OFFICE OF THE VICE DEAN FOR RESEARCH AND GRADUATE STUDIES BUSINESS NAME
Graduate Studies Newsletter Fall 2014
Inside this issue:
Program Updates
2
Announcements
2
Policy Corner
4
Events
5
Student Achievements
5
Awards
6
Publications and Presentations
6
Research Newsletter
Graduate Studies Office
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Graduate Studies Program Updates The Office of Research and Graduate Studies is delighted to announce that Dr. Warren Zimmer, Department of Medical Physiology, will be the new Director of the Medical Science program and the MD Plus program effective September 1, 2014. Dr. Zimmer received his Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Baylor College of Medicine in 1985, followed by post-doctoral training at Vanderbilt University College of Medicine in the Department of Pharmacology. He started his academic career at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine were he rose to the rank of Professor in 2003. Dr. Zimmer joined our college in 2004 and was appointed the Scott Exeter Endowed Professor in 2005. His research interests include differentiation and development, mechanisms of transcription factor action, and prostate cancer. In addition to his scientific accomplishments, Dr. Zimmer has a long history of academic service both within the college as well as nationally. Some of his administrative roles since joining our COM include being the Chair of the Departmental Realignment Committee, Chair of the COM Facilities Committee, Chair of the Texas A&M System Cancer Research Council, and Director of the Summer Research Program. Outside of the COM he has been a member of the Scientific Council for the Society of Experimental Biology and Medicine, the Treasurer for the Society (2009-2013), and beginning July 2013 is the President-Elect of this national society. We are excited that Dr. Zimmer will now bring his considerable talents and experience to the Director position. Please congratulate and welcome Dr. Zimmer to this very important position that will help our Medical Science program expand and improve in the coming years.
Announcements ď‚ˇď€ Congratulations to the new COM Graduate Student Organization officers for 2014-15. The Research and Graduate Office looks forward to working with this excellent and committed group of students this year.
Carrie Mueller (Co-president)
Evan Cherry (Co-president)
Sara Wilson (Secretary)
Nagarjun Kasaraneni Karen Doersch (Treasurer) (Temple Representative)
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Announcements, cont. The COM Graduate Committee (soon to be renamed the Graduate Instruction Committee) is responsible for oversight of the graduate programs based in the college (Medical Science and Education for Healthcare Professionals). We would like to welcome two new At-Large members to the committee this year, Dr. Sharon DeMorrow representing the Temple campus and Dr. Margie Moczygemba representing the Houston campus. We also want to welcome our new GSO representative, Sara Wilson. The full membership roster can be found at http:// medicine.tamhsc.edu/graduate-studies/committee.html. In response to a recent Working Group report, NIH has established a new Division of Biomedical Research Workforce (DBRWP). The DBRWP will analyze trends in the biomedical research workforce and evaluate NIH policies to ensure the sustainable growth of the biomedical research workforce at all levels. The office will use its analyses to develop comprehensive long-term strategies that address all components of the biomedical research enterprise including trainees, biomedical researchers in academia and industry, and scientists in research-related occupations. More information about the new office and the Working Group report can be found at http:// biomedicalresearchworkforce.nih.gov/index.htm.
Congratulations to the Neuroscience PhD program which was ranked number 1 in the country by GraduatePrograms.com (http:// www.graduateprograms.com/neuroscience-graduate-programs-rankings/). This a great testament to the quality of the faculty and students in this program. The graduate student representatives to the HSC Student Government Association for this academic year will be Evan Cherry and Mingin Kim, with Carrie Mueller as the alternate.
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Policy Corner Howdy: Just wanted to remind everyone once again that MyHSC is no longer operational and that Howdy (https://howdy.tamu.edu/cp/home/displaylogin) now serves as your portal for many graduate forms and actions. Login requires your Net ID, so contact Amanda Watkins if you don’t have one or don’t know what it is. Examples of things faculty will be using Howdy for this fall are reviewing class rosters and submitting final grades. Students are already using Howdy for registration and applying for graduation.
Paper Forms: Some of the TAMU graduate forms are still hard copy, and most of these have a signature line for department chairs. However, Medical Science is a college-based program, not a departmental-based program, so department chairs should NOT sign these forms are their signatures are not accepted by TAMU. The only authorized signature for these forms is the COM Vice Dean for Research and Graduate Studies. For informational purposes the forms should be routed through the department chairs, and they can initial next to the signature line. Thesis/Dissertation Proposals: All graduate MS and PhD Medical Science students are required to submit a proposal that outlines the scope of the proposed work for the MS or PhD degree. Our Graduate Committee (soon to be renamed the Graduate Instruction Committee) will be working this fall to develop a detailed set of guidelines for preparation and submission of proposals so that the process is more uniform across our campuses. In the interim there are 2 important issues to note: 1) Proposals should be submitted as soon as a program of study and project are developed, typically during year 2 or early year 3 for PhD students. 2) TAMU is now requiring a checklist for proposals that includes questions about compliance issues. All proposals are being routed through the Compliance Office to check and verify that appropriate compliance approvals are in place, that the student is listed on the PI’s relevant approvals, and that any materials mentioned in the proposal are approved.
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Policy Corner cont. Calendars: The Office of Graduate and Professional Studies (OGAPS) has a number of calendar option that provide important dates for graduate students and faculty. The various calendars and the options for downloading can be found at http://ogaps.tamu.edu/ calendars/. Graduate Faculty Appointments: Attention all new faculty members. In order to participate in graduate education (teaching, mentoring students, serving on committees) you must apply for and be approved as a member of the Graduate Faculty. The guidelines and application instructions are available at http://ogs.tamu.edu/faculty-advisors/faculty-formsresources/, and we encourage new faculty to apply as soon as they arrive so that they can begin to take an active role in the graduate program.
Events As one of his first initiatives, Dr. Zimmer is organizing an “Aggie Recruiting Day” tentatively scheduled for November 22, 2014. This event will be open to undergrads at TAMU and Prairie View A&M and will provide an opportunity for them to see our Bryan campus, meet with current students and faculty, and learn about our Medical Science graduate program. Stay tuned for more information as the details of the program are developed.
Student Achievements Congratulations to our August graduate: Ximena Paez Motor neuron-specific restoration of SMN in two SMA mouse models: insights into the role of motor neurons in Spinal Muscular Atrophy Department - Neuroscience PI – Dr. Mendell Rimer The following students successfully passed their prelim exams and were admitted to candidacy: Evan Cherry Department - Molecular and Cellular Medicine PI – Dr. Raquel Sitcheran Himakarnika Alluri Department – Surgery PI – Dr. Binu Tharakan
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Awards Yifeng Cheng, a student of Dr. Jun Wang, was awarded a John P McGovern Fellowship for “Pharmacogenetic manipulation of dopamine D1 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons in the dorsal medial striatum and alcohol consumption”. The award is for $5000 for the period 8/1/2013 – 7/31/2014.
Presentations and Publications Three MD/PhD students, Karen Doersch (Quercetin as a novel treatment for cardiac fibrosis), Laurent Ehrlich (Downregulation of menin by miR-24-1 plays a key role in the regulation of cholangiocarcinoma proliferation), and Liam Guthrie (Identification of new drug targets in Mycobacterium avium) each gave presentations at the American Physician Scientist Association South Regional Meeting in Houston on November 1, 2014. Carver CM, Wu X, Gangisetty O, Reddy DS (2014) Perimenstrual-Like Hormonal Regulation of Extrasynaptic δ‐Containing GABAA Receptors Mediating Tonic Inhibition and Neurosteroid Sensitivity. J Neurosci 34(43):14181-14197.