Spotlights
Students, Faculty & Alumni
PhD Student Spotlight: Kara Vasilew
In her four years in Graduate Medical Sciences, Kara Vasilew has used both her scientific acumen to perform novel research and her voice to advocate for wide-reaching change across the Medical Campus and beyond. Vasilew entered Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine in 2020 under the PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS). Vasilew was born in California to parents from Scotland. When it came time to attend college in 2014, Vasilew took the jump and... More
GMS Alumna Chadene Tremaglio, PhD, Talks Careers in Science, Teaching, and Balancing with Parenthood
Boston University Broadening Experience in Scientific Training (BU’s BEST) hosted GMS alumna Chadene Tremaglio, PhD, for a lunchtime Alumni Career Talk with Graduate Medical Sciences students. The event, hosted on Tuesday, Dec. 5, in L-403, filled the classroom with 36 registrants for Tremaglio’s visit. Tremaglio’s presentation, titled “My Adventures in Balancing a Career in Science and Motherhood,” discussed her assistant professor position at USJ, her career path from her own undergraduate years until now, and advice... More
GMS Faculty Spotlight: Andrew Henderson, PhD
Andrew Henderson, PhD, has spent the last 16 years at the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, during which time he has both performed groundbreaking research and been a part of developing two innovative PhD-training pathway programs in Graduate Medical Sciences (GMS). Henderson is professor of medicine/infectious diseases and virology, immunology & microbiology . He also serves as the assistant dean of research for Graduate Medical Sciences. Henderson completed his PhD training at the University of California, More
Carryl Navalta, PhD, Receives HRSA Grant for Project EDUCATE
Carryl Navalta, PhD, a core faculty member in the Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine Program at Graduate Medical Sciences, was recently awarded a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Grant for Project EDUCATE (Education to Deliver and Utilize Child and Adolescent Treatment Effectively). Dr. Navalta is also a clinical associate professor of psychiatry within the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Project EDUCATE aims to train the next generation of mental health counselors... More
Student Spotlight: Ciara Coger (MHCBM ’24)
Ciara Coger is a second-year student in the Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine program at Graduate Medical Sciences. Ciara’s research studies lay beliefs and lay theories surrounding COVID-19 health disparities in the United States. She hopes to continue her pursuit of both clinical work and multicultural psychological research. Learn more about Ciara below! Tell me about your journey to Boston University. Are you from the Boston area? I spent most of my... More
First-Gen Student Spotlight: Valeria Oller (MAMS ’24)
Valeria Oller is a second-year student in the Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MAMS) program at Graduate Medical Sciences. Valeria is a first-generation student and a Community Catalyst Center mentor in the gFIRST (First-Generation) and gSOC (Students of Color) affinity groups. She is currently completing her thesis research at Mass General Hospital. Read more about Valeria below! Graduate Medical Sciences is publishing this Spotlight as part of the BU-wide First-Generation College Celebration Week, which recognizes... More
From the Brink: Updating the Science of Bloodstain Analysis and Forensics
Deep Dive Video: Updating the Science of Bloodstain Analysis and Forensics The Brink; Oct. 20, 2023 A recent Deep Dive video from The Brink featured Kenneth Martin, MS, a clinical instructor in the Graduate Medical Sciences MS in Biomedical Forensic Sciences Program. The video discusses current work at the BU Fluid Lab, where James Bird, PhD, an ENG associate professor of mechanical engineering, is working to study the complex interactions of human blood on different surfaces. See the full... More
GMS Student Spotlight: Kelly Chen (MAMS ’24)
Kelly Chen is a second-year master's student in the Graduate Medical Sciences MS in Medical Sciences (MAMS) program. She is currently completing her MAMS thesis at the Division of Digital Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, under the direction of John Torous, MD, MBI. Chen works with the division's Digital Clinic, a program offering one-on-one, short-term cognitive behavioral therapy with a clinician that is augmented with a smartphone app. She is also involved with... More
GMS Alumni Spotlight: Alina Bazarian (MAMS ’16)
Alina Bazarian is a 2016 graduate of the Boston University Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MAMS) program, one of the oldest Special Master’s Programs (SMPs) in the United States. Alina completed medical school in 2023 as part of the inaugural class of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and recently began her residency as part of the inaugural Family Medicine Residency Program cohort at Albany Medical Center - Saratoga Hospital. Alina is a first-generation... More
BU Alum Drew Weissman (CAMED’87, GRS’87, Hon’23) Wins 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine
BU Alum Drew Weissman Wins 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine for Breakthrough mRNA Technology that led to COVID Vaccines Bostonia; October 2, 2023 Drew Weissman (CAMED '87, GRS '87, Hon'23), alongside his research collaborator, Katalin Karikó, won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work in pioneering the technology behind the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Weissman earned both an MD and PhD from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, studying microbiology and immunology. Read... More