Living Longer and Living Healthier: The intersection of regenerative medicine and healthful aging
What’s the key to healthful aging? Ask George Murphy, PhD, associate professor of medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. The Murphy Lab applies stem cell-based models and regenerative medicine to develop and advance techniques in the advancing fields of geroscience and aging biology. Rather than studying disease itself, the Murphy Lab studies resilience. Murphy’s team imagines a world where people can prevent aging-related diseases and spend more years of their lives delaying or completely avoiding disease or disability. “In this way, we are using models of human resiliency in a dish to discover the genes and pathways that are... More
Vickery Trinkaus-Randall, PhD, and Steven Borkan, MD, Receive $1.6M Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) Award to Train MD/PhD Students
Read full article Congratulations to Vickery Trinkaus-Randall, PhD, professor of biochemistry & cell biology, and ophthalmology, and Steven Borkan, MD, associate professor of medicine, who have received a multi-PI Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The $1.6 million award is the first received by BU for the MD/PhD program. It will contribute to the training of at least four MD/PhD students per year to become clinician scientists through research and clinical training opportunities. Trinkaus-Randall and Borkan both serve as co-directors of the MD/PhD program. Learn more about the MSTP Award in the full Chobanian & Avedisian School of... More
Congratulations to Our 2025 GMS Educator and Mentor Awardees!
Each year, the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine honors Graduate Medical Sciences faculty who deliver exceptional education and mentorship to graduate students in masters and doctoral programs. The awards are granted based on recommendations from across GMS programs. This year, GMS is pleased to share that Elizabeth Duffy, MA, and Barbara Schreiber, PhD, have been awarded the 2024 Educator of the Year awards, and that Neil Ganem, PhD, has been awarded the Excellence in Research Mentorship (GMS) award. Read more about the awardees below: Elizabeth Duffy, MA GMS Educator of the Year (Masters Programs) Professor Duffy serves as director of the... More
GMS Spotlight: Kanishka Mehra (MHCBM ’25)
Kanishka Mehra is a May 2025 graduate of the Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine at Graduate Medical Sciences. In her work as a therapist, Kanishka aims to work with adolescents, young adults, and midlife adults through transitional periods that can hold the potential for transformation. Throughout the last two years, Kanishka has also worked as the Marketing & Communications student intern for GMS, where she created content for social media, designed the biweekly newsletter and managed the online calendar. Learn more about Kanishka’s journey below! Tell me a bit about your journey to Boston. What brought... More
Congratulations to the Graduate Medical Sciences Class of 2025!
Over 300 Graduate Medical Sciences students crossed the stage at the 2025 Master’s and MD & PhD convocation ceremonies, held Thursday, May 15 at the Boston University Track & Tennis Center. The Master’s Ceremony started at 10 a.m., followed by the MD & PhD Ceremony at 3 p.m. Graduates from August 2024 and January 2025, as well as degree candidates from May 2025 and August 2025, participated. As of May 2025, GMS has conferred the following degrees: 42 PhD 5 MD/PhD 35 MA 322 MS 2 MS/MPH 2 MS/MS 1 MA/MS GMS will soon confer degrees to August 2025 degree candidates. Four students spoke... More
Congratulations to Our 2025 Outstanding Student Achievement Award Winners!
Graduate Medical Sciences has awarded three high-achieving, graduating students with Outstanding Student Achievement Awards in the categories of “Community Service” and “Outstanding Research.” The “Outstanding Research” Award recognizes achievement related to scientific impact, breakthroughs and intellectual contributions during a student’s time at GMS. The “Community Service” Award recognizes initiative and leadership related to service either in fulfillment of graduate school requirements or extracurricular efforts. Each student who won an award has made exceptional contributions to their departments and communities. Meet Todd W. Dowrey, Gloria Urrutia and Marine Chido Nimblette below. Todd W. Dowrey '25 PhD in Molecular & Translational Medicine, Program in... More
2025 Outstanding Student Achievement Award: Master’s Community Service Category
Marine Chido Nimblette Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MAMS) Program Nimblette is a member of the MS in Medical Sciences graduating class of 2025. Since 2024, she has served as one of 38 mayor-appointed members of the SPARK Boston Council, where she advises Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on programs and policies that affect 20- to 35-year-olds across the city. As council members, Nimblette and her cohort each represent a Boston neighborhood. Nimblette represents the Fenway/Kenmore area, where she helps set policy priorities, address city issues, plan for Boston’s future and increase civic engagement. She also meets monthly with city cabinet members... More
2025 Outstanding Student Achievement Award: Master’s Research Category
Gloria Urrutia '25 Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MAMS) Program Urrutia matriculated into the MS in Medical Sciences (MAMS) Program in 2023 and is preparing to graduate in May 2025. During her thesis year, Urrutia has worked on several projects addressing overlooked educational and healthcare barriers that disproportionately affect underrepresented communities. For her thesis alongside 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... More
2025 Outstanding Student Achievement Award: PhD Research Category
Todd W. Dowrey '25 PhD in Molecular & Translational Medicine, Program in Biomedical Sciences Dowrey matriculated into the PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS) in 2020 before transitioning to the Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine (MTM) following his first rotation year. He currently works in the lab of Assistant Professor of Medicine George Murphy, PhD, who co-founded the Boston University and Boston Medical Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM). Dowrey first joined the lab as a technician prior to beginning his PhD. Dowrey’s research centers on understanding healthy aging by studying centenarians, or individuals who live over 100 years, by developing a human... More
CReM Founding Director Darrell Kotton, MD, Named BU Innovator of the Year
Darrell Kotton, MD, founding director of the Boston University and Boston Medical Center Center for Regenerative Medicine, has been named BU's Innovator of the Year. Kotton is a mentor in Graduate Medical Sciences whose research focuses on advancing understanding of lung disease and developmental biology using stem cell biology and gene therapy. The Brink highlighted Kotton's award and research as a leading scientist in regenerative medicine. Read the full story here.