GSBS students take home research prize

Dan Mullen Awards for Best Posters named at 17th annual research retreat

Three students from the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences received the Dan Mullen Awards for Best Posters at the 17th annual UMMS Research Retreat recently. Daniel N. Bolon, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry & molecular pharmacology, organized this year’s judging and said there were a large number of deserving posters.

Kendall L. Knight, PhD, associate dean of basic and biomedical sciences division, vice provost of admissions and professor of biochemistry & molecular pharmacology, said this year’s winners “represent exactly what the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences looks for in young scientists: a willingness to tackle difficult questions in the biological sciences, as well as both the intellect and persistence to find answers.”

This year’s recipients are:

· Allie Muthukumar, a PhD student in the lab of Marc R. Freeman, PhD, associate professor of neurobiology, for the poster titled “Regulation of the GABA transporter by neuron-astrocyte signaling.”

· Tsun-Kai (Kevin) Chang, a PhD student in the lab of Eric H. Baehrecke, PhD, professor of cancer biology, for the poster titled “Autophagy in Drosophila midgut requires Uba1.”

· Caroline Duffy, a PhD student in the lab of Mary Munson, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry & molecular pharmacology and cell & developmental biology, for the poster titled “The yeast exocyst complex: purification and initial steps towards architecture.”