UT Health Science Center College of Graduate Health Sciences Magazine - Spring 2024

GRADUATE HEALTH SCIENCES

Help Fund Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Scholar Research

As a graduate student or postdoctoral scholar, did you ever need a small amount of money so that you could test your own hypothesis, generate preliminary data for your own grant application, publish your study, or present at a research conference?

In response to student self-directed research needs, the College of Graduate Health Sciences has established both restricted and endowed accounts to support UT Health Science Center trainees studying in the areas of Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Sciences, Dental Sciences, Epidemiology, Health Outcomes and Policy, Nursing Science, Pharmaceutical Sciences/Pharmacology, and Speech and Hearing Science.

To make a gift in support of student research today or to build for tomorrow, visit giving.uthsc.edu and explore the options listed under the College of Graduate Health Sciences designation or type in the name of a fund you would like to support.

Chancellor, UT Health Science Center

Peter Buckley, MD

Dean, College of Graduate Health Sciences

Donald B. Thomason, PhD

Associate Dean, Student Affairs

Isaac O. Donkor, PhD

Associate Dean, Postdoctoral Affairs

Monica M. Jablonski, PhD, FARVO

Associate Dean, Academic Affairs

John V. Cox, PhD

Assistant Dean, Academic Affairs

Larry L. Tague

Assistant Dean, Graduate Programs and Services

Felicia Washington, MHSA

Program Coordinator

Evan Coburn

Program Coordinator

Shanta Haynes

Vice Chancellor for Advancement

Brigitte Grant, MBA

Associate Vice Chancellor for Development

Bethany Goolsby, JD

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Advancement Services

Greg Harris

Assistant Vice Chancellor, Alumni Affairs

Chandra Tuggle

Director of Alumni Programs

Terri Catafygiotu

Assistant Director of Alumni Programs

Blair Duke Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing

Sally Badoud, MBA

Editor

Peggy Reisser, MASC

Contributing Writers

Chris Green

Janay Jeans

Peggy Reisser

Designer

Adam Gaines

Photographer

Caleb Jia

On the cover: Tanzida Zaman, left, and Eddie Brown, assist Dr. Ashley Harkrider, in white coat, in collecting electroencephalographic measures that are used to investigate patterns of neural activity in people who stutter. (In Dr. Harkrider’s Human Auditory Physiology Laboratory, UT Health Science Center in Knoxville).

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Eligibility and other terms and conditions of employment benefits at The University of Tennessee are governed by laws and regulations of the State of Tennessee, and this non-discrimination statement is intended to be consistent with those laws and regulations.

In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the University.

Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), ADA (disability), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Equity and Diversity (OED), 910 Madison Avenue, Suite 826, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, telephone 901-448-7382 (V/TTY available). Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at the Office of Equity and Diversity. E073101(014-241089)

From the Dean

The landscape of graduate health science education is constantly evolving. One of the most profound and rapidly evolving changes is the relation between the academy and entities outside the academy. In some minds, there once was a clear boundary between the two, so crossing between them was not easy. This was, in part, because each has its own culture that may be difficult to understand and assimilate.

So, what has accelerated the change in the relations? Because most master’s and doctoral trainees nationwide do not end up in academia, providing our trainees with an understanding of the cultural differences makes it that much easier for them to move between the cultures. One of the comments that we have heard multiple times is that employers outside academia look for candidates who can quickly adapt to a different work culture. Technical skills are a given, but the soft skills that make someone a player on the team are a differentiator.

How does the College of Graduate Health Sciences facilitate our trainees’ understanding of the way things are done outside academia? The Career Insights series we began some years ago has been very successful at doing this. These discussions provide a glimpse into career paths taken by our alumni, industry, or health institution representatives. The series also touches on some of the bumps in the career path and things our speakers wish they had known.

A more recent effort has been exploring opportunities for internships for our students. Many thanks to everyone who has made us aware of these opportunities. Internships provide a chance for the employer to recruit talent and allow our students to see the inner workings of a potential employer and understand their culture. A recent working lunch with employers, faculty, and students discussed the advantages, disadvantages, and barriers to providing internship opportunities. The discussion was helpful as we pursue this initiative.

Our entrepreneurship course also provides students with insights into some of the topics and principles they are more likely to encounter outside academia. These topics include protection of intellectual property, regulatory affairs, customer discovery, and marketing, among several other topics. While this course is in no way comprehensive, it does give our students another glimpse into the culture outside academia. Finally, alumni and industry also participate with us when we travel to key research cities. The trainees who accompany us receive invaluable information in the small group discussions. If you’d like to meet our trainees, I encourage you to reach out to me and we can discuss coming to your city and business.

All these efforts have the goal of providing our trainees with useful skills to launch their careers with an excellent and satisfying start. Thank you for your continued support of our work!

With gratitude,

Donald B. Thomason, PhD Dean of the College of Graduate Health Sciences

From the Chancellor

In 2023, we adopted an exciting strategic plan to guide us over the next five years, as we train the health care workforce for Tennessee and care for the people of this great state.

Our vision statement is four words: Healthy Tennesseans. Thriving Communities.

This simple statement speaks volumes. It represents a promise that at UT Health Science Center, we will work every day to improve the health of all Tennesseans from the banks of the Mississippi in the west, to the Great Smoky Mountains in the east, and everywhere in between.

As Tennessee’s statewide academic health care institution, we are increasing the ranks of health care professionals; delivering care at hospitals, pharmacies, and clinics across the state; and researching the treatments and cures for the diseases that contribute to the state’s dismal overall health rankings.

I am proud to say our College of Graduate Health Sciences is a leader in developing the scientists and researchers, who are critical to our vision for a healthier Tennessee. Not only is the college dedicated to training these future scientists and researchers, but it is also committed to helping them find their place in biomedical science careers in academia, industry, and government.

Dean Thomason and the faculty of the college are connecting our students with our accomplished alumni, who can lead the way. I am so thankful our outstanding and committed alumni are always willing to offer their time, talent, and financial support to the college in this effort.

The success stories are many and I have no doubt there will be many more, as we move forward with our strategic plan.

I am confident we can achieve our vision together. Thank you for all you do for the college, and in turn, for the people of Tennessee.

Sincerely,

Peter Buckley, MD Chancellor of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center

BY THE NUMBERS

349

Fall 2023 Enrollment

54%

Students identifying as female

31

Average age of students

32% International students

95%

On-time completion

>$1.18 MILLION

Amount raised in support of the College of Graduate Health Sciences in FY23

Student-Postdoc Dream Team Makes Waves with Self-Directed Research Project

By Chris Green

A project that began out of curiosity is turning into something much more significant and potentially successful than student Rachel Perkins and postdoc Isaac de Souza Araújo had imagined.

The two are making substantial strides in a collaborative independent research project funded by the College of Graduate Health Sciences’ Student Self-Directed Research Funding Initiative.

“We think that this is actually a potential product that could be used in the market in the future to help people with dental issues,” said Dr. Araújo, a second-year postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Bioscience Research. The

product would serve as a safe alternative to reduce the need for root canal treatment that essentially brings a decaying tooth back to life.

The project formed after conversations in a break room in the Cancer Research Building on the UT Health Science Center campus. On the building’s second floor, Dr. Araújo’s mentor studies dental materials and regeneration, and in the adjacent lab, Perkins’ mentor primarily researches bone cancer. While talking with each other about their work during lunch breaks, the two started to notice some overlap and wanted to investigate further.

“We didn't really think about making a product; we were more interested in the molecular biology that was going on,” said Perkins, a Memphis-area native who will soon complete her PhD in the integrated biomedical sciences program. The collaborative project combined the expertise of their respective labs to find a better way to treat deep dental caries, or cavities, when they cause exposure of the dental pulp. According to Dr. Araújo, a trained dentist from Brazil, the current clinical approaches to cavities provide a surfacelevel fix rather than promote healing.

“Caries progression usually affects the dental pulp, which is basically the part of the tooth where you have the vascular system and all the cells that preserve tooth vitality. When the caries progression affects that part of the tissue, usually you need root canal treatment, or you need to use material to cap that area. That material overall is not promoting very good healing and can cause necrosis on the surface that was exposed,” Dr. Araújo said.

The alternative the duo has developed is a healing gel that can be applied to the area affected by the cavity. Dr. Araújo used his expertise in dental materials to create the gel using collagen, a main component of the healing process of mineralized tissue. Perkins provided her expertise in molecular biology to integrate WNT signaling, which is a cell signaling pathway that plays crucial roles in various biological processes, including bone development and tissue repair and regeneration. The researchers said adding the WNT family members to the collagen-based gel has led to unprecedented results.

“We created an animal model where we're testing the ability of these WNTs to heal the tooth better than the current clinical standard, and we have found that one of them, at an almost absurd level, outperforms the current clinical standard,” Perkins said. “The idea is to give your cells the tools to heal themselves. Instead of treating with the highly toxic and highly basic compounds that are currently used, we're trying to give the cells a molecule that will prime them for healing.”

The team said the gel would be a quicker, safer, and likely cheaper way to treat dental caries. Additionally, according to the data so far, it would be a more viable alternative, so it would promote longer-term healing instead of the repeated injury that often occurs with problem teeth.

In March, Dr. Araújo presented the research at the International Association for Dental Research’s conference in New Orleans,

Louisiana, and he and Perkins have been preparing a paper for publication. The two are also working with the UT Foundation on the path to product development, and they are grateful the Trainee Support Initiative gave them the opportunity to come together. “We probably wouldn't have thought of this project, and we definitely wouldn't have pushed it forward,” Perkins said.

“For us, it's really important as a whole process because we also started managing resources – buying all the reagents, organizing everything, keeping track of what we're spending and how we're spending. It all drives our independence, which is very important for our career development,” Dr. Araújo said. Perkins hopes others will see the impact their support can have and consider contributing to the initiative.

“In the scope of academic grants and research grants, we received a small amount of money, but this small amount of money has allowed us to shift our careers in a way we really didn't see coming, and it allows us to be really competitive applicants moving forward,” she said. “I've already seen firsthand as I'm applying for postdoc positions that people are really interested in hearing about how I got my own funding during grad school and how somebody who's working on molecular and translational cancer biology is now pivoting into this dental product field. I think it sets us apart as candidates moving forward, and it gives us a competitive advantage.”

Although both Perkins and Dr. Araújo are wrapping up their time at UT Health Science Center, their work on this project is far from over. Along the way to creating a product that could impact millions of lives in the future, they have formed a dream team that hopes to continue making impactful discoveries together for years to come. “This definitely helped set up what we think is going to be a career-long collaboration, with this project and others.”

Researcher Awarded $1.5 Million to Continue Career-Long Study of Racial Disparities in Breast Cancer Outcomes

By Peggy Reisser

In 2012, Shelley White-Means, PhD, read a study from the Sinai Urban Health Institute that reported Memphis had the largest disparity in deaths from breast cancer for Black women versus white women of any of the 25 largest cities in the United States. She had recently lost her mother to breast cancer, and she wanted to know why Black women, like her mom, were more likely to die from a breast cancer diagnosis in her hometown.

For Dr. White-Means, a professor of Health Economics in the Department of Interprofessional Education in the College of Graduate Health Sciences at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, that question has been at the center of her research ever since. She has looked at the perspectives of breast cancer survivors, attitudes and practices of the health care community, cultural and genetic issues, geographic location, and other factors that contribute to this disparity in breast cancer survival of Black women compared to white women in Memphis and elsewhere.

“I want to know why,” she says. “Why is it that we have this higher death rate among Black women compared to white women? What is going on in Memphis? We have a high-quality medical system, we have a high-quality cancer center, we have all this phenomenal care system. Why is it that Black women are dying more than white women?” While the overall incidence of breast cancer is lower in Black women, they are 1.4 times more likely to die of breast cancer than white women.

Dr. White-Means, who is the director of the Consortium for Health Education, Economic Empowerment and Research (CHEER) health disparities research center at UT Health Science Center, recently received a $1.5 million, four-year grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to explore this question even more deeply.

She and team members will look beyond the social determinants of health to explore what she terms “the intersectionality of race, residential segregation, and poverty as a driver of health disparities in breast cancer.” The goal is to identify effective public policy interventions and strategies to change the picture for Black women diagnosed with breast cancer.

The team includes Sam Li, PhD, assistant professor, Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science, and Arash Shaban-Nejad, PhD, MPH, associate professor of Pediatrics, both from UT Health Science Center; along with University of Memphis faculty, Jill Dapremont, professor and division director of Family, Community, Health System Science, Daphene McFerrin, executive director of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change, and Elana Delavega, PhD, MSW, professor in the School of Social Work.

Using unique quantitative and qualitative methods the team will identify modifiable pathways to breast health, such as disadvantaged racially segregated neighborhoods, that are the “root causes” of social determinants of health.

“We’re adding a different look. We say that limited social determinants of health are just symptoms of disparities in breast cancer outcomes,” Dr. White-Means explains.

“We're calling the factors that we want to consider the root causes,” Dr. White-Means continues. “What causes a neighborhood to lack social determinants of health resources? What policies and practices have created neighborhoods that have food insecurity, limited access to health care providers, and limited jobs and economic stability?”

The long-term goal is to identify interventions and policy solutions that transform disparities that are rooted in seemingly unalterable place-related community factors, Dr. White-Means says.

Student-Led Writing Group Improves Skills and Builds Community

By Peggy Reisser

Genevieve Lambert came to UT Health Science Center from Canada three years ago to pursue her doctoral studies in biomedical sciences through the College of Graduate Health Sciences. As with most international students, she did not know anyone.

After completing her program-specific classes, laboratory rotations, and candidacy exam, she selected her supervisor, Kirsten K. Ness, PhD, at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. At that point, she started her doctoral scientific writing journey that will eventually result in a dissertation.

The only PhD student in her lab at the time, Lambert had the idea of starting a graduate student writing group to support herself and others in their scientific writing

process. She approached Chris Pitzer, the 2023 president of the Graduate Student Executive Council, about staring a club. After sharing her idea with him, he agreed he could benefit from this endeavor, too.

They approached Dean Thomason who was very supportive. With the leadership of Lambert and Pitzer, the club started holding weekly meetings. Now, the group meets once a week on Friday afternoons. “It is open to anybody at UT Health Science Center who feels like they have to write something, and that could be either grants, an essay for class, a dissertation, or anything in between,” Lambert said. The structure is a "drop-in when needed” format with people coming weekly or just once or twice.

Genevieve Lambert, seated left, has found support and friendship through the student writing group she helped start.

Dean Thomason suggested the group also stage writing retreats every semester for additional motivation and mentorship. Thus far, the writing club has held two weekend retreats. In the meetings the members hold silent writing periods followed by collaboration time. They review samples of each other’s work and offer suggestions for improvement. Faculty mentors also volunteer advice.

More than 20 to 30 students have participated in at least one event of the writing club, and students who attend more regularly have attested to it efficacy, with five firstauthor manuscripts published since September 2023.

The group, originally aimed at helping students build writing skills and keep motivation throughout the lengthy process, also had the side effect of building friendships and community. “I’ve found a sense of community at the writing club that has made me feel more at home in Memphis,” Lambert said. “I found that writing with people turned strangers into friends.”

The group aims to help participants take incremental steps toward their dissertation. “What we're trying to

promote is that you don't need to do a lot to get started,” Lambert said. “Getting started is the first step toward graduating and doing it in on your own timeline.”

The motto of the group is “leave no page blank.” But it might also be “you are not alone.”

“It feels like I've been developing a group of friends that I hadn't before,” Lambert said. “My relationships with people I’ve met at writing club evolved as I started studying with them outside writing club. Now I do physical or cultural activities with them over the weekend regularly. Basically, it gave me people with whom to celebrate the small successes or big special events of our doctoral journey.”

Doctoral Student from Bangladesh Conducts Outstanding Research in Language Processing and Learning

By Janay Jeans

Tanzida Zaman’s research and drive for studying language processing and learning inspired her to move from her home country, Bangladesh, to the United States, in pursuit of a doctoral degree in Speech and Hearing Science at UT Health Science Center.

Zaman earned her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. After graduating, she served as a Clinical Speech Language Pathologist at Chattogram Maa-OShishu Hospital in Chittagong, Bangladesh.

While serving at Chattagram Maa-O-Shishu Hospital, she conducted research to address the needs of underserved populations, including children with Cerebral Palsy and Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

“I had a remarkably high caseload, and I implemented several group therapies and conducted quasi-experimental research to assess their effectiveness while I was collaborating with a multidisciplinary team,” she said. “The results found that low-tech approaches, such as posture adjustments and modifications in utensils and food textures, can enhance the feeding experience of children with Cerebral Palsy, and help improve their health and quality of life.”

Additionally, her research indicated that early intervention programs for younger children with autism spectrum disorder led to improvement in their preverbal skills. Her research and service motivated her to continue her education in language learning, expand her knowledge of the English language, and study in the UT Health Science Center College of Graduate Health Sciences and Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology.

“My diverse experiences of conducting research while working as a clinician inspired me and fueled my curiosity to gain a deeper understanding of the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind my work,” she said.

Now, in her fourth year of studying in the Speech and Hearing Science program, she is a member of the Cognitive Linguistics Lab, led by Devin Casenhiser, PhD, associate professor and program director in Speech Pathology, which studies what factors improve or hinder language learning in developing and developmentally delayed populations.

“I chose the UT Health Science Center primarily because of my interest in the Cognitive Linguistics Lab. I initially intended to pursue research that is centered around treatment outcomes, however upon joining this lab, I became so fascinated by the intricate neurological aspects of language processing and acquisition,” she said. “This fascination aligns well with my aspirations to develop foundational language models and therapeutic approaches for children and adults in the area of communication and language.”

While studying in the program, she conducts research for her doctoral projects on the neurophysiological investigation of language processing in native English speakers, with plans to expand the research across diverse cultures and languages, to obtain insight into the diversity of language processing. Her study examines multi-sensory input and how brain activity changes when individuals receive information through vision or hearing.

“I find interpreting the outcomes of my research projects to be very cognitively engaging, as it allows me to compare the results from different perspectives, of both non-native and native English viewpoints,” she said.

For her achievements and outstanding research, she recently received the Outstanding Student in Speech and Hearing Science award at the 2023 Graduate Health Sciences Awards ceremony.

“It is truly an honor and recognition of my hard work and dedication toward my academic journey. It is a

very humbling experience to be acknowledged for my achievements in these fields,” she said. “It serves as validation of my passion and commitment to advancing my knowledge and making a positive impact in the realm of speech and hearing science.”

After earning her doctoral degree in 2025, she plans to construct a neuroimaging research lab, conduct research, increase collaboration between clinicians and researchers, and mentor students. In addition, she hopes to visit other countries, especially in the sub-Saharan region, and support health care professionals in those areas.

“I am very fortunate to have a group of amazing individuals, whom I consider my American families, consisting of the faculty, staff, and students,” she said regarding her experience in the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology. “All of the PhD students engage in activities together, but most importantly, we support and care for one another through the ups and downs of our lives.”

PhD Student Says Studies Let Him Be 'Friends with Geniuses'

By Chris Green

When asked why he likes being a doctoral student and working in a lab at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Christopher Pitzer says, “I just kind of casually get to be friends with geniuses.”

Pitzer is in his final year in the molecular and translational physiology track of the Biomedical Sciences Program in the College of Graduate Health Sciences, studying how muscle health underpins human health. He is also currently serving as president of the college’s student government, the Graduate Student Executive Council (GSEC).

Pitzer completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in exercise physiology at West Virginia University (WVU).

While there, he not only developed a love for research and the lab environment, but he also got to know Stephen Alway, PhD, then-chair of WVU’s exercise physiology department. When Dr. Alway joined UT Health Science Center as dean of the College of Health Professions and director of the Center for Muscle, Metabolism, and Neuropathology, Pitzer wanted to continue to learn from him while earning his doctorate.

“Dr. Alway had taken the position here at UT Health Science Center about six months before I finished my master’s at WVU,” Pitzer says. “As I was graduating, I had this desire to continue doing research. Plus, I had known folks in Dr. Alway’s lab, he knew me pretty well, and he had some projects that aligned with my interests, so it worked out.”

For Dean Alway, it was a benefit to have a trusted, familiar face in the lab alongside him. “Chris was a strong master’s student at WVU, and I was delighted that he chose to come to UT Health Science Center to join our lab,” he says.

While his connection to Dean Alway introduced him to the university, the environment and opportunities made Pitzer’s next step a clear decision. “The sense of community I felt here among the students was palpable as soon as I stepped on campus,” he says. “That and the sort of mentorship you get from the faculty really drew me here, so it was a pretty easy choice at the end of the day.”

During his time as a PhD student, Pitzer has been a leader in several roles in the College of Graduate Health Sciences. He first served as the GSEC representative for the physiology track, saying his classmates decided he would be a good fit for the position. He took some committee appointments in the organization and then became GSEC secretary. Pitzer was then elected GSEC president, running for the position at the recommendation of the outgoing president.

As GSEC president, Pitzer serves the student body by voicing students’ needs regarding college and campus decisions. He represents the college in the university’s student government, the Student Government Association Executive Council, and provides a vision and direction for the GSEC term. His goals as president include guiding an overhaul of the thesis and dissertation process, securing an increase to graduate student stipends whenever faculty and staff get a cost-of-living pay increase, and strengthening the relationship between the students and faculty.

“I make it a point to be approachable and to be someone the students know they can reach out to with issues and know that I’m going to go present their case and advocate for them any way I can,” he says. “I’ve been elected to represent the student body here, but they’re

all doing so much cool work and I’m lucky enough to call so many of them my friends that advocating for them and having this leadership role feels easy.”

While Pitzer’s work as GSEC president occupies much of his free time, his main priority as a doctoral student is his research. Pitzer’s research interest is the molecular mechanisms that maintain muscle health and lead to better health outcomes overall, focusing on exosomes associated with Type 2 diabetes. Exosomes mediate intercellular communication by carrying nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and metabolites between cells.

“When studying muscle cells, we grow them in media that naturally contain exosomes. We can deplete those exosomes and replace them with exosomes from mice that have diabetes or don’t, and in comparing the outcomes of the cells, you can sort of get an idea of what those exosomes are doing to the muscle and how that’s affecting potential health outcomes down the line,” Pitzer says.

According to Dr. Alway, Pitzer’s contributions have made a difference in their lab’s work. “Chris has been thoughtful and careful in his approach to test his research ideas, and he has developed great troubleshooting skills as he worked on a new area of inquiry for our lab in extracellular vesicles. His experimental data have added to our understanding of how exosomes regulate muscle metabolism in diabetes, and this is really exciting,” he says. “Chris is well on this way to developing into a strong, independent scientist who is equipped to tackle even bigger research problems.”

Pitzer plans to continue working in a lab after completing his doctorate. He has been offered a postdoctoral position at a molecular medicine research institute affiliated with Virginia Tech that focuses on exercise as an intervention. In the more distant future, he hopes to spend as much time in the lab as possible but says he will not shy away from a leadership role, whether it is in an industry or academic setting.

“I’m just out here living the dream,” he says. “I get to do things that I’m excited about every day, and I’m just trying to keep that going.”

Summer Program Collaboration

Introduced Biomedical Sciences to Trainees

By Janay Jeans

The Summer Research Scholars (SRS) program in the College of Graduate Health Sciences and the Biostatistics Internship in the Department of Preventive Medicine provided research experience to qualified undergraduate and graduate students.

In the SRS program, accepted undergraduate students receive hands-on research experience in the biomedical sciences fields at UT Health Science Center research laboratories. Students are matched with faculty in this eight-week paid internship program held in June and July. It includes opportunities to enhance skills in biomedical information retrieval, participate in a scientific presentation workshop and a scientific abstract writing workshop, strengthen communication skills in biomedical sciences, and access research opportunities in biomedical engineering, epidemiology, health outcomes and policy research, integrated biomedical sciences, nursing science, and pharmaceutical sciences. Last year, 13 students participated in the SRS program.

“There are exciting ways one can contribute to health care that aren’t hands-on patient care. Research is the engine that drives health care,” said Isaac Donkor, PhD, professor and associate dean of Student Affairs, and director of the SRS program in the College of Graduate Health Sciences. “The goal of the program is for the students to know what biomedical research is about and that with a PhD in a health science discipline, one can enter various career fields and contribute significantly to health care.”

The Biostatistics Internship program, established in 2016, provides training to undergraduate and graduate students in which interns work with faculty members in the department on a statistical project. The internship may be paid or for credit toward the student’s institution depending on institutional policies, student, and faculty mentor preference.

The SRS program collaborated with the Biostatistics Internship program and Colorado State University to provide mentoring in research careers at both institutions.

At the end of the programs, students presented their work in a half-day symposium on the UT Health Science

Center campus in Memphis and were offered an opportunity to present their research at a community research exhibition at the Lichterman Nature Center in partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis STEM in Medicine Ecosystem, and Rhodes College.

“I’m very excited and would like to do more of this in the future. I am hoping it is also a way for us to reach out to the broader community,” said Saunak Sen, PhD, professor and division chief of Biostatistics in the Department of Preventive Medicine. “It is good for the students, their parents, and for us as researchers to have a presence out there. And as a publicly funded institution, I think it’s an obligation for us to present to those who are funding our work, outside of a research paper.”

Three students – Galvin Li, Harper Kolehmainen, and Cynthia Xiao – presented posters at the Lichterman Nature Center about the research they conducted during the summer programs at UT Health Science Center. “The community funds our institution, and our research ultimately should benefit it, so it’s important to connect with and share our work with the public,” said Li, now a first-year student in the College of Medicine. “Presenting at the exhibition turned out to be quite enjoyable since it allowed me to experience the impact of our research.”

Li, an intern in the SRS program, presented research he conducted with the Department of Preventive Medicine about the association of melanoma and sex steroid hormone levels.

“We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey gathering laboratory and demographics data for 12,005 participants over five cycles and ran Cox and Logistic Regression to see what factors were associated,” Li said. “We found that sex hormone levels were associated with melanoma, but how they were associated with melanoma differed between men and women. In women, higher testosterone levels were associated with lower odds of melanoma, and in men we didn’t detect any significant association. One of the main areas in which this research will be helpful, is studying how exogenous hormone use might impact melanoma risk.”

Kolehmainen, a junior studying computer science at Rhodes College, said as a Biostatistics intern, it was cultivating, engaging, and interesting to learn more about genetics and biology and the applications of research.

“Both my interests and capabilities grew significantly over the course of the internship, and I left feeling more competent and accomplished than at the beginning,” Kolehmainen said. She also noted the support she received from Dr. Sen and Gregory Farage, PhD, instructor in the Department of Preventive Medicine, during the program. “They assisted me when necessary, listened to my suggestions, and helped me feel more confident in my abilities. I would highly recommend the internship to anyone looking to grow their skills and be a part of engaging and interesting research.”

At the research exhibition, Kolehmainen presented her project that aimed to develop an interactive interface for large-scale genetic data analyses.

“Since my project was essentially developing a tool that could be used for performing various genetic analyses, it was really interesting to present to others in STEM who could potentially use it in their work and hear feedback from them,” Kolehmainen said. “Being able to impart knowledge to others and gain new knowledge from others, with the atmosphere of passion, excitement, and innovation that comes with research, was an enjoyable experience enabled by the exhibition.”

Undergraduate students interested in applying for the SRS program must be currently enrolled in a college or university with a minimum 3.0 GPA in required science courses (an official transcript is required). Students must have completed at least one semester of general biology

and/or general chemistry before applying. Previous research experience is preferred, but not required for eligibility. For the Biostatistics Internship program, previous experience in computer programming and skills in data analysis are required.

“Academia and research offer a lot of flexibility, intellectual autonomy, and reward in being able to advance knowledge, in addition to working on something I’m passionate about,” Li said. “I was surrounded by driven and curious individuals who had a stimulating effect on me. I am confident that in the future, I want to do research in an academic setting.”

Cynthia Xiao (left), Harper Kolehmainen (middle), and Galvin Li (right) were among various undergraduate and graduate students who received hands-on research experience in the Summer Research Scholars program and Biostatistics Internship collaboration.

The programs hosted a half-day research symposium for students to present their summer projects.

Students, Postdocs, and Faculty Honored at the 2023 Graduate Research Day

“We are all busy with amazing work that deserves to be shown at every chance, and it feels amazing to have a campus-wide event and showcase all of the great research we have,” said Christopher Pitzer, president of the Graduate Student Executive Council and recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Student award in Molecular and Translational Physiology at the 2023 College of Graduate Health Sciences Research Day and awards ceremony.

Pitzer was among many students, faculty, and postdoctoral scholars who were recognized. The annual event showcases and honors the distinguished achievements and research in the college within the past year.

In the first segment of the event, innovative research projects are presented in a poster and platform competition. During the poster competition, presenters showcase and discuss their research in an open format. In the platform competition, presenters are assigned 10 minutes to present their research to attendees.

The event also presented the 2023 Graduate Health Sciences awards, honoring a faculty member for mentorship and recognizing outstanding students in the college’s degree programs.

THE GRADUATE RESEARCH DAY AWARD RECIPIENTS IN THE POSTER COMPETITION ARE:

First place – McKenna Harpring

Second place – Rachel Perkins

Third place – Menglin Jiang

THE GRADUATE RESEARCH DAY AWARD RECIPIENTS IN THE PLATFORM COMPETITION ARE:

First place – Jessica Halle

Second place – Bahar Meshkat and Elizabeth Schneider

Third place – Jinjun Wu

THE 2023 GRADUATE HEALTH SCIENCES AWARDS RECIPIENTS ARE:

Student Success Award – Jiaxing Wang

Mentorship Award – James D. Lewis, Au.D

Dean’s Award and Outstanding Student in Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics – Flavia Villani

Outstanding Student in Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology – Elizabeth Schneider

Outstanding Student in Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry – Vinoth Sigamani

Outstanding Student in Pharmaceutical Sciences – Lina Zhou

Outstanding Student in Nursing Science – Jenifer Prather

Outstanding Student in Health Outcomes and Policy Research – Deborah Ogunsanmi

Outstanding Student in Rehabilitation Science – Jessica Halle

Outstanding Student in Molecular and Translational Physiology – Chris Pitzer

Outstanding Student in Cancer Developmental Biology – Rachel Perkins

Outstanding Student in Speech and Hearing Science –Tanzida Zaman

Outstanding Student in Neuroscience – Martin Raymond

Students Compete in Three Minute Thesis Competition

The College of Graduate Health Sciences and the Graduate Student Executive Council held the annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition in December. The contest challenges doctoral and master’s degree students to present their thesis and research in three minutes using one PowerPoint slide, testing their skills in conveying the message of their highly technical work in a concise and compelling manner. Rachel Perkins won the competition, receiving a cash prize and a trip to Greenville, South Carolina, to compete in the regional 3MT competition. Bahar Meshkat came in second place, Wendy Effah finished third, and Joy Gbadegoye won the people’s choice prize.

Student Receives 2024 BSA Award

Samantha Faith Calhoun, a native Memphian and first-generation college graduate, was recently recognized among several student leaders at the 32nd annual Black Student Association awards ceremony. Calhoun is a registered nurse and clinical assistant professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Memphis. Calhoun will graduate from College of Graduate Health Sciences in May, earning a Doctor of Philosophy degree in nursing science. In addition to her academic and professional achievements, Calhoun’s commitment to making a difference extends beyond the classroom. Her dissertation research was inspired by the struggles of Black men in her family and her patients with hypertension. Her study examined Black men's shared decision-making preferences in the Mid-South. Calhoun and her husband serve the Mid-South through their non-profits, STS Enterprise, and Simply Faith, a women's faith coaching ministry.

Students Honored at 2023 Impact Awards

Two students in the College of Graduate Health Sciences, Flavia Villani (left) and Luis Octavio Romero Garcia (right), received the Student Impact and Advocacy Leadership Award at the 2023 UT Health Science Center Impact Awards in December. The award honors students from each of the six colleges whose actions demonstrate impact and advocacy at UT Health Science Center and in the community in support of the university’s Strategic Plan. Charles Snyder, PhD, associate vice chancellor for Student Success and chief student affairs officer, announced the student winners and said to them, “Your contributions to our campus community are inspirational, and we cannot wait to see what you all accomplish in years to come.”

White Coat Ceremony Recognizes Students as PhD Candidates

The College of Graduate Health Sciences held its white coat ceremony on October 23 for students who are admitted to PhD candidacy within their second or third year in the college. During the ceremony, each advisor conferred a white coat to an advisee. During the ceremony, 35 students received their white coats. Monica Jablonski, PhD, professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and associate dean of Postdoctoral Affairs, presented on the importance of mentors in the development of research scientists.

Summer Research Scholar

Co-Authors Publication

Fathima Shaik, a former participant in the College of Graduate Health Sciences’ Summer Research Scholars program, co-authored a research article that was recently published in BioFactors, a journal of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The article is titled “High-fat diet induced obesity promotes inflammation, oxidative stress, and hepatotoxicity in female FVB/N mice.” The Summer Research Scholars program allows exceptionally well-qualified undergraduate students to gain valuable research experience, including learning about real-world research protocols, enhancing biomedical information and retrieval skills, and designing scientific abstracts, among other things. Shaik spent eight weeks in the program under the guidance of Maxwell Gyamfi, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. She is currently a student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and plans to attend medical school.

Congratulations to our 2023 Graduates!

Doctor of Philosophy

Ahmed Magdi Salaheldin Abuzaid

Jeremiah Moyinolu Afolabi

Najah Ghazi Albadari

Nour Aljouda

Manal Jawad Alshakhs

Sarah T Asemota

Theresa Mary Taggart Bub

Brandi Lynn Clark

Cindi Lynn Dabney

Laura A Doorley

Shubha Ranjan Dutta

Melanie Patrice Fant

Master of Dental Science

Corey A Acosta

Stephanie Lynnell Amerson

Onni Menashe Franco

Jessica Hagan

Evan J Hamilton

Master of Science

Faria Abdullah

Theodora A Asamoah

Peter Wakim Bahouth

Courtney Danielle Baker

Lyndsey Kate Bouve

Saskya Elizabeth Byerly

Margaret Caroline Danehy

Claire Daniel

Lucinda Paulina Del Mar

Kwaku Opuni Frimpong

Ruida Hou

Xin Lan

Donguk Lee

Hanxuan Li

Leigh Austin McCormack

Emily Kate Mewborn

Golnoush Mirzahosseini

Kelsey Caroline Cleland North

Keyur Raman Parmar

Christopher James Patton

Matthew Blake Rafferty

Kamalika Samanta

Sohul Ahmed Shuvo

Madison Sluter

Leah Lillian Somerville

Briana Spruill-Harrell

Okoia Karen Stoddard

Zaid Hanif Temrikar

Anna Kaitlyn Victor

Jinjun Wu

Zemin Yang

Jay Michael Yarbro

Chidi Zacheaus

Yaya Zhang

Jenna C Hubacz

Amy Brianne Kerns

David Knox Langford

Chloe Meriwether Mauney

Rebecca Ellen Mayall

Nader Nathan Nagavi

Tylere Nunnery

JonBrighton Childs Russell

Kyla M Swearingen

Alex Green

Elizabeth Zabielski Hurlbut

Alex Leonardo Jin

Savannah Marion Lee

Richard Harlow Lewis

Soumi Mazumdar

Mekaea Soleil Miller

Anjlee Suresh Patel

Alexia Casey Hall Paxton

Edward Price Perdue

Lisa Phan

Amy Gayle Reeves

Nikhil Kedhar Salian

Warren Newton Sams

Sabrina Shivani

Katie Marie Tucker

Wei Wang

Xander Marquist Washington

Marina Youssef

2023 Graduate Thanks CoGHS for Preparing Her for Success

By Chris Green

When Kamalika Samanta walked across the stage to accept her doctoral degree, she was certain she was equipped with all the tools needed for the next step in her career as a researcher.

Samanta was one of 32 students from the College of Graduate Health Sciences who graduated in UT Health Science Center’s summer commencement on August 21. The college had an additional 29 graduates in May and 23 in December.

For Samanta, her experience at UT Health Science Center taught her more than just the technical aspects of having a successful career. “Being here at UT Health Science Center, I believe I developed significant confidence about the work I do,” she said. “I also gained public speaking and communication skills that have helped me prepare for the job I want to do next.”

Originally from India, Samanta chose to attend UT Health Science Center after learning about the enriched research profile within the College of Graduate Health Sciences. “Being someone new to a research career, learning about all the research opportunities at UT Health Science Center made me excited to be part of the institution.”

Samanta worked in a lab focused on the development and delivery of a vaccine for Lyme disease, under her research advisor, Maria Gomes-Solecki, DVM, a professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology &

Biochemistry. “There is still no human vaccine available for Lyme disease, hence our lab focuses a lot on understanding preventive measures and the tick-host relationship that influences the global spread of Lyme disease,” she said.

An animal vaccine Dr. Gomes-Solecki’s lab created is now headed to market—a major accomplishment that assures Samanta that she received expert guidance during her training. Overall, her experience at UT Health Science Center and in the College of Graduate Health Sciences was exceptional, she said.

“My ability to think about science and contribute to the scientific society has been one of the best parts of attending UT Health Science Center,” Samanta said. “I totally liked the faculty members’ being so welcoming in discussing science and helping us think outside the box, not just related to the work we do. The other students were also so supportive and engaging.”

Samanta began the next phase of her career before she even graduated, working as a senior scientist at Merck in Philadelphia. According to her, her experience at UT Health Science Center was crucial to obtaining a position in a large, well-known company. “I always wanted to get into industry, and UT Health Science Center helped me to understand research at the industrial level and to gain the experience that helped me get my desired job,” she said.

Alumna Remembers Opportunities that Inspired Her Career in Academia

By Janay Jeans

During her time as a student in the College of Graduate Health Sciences, Karen Baskerville, PhD, discovered her passion for academia and connecting with students.

Dr. Baskerville studied neuroscience in the College of Graduate Health Sciences and the College of Medicine’s Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology. She currently serves as a professor of neuroscience at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.

The only African American student in her class at UT Health Science Center, Dr. Baskerville remembers how encouraged she felt after receiving great feedback on the research seminar she presented as part of her dissertation. Her research focused on acetylcholine and the somatosensory cortex in the brain.

“I took a neuroscience techniques class in neuroscience methods and the professor asked each one of us in the class to answer a question. He gave a scenario and asked, ‘how would you approach this?’ and it turned out my answer was the only one that was correct,” Dr. Baskerville said. “And when I gave a research seminar, it turned out really well, and I had professors calling me saying how well I did in that seminar. At the time in my class, I was the only African American in the group. At the beginning of my tenure, there was an African student in the class, but he moved with his professor to another university, so I was the only Black PhD student in my group, and it had its challenges. That’s why it was very encouraging that my answer was correct, and the professors calling me saying how well my seminar went really encouraged me.”

Dr. Baskerville, a Memphis native, joined the College of Graduate Health Sciences from Northwestern University after she earned her bachelor’s in chemistry with a biochemistry emphasis in 1990.

“In my junior year, I took a neurobiology class. It was so interesting, and I did research for two summers in neuroscience and totally fell in love with it,” Dr. Baskerville said. “The reason why I was inspired to pursue a PhD in neuroscience at UT Health Science Center is because I did a summer internship there and really loved the lab I was working in. And Memphis is my hometown, so it was a win-win situation, where I loved the research, and it was great to be able to stay home as well.”

She also said Eldridge Johnson, MD, previous professor in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology,

encouraged her to apply and was instrumental in ensuring more diversity. She also conducted research in the lab of her research mentor Paul Herron, PhD, previous professor in the department, and said he was a driving force to keep her going. “Both of them were African American, and that was very good for me in terms of feeling that I fit in.”

She worked as a teaching assistant in the college and loved interacting with students. She continued to serve as a teaching assistant even when she had her own fellowship and dissertation grant. She also taught a science lab at Gordon Elementary, now Gordon Achievement Academy, in Memphis.

“I love helping them (students) understand the nervous system and tissues. The interaction spurred me on to include more teaching into my profession,” Dr. Baskerville said. “One of the administrators asked me if I could teach a science lab at an elementary school in North Memphis and I said ‘sure.’ They just renovated their school and had this wonderful science lab that was not being used. The university stepped in and said we can have a collaboration with the school. So, I started teaching fourth- through sixth-graders science in the lab and that was fun. That was a rewarding experience and it really inspired me to go into academia on the university level.”

Dr. Baskerville earned her PhD in 1996. After graduating, she served as an assistant professor at Rust College until 1999 and completed a postdoc in neuroscience at Mayo Clinic in 2006. She currently serves as a professor of neuroscience at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.

“Many years later, I was visiting Memphis, I went to a supermarket, and the person at the register called me

by my name. It was one of the students at Gordon Elementary who was in my science lab, and she was very excited to see me,” she said. “I hope she went into science because she must have been really listening and loved the hands-on science experiments. So, impacting the community is important and it was rewarding for me.”

Dr. Baskerville continues to impact communities. She recently held a four-day art and science lecture, “Your Brain on Art” at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, a nonprofit cultural and educational institution and art collection.

She is currently conducting research focused on Alzheimer’s disease and examining how oxidative stress leads to degeneration in the brain.

“I’m using C. elegans as the model system because they are great genetic models. I am looking at it from the angle of particular genes that lead to a greater risk in the African American community to develop Alzheimer’s disease,” she said. “I am interested in how degeneration and this particular gene may impact learning and memory. I also have a couple of students in my lab who are interested in autism, so they are doing a parallel study

Why Make an Annual Gift

in autism. My research is quite personal. My grandmother had Alzheimer’s disease, and my mother passed away from complications of stroke – a neurological disorder I have investigated as well.”

Dr. Baskerville is a member of the Society for Neuroscience and reviews grants for organizations including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Ford Foundation, Neuroscience Scholars Program, and American Psychological Association.

Her advice to future students pursuing graduate education includes being involved in research and connecting with professors and scientists in the classroom and in national or regional meetings. “Really understand the different topics or disciplines that you’re learning as an undergraduate and be able to grasp the concepts. That’s really important,” she said. “Make sure to get research experience at the undergraduate level because that will help them decide if research is for them and if they want to pursue a PhD, so it’s really beneficial to get that experience.”

Donating to UT Health Science Center every year helps us provide scholarships, laboratory equipment, travel grants, community outreach initiatives, and many other benefits that would not be available using state or tuition-provided dollars alone!

Thank you for being a partner with our campus, our colleges, and our programs.

2023 Postdoctoral Research Showcase

The 16th annual Postdoctoral Research Showcase took place on December 19 in at the Mooney Library and Nash Atrium. The keynote speaker was Paul Rhyne, PhD, bioassay development lead at the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute. Dr. Rhyne's talk, titled “Improving Your Career and Finding Opportunities,” provided postdocs with valuable insights on how to navigate their career paths after their training.

Postdoctoral researchers from 13 departments participated in the event, which was made possible by the support of the College of Graduate Health Sciences, the help of volunteers, and the numerous faculty members who served as judges.

The event featured seven poster presentations and 14 platform presentations. Judges selected four winners in each category. Winners were awarded cash prizes. Organizers also received 11 applications for travel awards. The judges selected four winners of travel awards of $1,000 each.

PLATFORM PRESENTATIONS

1st place – Dr. Saikat Paul, Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science, Dr. Brian Peters, mentor

2nd place (tie) – Dr. Lynn Aung, Department of Physiology, Dr. Zhongjie Sun, mentor

2nd place (tie) – Dr. Hina Raja, Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Siamak Yousefi, mentor

3rd place – Dr. Sandesh Marathe, Department of Medicine Hematology, Dr. Liza Makowski, mentor

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

1st place – Dr. Mohd Salman, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Dr. Tauheed Ishrat, mentor

2nd place – Dr. Ruchita Dolia, Department of Physiology, Dr. Ki-Suk Kim, mentor

3rd place – Dr. Doaa Maria, Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Monica Jablonski, mentor

4th place – Dr. Mohammad Afjal, Department of Surgery, Dr. Amandeep Bajwa, mentor

TRAVEL AWARDS

Dr. Sandesh Marathe, Department of Medicine Hematology, Dr. Liza Makowski, mentor

Dr. Yeganeh Madadi, Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Siamak Yousefi, mentor

Dr. Mohd Salman, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Dr. Tauheed Ishrat, mentor

Dr. Naveed Perviaz. Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Dr. Bhupesh Singla, mentor

Thank You for Your Membership in the 1911 Society

The UT Health Science Center’s 1911 Society recognizes philanthropic support, which is critical to our mission of educating students, conducting innovative research, and improving health outcomes.

Named for the year the UT Health Science Center was founded, the 1911 Society celebrates the generosity of our community. Membership in the 1911 Society is granted across multiple levels: Annual Giving Partners who donate $100 or more in any given fiscal year; Sustaining Partners who give annually at any amount for five or

ANNUAL GIVING PARTNERS

Paul and Merilyn Allen

Jodine C. Anderson

Gregory S. Baboolal

Karen Anjanette Baskerville

Daniel Bastardo Blanco

Sandra and Michael E. Bogard

Lashea and Joseph Bridges

Leonie and Peter F. Buckley

Nageshwar Rao Budha

James A. and Margaret Carson

Devin Casenhiser and Christina Heal

Terri and John Catafygiotu

Stephen W. Clark and Yanjun Ma

Michelle and Jordan Clayton

Ashton Coker

Paul F. and Eva Consroe

Danielle L. Corwin

Agnes and Thomas Costello

Holly Couch

William Max Couch, Jr.

Harry Sterling Courtney

Dwight and Patricia A. Cowan

John V. and Kathleen H. Cox

Melanie A. Dacheux

Ankur Dashputre

Charlie and Shannon Deal

Rebecca Joplin DeCroteau

Isaac O. and Veronica Donkor

Mary Ellen Duffy

Mark W. Dusek

James T. and Deborah Edmondson

Melanie and Andrew T. Edwards

Jian Feng and Zhen Yan

Ronald G. and Malinda C. Fitzgerald

Elizabeth A. Fitzpatrick

Tony M. Fletcher

Yu Fukuda

more consecutive years; and Lifetime Partners who make cumulative commitments of $25,000 or more during their lifetime to any college, program, or fund at the UT Health Science Center.

The Office of Advancement wishes to thank all donors for their commitment to the College of Graduate Health Sciences and to the university. For details go to giving. uthsc.edu/1911. To make a gift, please visit giving.uthsc. edu/give or call 901.448.5516. We are grateful to the following donors for their support through June 30, 2023.

Naomi Gades and Leonardo Llames

Chhanda L. and PanKaj Ganguly

Li Gao

Yuan Gao and Claire Lee

Yi Ge

Yuqing Gong

Carolyn and Paul Graff

Rampurna Prasad Gullapalli

Thomas M. Hamm

Edward W. and Jane S. Hankins

Greg and Lindsey Harris

Kirk E. Hevener

Monica Jablonski

Alexander Jenner

Lisa Kyle and David K. Jennings

Jinqiu Chen and Ye Jin

Kelsey E. Klein

Walter H. Koch

William C. Kouns

Gopal Krishna

Joseph J. Krzanowski, Jr.

Wei Kuan and Jiaqian Z. Gu

James D. and Kelli Lewis

Chunyan Li

Ling Li

Jon H. and Carol J. Lowrance

Shuyu E. Lui

Anobel Maghsoodpour

Karen A. Martin

Judy C. and Willie E. Martin, Jr.

Bahar I. Meshkat and Peyton Miles

Kelli J. Moses

Simonne S. Nouer

Pat and Dick Peppler

Ethel R. Pereira and Clive Mendonca

Rada Petrinjac-Nenadic and Jeljko Nenadic

Sathibalan Ponniah

Suresh Potharaju and Samadhana J. Mortha

Samuel J. and Ashley B. Riney

Jeffrey B. Roaten

Luis O. Romero Garcia

Thomas M. Saba

Sivatej Sarva

Elizabeth Schneider

Joel and Christy Shaffer

Michelle Shiver

Bishwas Shrestha

Anuj Shukla and Nedhi Patel

Carl Peter Simkevich

Udai P. and Gauri Singh

Vincent D. and Connie D. Smith

Richard A. and Jillian Smith

James W. Stanley

Frankie B. Stentz

Yichun Sun

Larry L. and Harleen Tague

Miriam J. Tedder

Shiwani Thapa

Donald B. and Laura Ann Malinick Thomason

Gabor J. Tigyi and Louisa Balazs

Reba A. Umberger

Dawn Butler Vincent

James J. Wang and Julie Liu-Wang

Jin Wang

Xi Wang

Zhao Wang and Rui Zhu

Felicia S. Washington

Amaya Weerasinghe

Nehemiah M. Wesley, Sr.

Alina Nico West

Edward J. Westerbeke

Shelley White-Means

Mona N. and Sammie J. Wicks

David Wilcox and Jeri Bryant

Myrna D. Williams

George C. Wood

Xudong Wu

Yinan Wu

Ying Xia

Zao Cheng Xu

Jiwei Yang

SUSTAINING PARTNERS (CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF GIVING)

ARCHWAY PARTNERS (5 – 9 YEARS)

Jodine C. Anderson

Robert E. and Myra P. Baughn

Thuydung Do

Ruth Ross Edmonds

Nancy and Mike Farrell

Rampurna Prasad Gullapalli

Marion and Carl Hare

Susan and Dick Jacob

Joseph J. Krzanowski, Jr.

Anobel Maghsoodpour

Anthony S. and Erica L. Rowe

Thomas M. Saba

Vincent D. and Connie D. Smith

Orli Michaela Weisser-Pike and Stephen J. Pike

Mona N. and Sammie J. Wicks

Jiwei Yang

Cornerstone Partners (10 – 19 Years)

Victoria and Paul Taylor Akins

Kennard D. and Cynthia A. Brown

John V. and Kathleen H. Cox

Mary Ellen Duffy

Elizabeth A. Fitzpatrick

Naomi Gades and Leonardo Llames

Edward W. and Jane S. Hankins

Lisa Kyle and David K. Jennings

Carol Likens

Diane Todd and Jim Pace

Pat and Dick Peppler

Yichun Sun

Donald B. and Laura Ann Malinick Thomason

Jiwei Yang

FOUNDATION PARTNERS (20+ YEARS)

David J. DeNuccio

Carolyn and Paul Graff

Xiaobin Han

LIFETIME PARTNERS

CUMULATIVE LIFETIME GIVING

Victoria and Paul Taylor Akins

Benjamin G. and Bridget Burris

Ann and Ted Cashion

Rampurna Prasad Gullapalli

Jack Hou and Kortne King Frederick

Morton and Myra Friedman

Susan and Dick Jacob

Lisa Kyle and David K. Jennings

Bobby V. and Rebecca T. Khan

Casey Laizure and Joanna Hudson Laizure

June H. Larrabee

Bailey and Laura Lee Lipscomb

Judy C. and Willie E. Martin, Jr.

Allison and Preston Dallas Miller III

Helen C. and Wells Moorehead

Eric R. and Melody B. Nease

Pat and Dick Peppler

James B. and Audrey M. Selecman

Christy L. and Joel E. Shaffer

Vincent D. and Connie D. Smith

Cheryl C. and William D. Stegbauer

Frankie B. Stentz

Kendra and Charles Andy Vondran, Jr.

Robert J. and Deede S. Wyatt

Leave Your Legacy

Have you thought about the legacy you will leave behind?

With a Planned Gift, you can:

• Simplify your estate for your family

• Reduce the tax burden applied to your assets

• Benefit causes you hold dear

The UTHSC Legacy Society

The Legacy Society was inspired by the dedication and generosity of the late Dr. Hershel “Pat” Wall, former chancellor and dean of the College of Medicine at UT Health Science Center, special assistant to the UT System President, and instructor in pediatrics.

For more information about planned gifts to the UT Health Science Center and Legacy Society membership, contact Bethany Goolsby at 901.448.5516 or estateplans@uthsc.edu

THANK YOU FOR BEING A LEGACY SOCIETY MEMBER!

Dr. R. Prasad Gullapalli

Dr. Susan and Mr. Dick Jacob

Dr. June H. Larrabee

Drs. Wells and Helen C. Moorehead

College of Graduate Health Sciences Advisory Board

Dr. Lisa Jennings (PhD ’83) Advisor and Consultant

MLM Medical Labs, LLC Board Chair

Dr. Gary Gao (MS ’93)

Med Data Quest Founder/CEO

Dr. Dean Gillespie (PhD ’95) Senior Biosciences Account Manager

Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Sciences Solutions

Dr. Prasad Gullapalli (PhD ’93) Vice President, Pharmaceutical Development Entos, Inc.

Dr. Viraj Ichhaporia (PhD ’18)

Beam Therapeutics

Associate Principal Scientist

Dr. Bill Lester (PhD ’97)

Senior Medical Science Liaison, Cardiovascular Therapeutic Area

Amgen US Medical

Dr. Chikezie Madu (MS ’12) Advanced Placement/Dual Enrollment Biology Instructor

Shelby County Schools

Dr. Clive Mendonca Consultant

Trinity Life Sciences

Mr. Ashwin Raj (MS ’96) ezCater CEO

Dr. Vreiti Sangha (MS ’12) Periodontist

Western Dental Company

Dr. Rose Stiffin (PhD ’95) Associate Professor of Chemistry and Chair of the Department of Health and Natural Resources

Florida Memorial University

Dr. S. Joseph Tarnowski (PhD ’79) Former Senior Vice President Glaxo Smith Kline

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We will be celebrating the 1974 graduates of the College of Graduate Health Sciences

More information: Blair Duke, 901.448.2555, bduke@utfi.org

Giving Day 2024 | Tuesday, April 23, 2024

24-hour campaign that raises funds to support the university and its dedication to building a healthier community.