 UCF Student Scholar Symposium Award
Piotr Lagod, Naser lab
“The Role of Propionic Acid in Glial Cell Over-Proliferation and Neuro- and Gastrointestinal-Inflammation Associated With Autism Spectrum Disorder”
2023 UCF Student Scholar Symposium Award
Ala’ Alhendi, Naser lab
“The Damaging Effect of Upregulated IL-6 on Intestinal Epithelial Integrity and Function in Crohn’s Disease”
2023 AAI Minority Scientist Travel Award, Immunologists AAI Annual Meeting
Valeria Flores Malavet, Strutt lab
2023 AAI Trainee Poster Award, Immunologists AAI Annual Meeting
Mishfak Abdullah Mohamed Mansoor, Strutt lab
2nd Place, American Physiology Society (APS) Summit Emerging Scientist Award for SPARC Trainees Competition
Kohlton Bendowski, Cheng lab
“Topographical Distribution and Morphology of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) Axons in the flat-mounts of the whole heart in male and female mice”
2022 Student Awards
Order of Pegasus
Charles Didier, Rajaraman lab
First Place, 16th Annual Biomedical Sciences Graduate Student Symposium
Monica Bohmer, D. Chakrabarti lab
“Identification of a novel type II kinase inhibitor with therapeutic and prophylactic antimalarial activities”
Second Place, 16th Annual Biomedical Sciences Graduate Student Symposium
Valeria Flores Malavet, Strutt lab
“Memory T cells induced by live attenuated influenza vaccination prevent the adverse outcomes of maternal IAV infection”
Third Place, 16th Annual Biomedical Sciences Graduate Student Symposium
Sarah Noureddine, Masternak lab
“MicroRNA-449a reduces growth hormone stimulated senescent burden through PI3K-mTOR signaling pathway”
Judges’ Choice Award in Graduate STEM, 2022 UCF Student Scholar Symposium
Breven Simcox, Rohde lab
“DosRS Mediated Adaptation of Mycobacterium abscessus to Hypoxic Stress”
Judges’ Choice Award in Graduate STEM, 2022 UCF Student Scholar Symposium
Valeria Flores Malavet, Strutt lab
“Memory T Cells Induced by Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccination Prior to Pregnancy Protect the Maternal-Fetal Unit Against Lethal Infection”
Judges’ Choice Award in Graduate STEM, 2022 UCF Student Scholar Symposium
Ayushi Srivastava, Singla lab
“BMP-7 Ameliorates Ponatinib-Induced Muscle Cell Toxicity: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study”
Judges’ Choice Award in Graduate STEM, 2022 UCF Student Scholar Symposium
Sarah Noureddine, Masternak lab
“MicroRNA-449a Reduces Growth Hormone Stimulated Senescent Burden Through Pi3K-mTOR Signaling Pathway”
Judges’ Choice Award in Graduate STEM, 2022 UCF Student Scholar Symposium
Sarah Ashiqueali, Masternak lab
“Investigating the Role of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B Inhibitor Trodusquemine on Lipid Metabolism in the Livers of UMHET3 Mice”
Judges’ Choice Distinction, 2022 UCF Student Scholar Symposium
Sai Preethi Nakkina, Altomare lab
“Combating Tumor-Associated Immune Suppression in Pancreatic Cancer Using Novel Combinatorial Therapeutics”
2021 Student Awards
Order of Pegasus
Michael Rohr, Altomare lab
Graduate Dean Dissertation Completion Fellowship
Naima Dahir, Gilbertson lab
Daniel Nierenberg, Khaled lab
Graduate Research Support Award
Caroline Finn, McKinstry lab
Darlene Ramos, M. Jewett lab
Jonhoi Smith, Sugaya lab
Monica Bohmer, D. Chakrabarti lab
2019 Student Awards
Chateaubriand Fellowship Winner
Nicholas Castaneda, Kang lab
First Place, 3 Minute Thesis Award
Nasif Sayeed, Sugaya Lab
Helen Kay Charitable Trust Award
Sai Preethi Nakkina, Altomare lab
“Role of polyamines in pancreatic cancer”
Helen Kay Charitable Trust Award
Naima Dahir, Gilbertson Lab
“Sex differences in fatty acid signaling”
2019 BSBS Solomon Klotz Excellence in Immunology and Allergy Award
Madelyn Miller, Tigno-Aranjuez Lab
“Identification of LMAN1 as a Novel Receptor for House Dust Mite”
2019 BSBS Solomon Klotz Excellence in Immunology and Allergy Award
Kritika Kedarinath, Parks lab
“Innate immune responses limit Zika Virus cell killing”