Spotlights
Students, Faculty & Alumni
2024 Outstanding Student Achievement Award: PhD Research Category
Anna Smith '24 Anna Smith is a PhD candidate in the Graduate Program in Molecular and Translational Medicine (MTM). She has been at Boston University for almost five years, having matriculated into the PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences in Fall 2019. Anna is completing her dissertation research in the lab of Associate Professor of Medicine Valerie Gouon-Evans, PhD, PharmD. Dr. Gouon-Evans directs the Boston University Liver Biologists (BULB) Program and is the associate director of the MTM... More
2024 Outstanding Student Achievement Award: PhD Community Service Category
Katharine Babcock, PhD, '24 Katharine Babcock is a January 2024 graduate of the PhD program in Anatomy & Neurobiology. She has been at Boston University for almost 10 years. From September 2014 to September 2016, she worked as a research assistant at the BU Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Center Brain Bank, before pursuing her master’s degree in the same lab until 2018. From 2018 to 2023, Katharine pursued her PhD, graduating in January 2024. She is... More
GMS PhD Spotlight: Guillermo Arroyo Ataz
Guillermo Arroyo Ataz is a Pathology PhD candidate in the lab of Assistant Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Dennis Jones, PhD. His research focuses on studying the developmental origin of cells of the lymphatic system. Guillermo defended his dissertation, “Characterization of Mesodermal Origins of Lymphatic Muscle Cells,” in March 2024 and will graduate in May 2024. Read more about Guillermo below! What did you complete your dissertation research on and how did you settle on... More
GMS PhD Spotlight: Emily Lewkowicz
Emily Lewkowicz is a Biophysics PhD candidate in the lab of Professor of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics Olga Gursky, PhD. Her dissertation research focused on the structural basis for the interactions of amyloids with their cofactors. Emily defended her dissertation, “Structural Basis for the Interactions of Amyloids with their Cofactors,” in March 2024 and will graduate in May 2024. Read more about Emily below! What did you complete your dissertation research on and how did you... More
GMS PhD Spotlight: Chelsea Webber
Chelsea Webber is a degree candidate in the GMS PhD Program in Biomolecular Pharmacology. Her dissertation research in the lab of Professor of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics Benjamin Wolozin, MD, PhD, focused on ways to decrease the overactivation of immune response in neurodegenerative diseases. Chelsea defended her dissertation in March 2024 and will graduate in May 2024. Read more about Chelsea below! What did you complete your dissertation research on and how did you settle on... More
GMS Master’s Spotlight: Elena Redmond (BMFS ’24)
Elena Redmond is a May 2024 degree candidate in the Biomedical Forensic Sciences (BMFS) master’s program. Her thesis research used a high-pressure mass spectrometer to create a library for detecting organic gunshot residue. Aside from her studies, Elena has spent almost two years working as an intern with the GMS Marketing & Communications team, where she took ownership over updating the web calendar, helping with Spotlight articles and assembling the bi-weekly GMS Press newsletter. Congratulations, Elena! We'll... More
GMS PhD Spotlight: Katie Babcock
Katie Babcock, PhD, is a January 2024 graduate of the PhD program in Anatomy & Neurobiology. Her dissertation research under Professor of Neurology & Pathology Ann McKee at the BU Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Center focused on changes in astrocytes in the brains of deceased former American football players. Katharine defended her dissertation in November 2023. Read more about Katie below! What did you complete your dissertation research on and how did you settle on that... More
Introducing Our 2024 Commencement Speakers!
We’re about five weeks away from Spring 2024 Commencement, where the Graduate Medical Sciences community will come together to celebrate this year’s graduating students. With the date fast approaching, we’d like to take a moment to highlight the four students selected to speak at this year’s GMS Commencement 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... More
GMS PhD Spotlight: Gian Sepulveda
Gian Sepulveda is a PhD candidate in the Graduate Program in Genetics & Genomics (GPGG). His research in the lab of Associate Professor of Biochemistry & Cell Biology Alla Grishok focuses on the interaction between the sole H3K79 methyltransferase, DOT1L, and the proto-oncogene c-MYC. He is also a Community Catalyst Center mentor in the gPLUS and gGLOBAL affinity groups. Gian defended his dissertation in March 2024 and will graduate in May 2024. Read more about... More
GMS PhD Spotlight: Táchira Pichardo
Táchira Pichardo is a PhD candidate in the Graduate Program in Molecular & Translational Medicine (MTM). Her research in the lab of Assistant Professor of Medicine Sarah Mazzilli, PhD, studies the progression of premalignancy in lung squamous cell carcinoma. Táchira defended her dissertation in March 2024 and will graduate in May 2024. Read more about Táchira below! What did you complete your dissertation research on and how did you settle on that topic? My dissertation research focused... More