Spotlights
Students, Faculty & Alumni
GMS Student Spotlight: Riley Scherer ‘26
Riley Scherer is a second-year student in the Master of Science in Forensic Anthropology Program at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. During her time at Graduate Medical Sciences, Riley has researched the taphonomic effects of sharks, studying how shark feeding activity could affect bones that are found in marine environments. Riley earned her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with a concentration in Forensics from the University of Montana in Missoula. Learn more... More
GMS Alumni Spotlight: Omer Elrayah, DMD, MS ‘18
Omer Elrayah, DMD, MS, is a 2018 graduate of the Master of Science in Oral Health Sciences Program at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Following his graduation from Graduate Medical Sciences, Omer attended Tufts University School of Dental Medicine before taking on roles in community health and private practice settings in New England. He also worked as a clinical instructor for third- and fourth-year dental students in Boston. Omer founded Remo Brush, More
GMS PhD Student Wins Boston University Life Sciences Case Competition, Discovering New Career Paths
Sanjana Bhagavatula, a third-year PhD student in the Department of Genetics and Genomics, did not expect that participating in a business school case competition would change how she thinks about her future. After participating in (and winning) the third annual Boston University Healthcare Case Competition in February, however, she discovered that her skills as a scientist extend far beyond the lab. Hosted by the BU Questrom School of Business, the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and... More
GMS Alumni Spotlight: Jennifer Abovich, ‘25
Jennifer Abovich is an August 2025 graduate of the Master of Science in Clinical Research program at Graduate Medical Sciences. Jennifer works at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where she focuses on oncology early access programs providing investigational treatments to patients with unmet medical needs. Her time in the MSCR program provided her with additional training to pursue her long-term goal of advancing oncology clinical research and improving access to innovative therapies for patients around the world. Learn... More
GMS Alumni Spotlight: Ricardo Almiron, MS ‘25
Ricardo Almiron is a 2025 graduate of the master’s program in Biomedical Research Technologies at Graduate Medical Sciences. His research in the lab of Dr. Vipul Chitalia focuses on the effect of the enzyme IDO1 on the buildup of uremic toxins in chronic kidney disease patients. Ricardo next plans to apply for a PhD program. Read more below! Tell me a bit about your journey to Boston. What brought you to Boston University? Before I came to... More
GMS Alumni Spotlight: Sophia Nosek ’25
Sophia Nosek is a 2025 graduate of the Master of Science in Clinical Research program at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Sophia currently works as the Research Program Manager for the post-mortem UNITE Brain Bank Study at the BU Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Center, where she also worked full-time as she pursued her degree at Graduate Medical Sciences. Her research interest lies in the different modifying factors that might play a role... More
GMS Alumni Spotlight: Ana Vitantonio, PhD, ‘25
Ana Vitantonio is a 2025 graduate of the PhD Program in Biomolecular Pharmacology at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Her dissertation research in the lab of Professor of Anatomy & Neurobiology Douglas Rosene investigated how lifelong caloric restriction modulates brain aging. Ana has accepted a postdoctoral position at the University of Barcelona in Spain, where she will be taking on research investigating brain cancer. Read more about Ana below! Tell me a bit... More
GMS Faculty Spotlight: Sean Tallman, PhD, RPA
Sean Tallman is an associate professor in the Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, with secondary affiliations with the Department of Anthropology and Program in Archaeology on the Charles River Campus. He is a biological anthropologist who specializes in forensic anthropology, human skeletal biology, and forensic archaeology. In the Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Dr. Tallman teaches, researches and advises students through his Forensic and Bioanthropology Laboratory (FAB-Lab) Group in the Program in Forensic Anthropology. His... More
Graduate Medical Sciences MS in Genetic Counseling Program Celebrates 20 Years at Boston University
BUGCP is New England’s only genetic counseling program located in an academic medical center with a safety net hospital on campus In 2007, the Boston University School of Medicine (now Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine) graduated its first cohort from the Master of Science in Genetic Counseling program. The five-person cohort began their academic journeys in 2005, two years after the completion of the historic Human Genome Project that revolutionized our knowledge of genetics and... More
GMS Spotlight: Chelsey Skeete, PhD ’25
Chelsey Skeete’s passion for science began long before she matriculated into Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine in 2020. Born and raised in Boston, Skeete fondly remembers attending and participating in science fairs throughout the city and gravitating toward science books, even as a young child. As she progressed through school, teachers and mentors encouraged her to pursue extracurricular outreach opportunities that would bolster her interest in scientific research. “I was always very passionate... More