Spotlights
Students, Faculty & Alumni
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, 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... 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... 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.
GMS PhD Spotlight: Ellen Suder
Ellen Suder is a May 2025 PhD candidate in the graduate program in Virology, Immunology & Microbiology. Ellen’s dissertation research investigates how filoviruses such as Ebola and Marburg virus regulate their gene expression processes, focusing on the transcriptional activities of the filovirus-specific protein VP30. Ellen matriculated into GMS via the Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS). Learn more about Ellen’s journey below! What did you complete your dissertation research on and how did you settle on that... More
GMS PhD Spotlight: Stacy Jankowski (MTM ’25)
Stacy Jankowski is a PhD candidate in the GMS Graduate Program in Molecular & Translational Medicine, through the Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS). Stacy’s research in the lab of Dr. Maria Kukuruzinska investigates serine and the synthesis pathway’s impact on cell plasticity through epigenetic modification in oral squamous cell carcinoma. She matriculated into BU after working in industry as a Senior Research Associate and plans to return to industry once she graduates in May 2025. 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... 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... 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 &... 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... More