Breadth and Depth of GMS Research on Display at Inaugural Research Symposium
This story was first published on the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine news website on April 25, 2025. Please find a full slideshow of pictures from the Research Symposium at the bottom of this article. The inaugural Graduate Medical Sciences (GMS) Research Symposium was held on April 10 in Hiebert Lounge with more than 150 students, faculty and staff attending. The symposium featured talks by postdoctoral fellows, PhD and MD/PhD students who were selected for Research Talk Awards, as well as nearly 80 poster presentations highlighting the wide range of work being done by postdoctoral researchers, MD/PhD, PhD and master’s... More
GMS PhD Spotlight: Riley Pihl (MTM ’25)
Riley Pihl is a PhD candidate in the lab of Assistant Professor of Medicine Katrina Traber, MD, PhD. Riley matriculated into the Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS) in 2020 before transitioning into the Molecular and Translational Medicine program. His research in the Traber Lab focused on neutrophil regulation during acute bacterial pneumonia. Riley defended his dissertation in March 2025 and will graduate in May. Learn more about Riley below! What did you complete your dissertation research on? How did you settle on that topic? My dissertation focused on neutrophil regulation during acute bacterial pneumonia. I joined a lab with a new PI... More
Introducing Our 2025 GMS Commencement Speakers!
We are quickly counting down to Spring 2025 Commencement, where the Graduate Medical Sciences community will come together and celebrate this year’s graduating students. Today, we are excited to introduce you to the four students selected to speak at this year’s GMS Convocation exercises. Three students were chosen to speak at the Master’s Ceremony, and one student was chosen to represent GMS at the MD & PhD Ceremony. All speakers were nominated by their programs, and finalists were selected by a committee of GMS representatives. Meet Yousuf Al Naseri, Joshua Kidwell, Cynthia Ordoñez Salguero and Jhonatan Henao Vasquez below! YOUSUF AL NASERI Master of Science... More
GMS C3 Student Intern Honored as BU Graduate Student Employee of the Year
We are so proud of our GMS Community Catalyst Center student intern, Crystal Vejar (MAMS '25), who has been honored as Boston University's Graduate Student Employee of the Year! During her internship, Crystal has taken the lead on planning and implementing C3 events and communicating with mentors and students across C3's eight affinity groups. She is a dedicated peer mentor, a sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve, and a lab research assistant at the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Crystal will soon graduate from the MS in Medical Sciences program at GMS and begin medical school in the fall. Congratulations, Crystal!... More
GMS Hosts 5 Days of Graduate & Professional Student Appreciation Week Events
Graduate Medical Sciences Student Affairs, GMS Professional Development and the Community Catalyst Center celebrated the accomplishments of our students during Graduate & Professional Student Appreciation Week from April 7 to 11. Throughout the week, we hosted a variety of events that brought students together for community building, social interaction, academic enrichment, wellness, and professional development. Read the full recap below! Monday, April 7: Succulents, Snacks & Student Wellbeing Student Affairs, Professional Development, C3 and Student Wellbeing teamed up for the first event of GPSAW, which invited students to relax, paint a terracotta pot, and bring home a new succulent. Around 40 students from across GMS... More
Student Spotlight: Filip Engström (HEM ’25)
Filip Engström is a student in the Healthcare Emergency Management master’s program at Graduate Medical Sciences. Originally from Sweden, Filip is a double Terrier who also earned bachelor’s degrees in human physiology and psychology from Boston University. Filip is currently researching management of mass casualty incidents for his master’s thesis and will soon matriculate into medical school. Learn more about Filip below! Tell me about your journey to Boston. What was your background prior to coming to Boston University? I was born in Sweden and moved around a lot as a child. I went to a boarding school in the United States... More
Physician Assistant Program Rises in U.S. News & World Report Rankings
The 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings are out and the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine’s Master of Science Physician Assistant (PA) Program rose 34 places to tie for 26th among all PA programs in the country. The program began enrolling students in April 2014 with its first class graduating in 2016. Since then 240 students have graduated. The seven-semester program was created to help address a critical shortage of physicians in the U.S. BU was first ranked by U.S. News & World Report in 2023. “The movement up the ranking from 50 to 26 is an... More
PhD Spotlight: Devin Kenney, PhD
Devin Kenney, PhD, is a January 2025 graduate of the PhD Program in Microbiology at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. During his time in Graduate Medical Sciences, Devin’s dissertation research focused on human immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the factors that contribute to mild versus severe COVID-19 disease. Devin successfully defended his dissertation and now works as a post-doctoral fellow in the lab of Associate Professor Mohsan Saeed, PhD. Learn more about Devin below! What did you complete your dissertation research on and how did you settle on that topic? My dissertation project was focused on understanding human... More
Save the Date: Graduate & Professional Student Appreciation Week 2025
Graduate Medical Sciences is thrilled to celebrate the invaluable contributions of our graduate and professional student community during this year's Graduate & Professional Student Appreciation Week! From April 7 to 11, join us for a week of social, academic and professional development events, food and swag pickups, and more to mark the occasion. Check out a full list of GPSAW 2025 events at GMS below: Monday, April 7 Office Hours with Assistant Dean for Diversity & Inclusion Dr. Shoumita Dasgupta Noon to 1 p.m. in L-306 (C3 Suite) Get to know Dr. Dasgupta with a safe space to bring up issues related to navigating your... More
Student Spotlight: Cynthia Ordoñez Salguero (MHCBM ’25)
Cynthia Ordoñez Salguero is a second-year student in the Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine program at Graduate Medical Sciences. She is currently completing an internship as an Integrated Behavioral Health Clinician in the Pediatric and Adolescent Clinic at Boston Medical Center. Cynthia is also an artist whose paintings explore the balance between grief and joy. Cynthia’s artwork will be on display in the GMS Suite (L-317) through April 30, and you can read her full artistic bio by clicking here. We spoke to Cynthia about her journey to Boston University, her art, and her goals in the... More