Celebrating the 2025 GMS Outstanding Student Achievement Award Winners
Todd W. Dowrey
PhD in Molecular & Translational Medicine, Program in Biomedical Sciences
Outstanding Student Achievement Award: PhD Research Category
Dowrey matriculated into the PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS) in 2020 before transferring to the department of Molecular and Translational Medicine (MTM). He completed his research with Associate Professor of Medicine George Murphy, PhD, who cofounded the BU and BMC Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM).
Dowrey’s research centers on understanding healthy aging by studying centenarians, individuals who live over 100 years, by developing a human stem cell–based model of resiliency. He studies how cells produced from centenarian subjects respond to stress and insult, and how these responses may be different and more effective than cells produced from a typical ager.
“We believe centenarians provide the blueprint to living longer, healthier lives due to not only their extended lifespan, but their extended health span, or years of life lived without disability, age-related disease, or cognitive decline,” Dowrey says.
This research works to address the limited amount of access and biomaterial available for collection and characterization from exceptional agers. During the pandemic, for example, accessing this older population was significantly more challenging out of concern for their safety.
Using a stem cell–based approach has allowed Dowrey and his lab mates to generate a renewable source of biomaterial to use for a variety of current and future projects.
Dowrey, who was a pioneer student for the Murphy Lab’s projects on aging, has successfully defended his dissertation, “Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell–Based Modeling of Resiliency: Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms of Exceptional Longevity.”
Looking ahead, Dowrey hopes to continue his research on regenerative medicine and healthy aging as he finishes his PhD and explores industry science positions in the field.
“Stem cell–based models are an area of high interest for their potential in regenerative medicine and the modeling of aging-related disease,” Dowrey says. “I plan to remain in these fields and work toward advancing our understanding of aging-related disease, and hopefully develop therapies aimed at combating these diseases and improving our resiliency.”
Gloria Urrutia
Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MAMS) Program
Outstanding Student Achievement Award: Master’s Research Category
Urrutia matriculated into the MAMS program in 2023, graduating in May 2025. For her thesis, Urrutia worked on projects addressing educational and healthcare barriers that disproportionately affect underrepresented communities.
For her thesis working with Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics Marisol Lopez, PhD, Urrutia investigated how technical flaws in physiology multiple-choice question (MCQ) assessments impact graduate and professional student performance.
The mixed-methods approach found that flawed MCQs may favor students who have knowledge of test-taking strategies and can navigate misleading question and answer choices. The research highlights the importance of effective MCQ construction in ensuring equitable assessments for students.
Urrutia also worked on two clinical research projects focused on improving healthcare communication and education among Latinx and Caribbean communities. In the first project, she worked with Assistant Professor of Medicine Shana A.B. Burrowes, PhD, CPH, to explore patient-provider communication around antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections.
In the second project, she worked with Assistant Professor of Medicine Katherine Rizzolo, MD, to conduct Spanish-language interviews with Latinx patients to better understand their experiences with kidney disease education.
“[These projects] have given me the opportunity to uplift the voices of underrepresented communities and contribute to change through research,” Urrutia says.
This work is deeply meaningful for Urrutia. A first-generation Latina student, she was inspired to join these projects after participating in Lopez’s study investigating perceptions of minority students in physiology.
“Hearing the stories of students like me, as well as patients who resemble my own family members, motivates me to continue finding ways to help patients access the care and resources they need,” she says. “Whether through clinical or educational research, I’ve found that meaningful solutions come from listening to those we aim to serve, and that is what continues to guide my work.”
This year, Urrutia presented her research at the American Physiological Society Summit and the International Association of Medical Science Educators Conference.
“These research experiences have deepened my commitment to supporting underrepresented populations,” she says. “I look forward to continuing this work and integrating it into my future career in healthcare and research.”
Marine Chido Nimblette
Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MAMS) Program
Outstanding Student Achievement Award: Master’s Community Service
Nimblette, a member of the MAMS Class of 2025, served on the 2024–2025 mayorappointed SPARK team, a volunteer leadership and civic engagement council for Boston residents ages 20 to 35. As part of SPARK, she advised Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on programs and policies that affect young adults across the city.
Nimblette represented the Fenway/Kenmore area, where she helped set policy priorities, address city issues, plan for Boston’s future, and increase civic engagement.
In February 2025, Nimblette designed a Black History Month campaign encouraging Bostonians to shop at Black-owned businesses across the city.
The campaign urged residents to have conversations about supporting Black-owned businesses and to celebrate culture in a tangible way. It culminated in a celebration at The Mix, a Black-owned restaurant in Dorchester, where Nimblette and her fellow SPARK members honored campaign participants.
“ I plan to continue using both my personal time and my role on SPARK Boston to uplift local communities, especially by advocating for civic participation and highlighting Black entrepreneurs.”
The daughter of immigrant parents from Grenada and Zimbabwe who run their own family business, Nimblette credits her parents for teaching her to value and participate in community service. “
Growing up within a small, family-owned business gave me a deep understanding of the unique challenges that Black business owners face every day,” Nimblette says. “No matter where I am, I make it a priority to dedicate my personal time to support and uplift Black entrepreneurs and help ease some of those everyday stressors.”
Nimblette also worked on several events encouraging Gen-Z Bostonians to register to vote during the 2024 presidential election campaign, including voter registration events at the Museum of Fine Arts and several community roundtables with SPARK members.
“I enjoyed seeing firsthand how accessible and joyful civic engagement can be when young people are invited into the process in creative ways. I plan to continue using both my personal time and my role on SPARK Boston to uplift local communities, especially by advocating for civic participation and highlighting Black entrepreneurs,” she says. “I’m particularly passionate about initiatives that blend health education, policy, and entrepreneurship.”