The Future of Research 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 Research, 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
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
Administrative Coordinator
Kristina Rogers
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
Senior Director of Alumni Programs
Terri Catafygiotu
Editor Peggy Reisser, MASC
Contributing Writers
Chris Green
Peggy Reisser
Designer Adam Gaines
Photographer Caleb Jia
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(V/TTY available). Requests for accommodation of a disability should be
From the Dean
In 2025, we are updating our college’s five-year strategic map. I am pleased to announce a significant shift in the mindset around our strategic goals and the objectives to achieve those goals. This shift better aligns our objectives with the evolving demands of both academia and the business world.
Our commitment to fostering a holistic educational environment recognizes that technical proficiency must be married to the development of soft skills. As we navigate through an increasingly complex and interconnected global landscape, it is imperative that our trainees are equipped with the interpersonal and cognitive abilities necessary to thrive.
Although our goals will not change significantly and will continue to align with the pillars of UT Health Science Center’s 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, the next iteration of our strategic map underscores the importance of soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence. These competencies are essential for effective collaboration, problem solving, and leadership in any professional setting.
By integrating soft skills training into our curriculum and professional development programs, we aim to produce well-rounded individuals who can adapt to diverse work environments and contribute meaningfully to their organizations. This approach not only enhances employability but also fosters a culture of continuous learning and personal growth.
Unique in this update is the engagement of our Advisory Board members to help guide the objectives to reach the goals. Many on our Advisory Board are industry leaders, who bring real-world insights and mentorship, ensuring that our mission remains relevant to the needs of academia and business.
In addition to curriculum enhancements, we will continue to implement and expand various initiatives to support this strategic shift. Workshops, seminars, and experiential learning opportunities, among others, will be offered to help trainees hone their soft skills.
Together, we can create a dynamic ecosystem that nurtures talent and prepares individuals for the challenges and opportunities of the future.
Sincerely,
Donald B. Thomason, PhD Dean of the College of Graduate Health Sciences
From the Chancellor
It is exciting to see our College of Graduate Health Sciences excel in equipping its students and trainees for the future.
Today’s world demands accomplished researchers and scientists, as well as expert collaborators and communicators. I applaud Dean Thomason and the faculty for their attention to today and tomorrow in molding the lives of those they mentor and guide.
Additionally, the College of Graduate Health Sciences is fortunate to have a plethora of accomplished alumni, who are willing and able to join in this endeavor by offering their time, talent, and financial support. Encouragement and advice from those who have successfully navigated the path ahead can often mean the difference between success and failure.
Across the university, support from our valued alumni enables us to train future health care professionals for Tennessee; deliver expert care at hospitals, pharmacies, and clinics across the state; and research treatments and cures for the diseases that contribute to the state’s poor health rankings.
I am proud to report we continue the commitment to our vision outlined in 2023 in our Strategic Plan: Healthy Tennesseans. Thriving Communities.
Our College of Graduate Health Sciences is developing the scientists and researchers, who are critical to this 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. This is a noble mission that stands to benefit us all.
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.
With gratitude,
Peter Buckley, MD Chancellor of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center
325 Fall 2024 enrollment
54% Students identifying as female
31 Average age of students
36% International students
95% On-time completion
>$1.18 MILLION
Amount raised in support of the College of Graduate Health Sciences in FY23
5.3
Years: Time to degree vs peer 5.8 years vs all 5.7 years
100%
Post-graduation employment vs peer 93% vs all 94%
Space for Audiology and Speech
Pathology Research Gets Upgrade
Researchers in UT Health Science Center’s Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology got a major boost with the completion of the almost $20 million renovation of the department’s home in the UT Conference Center in Knoxville.
After almost four years of construction, the renovated state-of-the-art space officially opened in October, increasing the department’s footprint to approximately 65,000 square feet.
The new space houses 13 well-equipped labs, where researchers are investigating topics including adult language and the brain, aging and auditory electrophysiology, cognitive linguistics, singing and voice science, stuttering and speech science, and vestibular and balance. PhD students and faculty conduct research throughout the spaces.
“This gives our PhD students in the Speech and Hearing Science Program the unique experience to interact with and learn from each other to broaden their training experience and to interact with both the research and clinical faculty,” said College of Graduate Health Sciences Dean Donald Thomason. “I cannot think of a more ideal setting in which to train.”
Previously, the department operated in three different spaces on the campus of UT Knoxville. The renovation gathers its academic, research, and clinical operations under the same roof for the first time in 40 years.
In addition to educational, clinic, and research spaces, the new facility adds a large lecture hall seating 124 students; an apartment simulation; an indoor inclusive playground; a feeding, swallowing, and voice suite; a dizziness and tinnitus suite; student study rooms; and the SilversteinLuper Alumni and Visitor Welcome Center.
“All of our faculty, students, and clinical enterprises are all in the same building now, which really encourages collaboration and interdisciplinary activity,” said Ashley Harkrider, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology. “This benefits our students, patients, faculty, our research, and is a win for everyone.”
The department is administered through the College of Health Professions, with the graduate and postdoctoral research component through the College of Graduate Health Sciences.
“I want to congratulate the outstanding faculty and staff in the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, who under the vision and leadership of Dr. Harkrider,
could see the possibilities of what the future for ASP could be,” said Stephen Alway, PhD, dean of the College of Health Professions. “This is a wonderful milestone that will be the launchpad for many great things to come for ASP and will provide an opportunity for interdisciplinary training and clinics that will impact not only the eastern side of Tennessee but well beyond the borders of our state.”
The large lecture hall allows faculty to teach lectures in the center and features interactive monitors, an assistive listening system for in-class audio for students, and special access for students with hearing impairments.
“When we were all in separate spaces, I felt disconnected from the students and faculty who were still on campus. With the new space, there’s a huge improvement in communication and connectedness,” said Devin Casenhiser, PhD, professor and program director in Speech Pathology. “The new classroom space is great. Students are more comfortable and spend far less time traveling between classes and clinic, which were often split between the UT Knoxville main campus and our building downtown.”
The department has the East Tennessee area’s only academic hearing and speech clinics. It offers degree programs for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral education in audiology and speech pathology. This year, the department’s Doctor of Audiology program reached the top 25 of audiology programs in the country with its ranking by U.S. News & World Report.
Pharmaceutical Sciences
PhD Student Thrives in Research
Ishita Kathuria was deeply influenced by her family’s history of heart disease to pursue cardiovascular research.
“Growing up in a family prone to cardiac disorders motivated me to delve into the underlying mechanisms of these conditions with the hope of contributing to their cure,” Kathuria said.
Her pursuit of pharmacy stemmed from her curiosity about the origins of diseases and cures.
“I realized this is the place where everything starts. I was always curious, what are the root causes and how does everything begin? And the only answer to that was pharmacy. You’re looking for mechanisms, you’re looking into diseases and pathologies, and you can lead to the cure,” Kathuria said.
Kathuria, who is from India, graduated with her bachelor’s in pharmacy from Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University. Now, she is studying for her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy and the College of Graduate Health Sciences.
“UT Health Science Center College of Pharmacy has a good ranking, coursework, and more than that, I was looking at the different fields of research that was going on here, and the lab that I’m currently working in was one of the labs that I was interested in,” she said. “So, getting an opportunity to work in the area of atherosclerosis, a cardiovascular chronic inflammatory disease, was one of the major factors that pulled me to UT Health Science Center.”
She is conducting research in the lab of Bhupesh Singla, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
“That is the biggest joy, to do something you always wanted to do. To have an opportunity to be in the lab and contribute to a greater well-being.”
One of her projects investigates how the molecular mechanisms of myeloid cells contribute to vascular inflammation and the development of atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque in the arteries.
“It is the root cause of myocardial infarction and stroke. Therefore, it needs immediate resolution. There are drugs in the market, but they don’t target every aspect of this disease pathogenesis, so we need more specific and effective therapeutic options,” she said.
In May, Kathuria was awarded a one-year, $5,000 grant from the College of Graduate Health Sciences for her independent research project on macrophage signaling in metabolic dysfunction-associated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease to
identify mechanisms that regulate the development of the disease.
She was awarded first place in the poster presentation competition in the atherosclerosis category at the 2024 Vascular Research Initiatives Conference. She also received a travel award from the College of Graduate Health Sciences to the American Heart Association Vascular Discovery conference in May.
In December 2024, Ishita won first place in the College of Graduate Health Sciences 3-Minute Thesis competition, which challenges participants to describe their thesis in three minutes. Her presentation also tied for People’s Choice.
“Ishita is a dedicated and hardworking graduate student. The efforts she put into research work and learning new things are clearly reflected in her current skillset, research progress, and achievements,” said Dr. Singla. “She always views challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. Without a doubt, she will set the bar high for incoming students in the lab.”
The research in the Pharmaceutical Sciences program exemplifies one of various opportunities for students, which stood out to her.
“We have different student societies like GSEC (Graduate Student Executive Council), International Students Association, Toastmasters, and different competitions like Three-Minute Thesis, poster presentations at Graduate Research Day, and you can attend different conferences. So, what stood out to me was not just about one aspect, but about overall growth,” she said. “Like my mentor, Dr. Singla, or our Program Director Hassan Almoazen, PhD, and Dean of the College of Graduate Health Sciences Donald Thomason, PhD, they all keep motivating you to not just restrict yourself to one particular segment, but expose yourself to different ideologies, opportunities – and they are at the back end to help you go ahead which makes all the difference.”
Kathuria is also a leader and serves as the 2024-2025 secretary of GSEC. She served as the track representative for Pharmaceutical Sciences, secretary and treasurer for the Toastmasters chapter at UT Health Science Center, and the College of Graduate Health Sciences college representative for Asian American Students of Health Science.
“Ishita is an outstanding example of a student who has embraced the various career advancement opportunities we provide, including her research, the entrepreneurship course, independent research project funding, alumni engagement, Career Insights participation, GSEC leadership, among others,” Dr. Thomason said. “We are very proud of her accomplishments.”
University Advisory Board Member
Aims to Represent all Students
Margaret Bohm, president of the Student Government Association Executive Council and student representative on the UT Health Science Center Advisory Board, is determined to be the voice of all students at the university. Bohm is also the president of the Graduate Student Executive Council.
“I take it very seriously that my position is not just to be the voice of the graduate students, but the voice of all our students across all of our campuses, which is an incredible responsibility and privilege,” Bohm said. “I took a trip to Knoxville a few months ago and was able to ask some of the students there, ‘How can we best help and serve you?’ My personal priorities are to be the best representative of our diverse student population that I can be, learn as much as I can, and be as responsive as possible to student needs.”
Bohm is studying in the biomedical sciences PhD program in the College of Graduate Health Sciences. She grew up in Michigan and studied at Northern Michigan University. She started her undergraduate years in pre-med, then she received a freshman fellowship that inspired her to pursue research.
“Northern offered a freshman fellowship where I could get into a lab and get experience doing research. I joined a microbiology lab with Dr. Josh Sharp there, who studies ways to rapidly identify common pathogens, and I loved it,” she said. “By Thanksgiving, I said ‘Mom, Dad, I’m still going to be a doctor, but I’m not going into the MD route. I want to do a PhD.’”
In 2019, she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. After graduating, she worked for two years as a laboratory technician at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor.
“That’s where I started working on the gastrointestinal system, which, combined with my undergrad work in microbiology, led me to asking a lot of questions about the gut microbiome and how that can impact health and disease,” she said.
Her experience attending a virtual conference and hearing a talk from Joe Pierre, PhD, a former UT Health Science Center faculty member, sparked her interest in learning more about the programs and research. She discovered how much they aligned with her own interests.
In 2021, Bohm applied to many schools, including UT Health Science Center, and visited the campus to meet with David R. Nelson, PhD, professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry, and Liza Makowski, PhD, professor in the College of Medicine’s
Division of Hematology-Oncology, with joint appointments in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, and the College of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Visiting the university and meeting Dr. Makowski and Dr. Nelson confirmed for Bohm that UT Health Science Center was the right fit.
“It was honestly the best of both worlds, because Dr. Makowski studies the immune system and the gut microbiome, and her lab works closely with Dr. Pierre, whom I was already interested in, and I really appreciated her perspective as a woman in science,” Bohm said.
Now, Bohm is an award-winning senior graduate student in Dr. Makowski’s lab. She is conducting research for her project on ways to manipulate the gut microbiome to improve response to immunotherapy for breast cancer patients. “Dr. Makowski is a great mentor. She’s always there when I have a concern or exciting data to share and she’s given me so much room to explore different avenues with my project,” she said.
“It’s been absolutely amazing the entire time, and I recognize I’m so lucky as a PhD student to be able to say that because so many graduate students may encounter struggles during this stage,” she said. “I’m very lucky that our findings are currently very encouraging, and the first paper will be going out soon. It’s been so great to be in an environment where there are so many people relevant to what I am working on that I can connect with, both in UT Health Science Center and at neighboring institutions.”
The goals that Bohm and her fellow student leaders are interested in include community outreach and having more student interactions across the colleges.
“In my college and within the university in general, we’re focusing on how to bring the community together,” she said. “We’re also very interested in having more cross-college interactions, because right now, it feels like we’re pretty siloed.”
Donald Thomason, PhD, dean of the College of Graduate Health Sciences, said Bohm’s enthusiasm as GSEC president has rallied GSEC and the student body toward accomplishing several activities with efficiency. “As an accomplished student and leader, her representation of the entire UT Health Science Center student body on the UTHSC Advisory Board ensures that the needs and concerns of our students are heard,” he said.
After she earns her PhD, Bohm plans to begin a postdoctoral fellowship. In the future, her goal is to become a professor and mentor the next generation of scientists.
Research Administrator Earning PhD to Advance Career, Help Minority Students
By Chris Green
With a relentless drive for learning and a passion for advocacy, doctoral student Kimberly Williams Houston is using her expertise to drive change – both in research administration and in advocating for students like herself.
Houston has already received a master’s degree from UT Health Science Center and has worked on the university’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) for six years. She is now months away from receiving her second degree from the College of Graduate Health Sciences—a PhD in Health Outcomes and Policy Research (HOPR)—in hopes of continuing to move up the ladder in research administration.
“I have always loved learning and furthering my education,” she said. “One thing I observed was the ceiling that I could not break through previously with only a master’s degree, deeming me ineligible to apply for more senior roles in research.”
A native Memphian, Houston developed an interest in health care from her father, mother, and sister, who all worked in the field. She studied biology and chemistry at Christian Brothers University before enrolling in the Biomedical Sciences Program at UT Health Science Center, where she studied topical therapies to target diabetic retinopathy in patients with diabetes.
After completing the master’s program in 2011, Houston began her research career at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, studying cell signaling cascades to target in pediatric cancers. After six years as a basic scientist, she desired more experience in clinical research and joined CirQuest Labs (now MLM Medical Labs Memphis) as a clinical trial sample analyst.
“At CirQuest, I was exposed to regulatory and compliance, piquing a new interest for me to shift from technical work to administrative work in research,” she said. “After two years there, I was able to leave bench work and began the administrative portion of my career.”
Houston joined the IRB at UT Health Science Center in 2019 as a regulatory specialist, reviewing, processing, and approving clinical research applications. She is now a compliance advisor focused on ensuring researchers maintain compliance with local policies and federal regulations. While working in these roles, she maintained her desire to further her education, which she learned was the best way to advance her career.
“I am a double minority – a Black woman – in a predominantly white, male-driven field, so it was necessary for me to obtain my doctorate degree for me to be seen as competent in comparison to nonminorities in my field,” she said.
Houston’s life experiences influenced her decision to focus her doctoral research on policy reformation for minority health science students who have hidden disabilities. She initially gained an interest in disabilities from taking care of her mother, who was disabled after suffering a severe stroke, and experiencing the laws and policies she and her family had to follow to obtain resources they needed. Her student experience further fueled her drive to put herself in a position to reform policies for people with disabilities.
“As a graduate student who was diagnosed with a hidden disability and faced many challenges related to completing my graduate degree due to my diagnosis, I felt the best place to start was right here at UT Health Science Center and hear the experiences of students like me who are minority students of color and have a hidden disability, as well,” she said.
After five years in the HOPR program, Houston is confident she made the right choice for her PhD. The health policy concentration aligned with not only her research interests, but also with her life and family situation. “The HOPR program was the most appropriate program for me when I decided to obtain my PhD because I was not your traditional student who had just graduated college and was now entering grad school. I had a full-time career and a family, so I needed a program that was geared toward working adults who wanted to further their education.”
Houston was honored at the UT Health Science Center Impact Awards in December with a Student Impact and Advocacy Leadership Award, which recognizes students whose actions demonstrate impact and advocacy in support of the university’s Strategic Plan for engaging communities, educational excellence, expanding research, advancing health, and developing talent. Among the reasons she received the award was the pivotal role she played in reinstating the university’s chapter of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). She learned about the organization from a classmate and felt having a chapter
at UT Health Science Center would be valuable to her and other students and their academic success.
“The main benefit was that we were able to collaborate with other ISPOR chapters across the U.S. to coordinate hosting seminars, faculty talks, and workshops to enhance and impact students during their doctoral journey,” she said. “To hear my peers in the HOPR program and at our collaborating chapter institutions tell us how helpful or impactful a career talk or a statistical analysis workshop was in completing their coursework or their own data analysis really made me feel that reinstating the chapter was worth it.”
Houston is set to graduate with her PhD this year. While she would like to continue her research on minority students with hidden disabilities and reforming policy affecting them, she also aspires to serve in an executivelevel position in research administration. She hopes her colleagues and the College of Graduate Health Sciences faculty can provide guidance in achieving both goals. Similarly, she hopes minority students will look to her for inspiration in their education and career paths.
“I want other minority students of color who look like me to know that anything is possible, no matter what obstacles come your way,” she said. “If I can achieve my academic and career goals, so can you.”
Student Awarded NSF Research Fellowship, a First for UT Health Science Center
By Chris Green
Kelsey Glasper, a neuroscience student passionate about learning how the brain works, can focus more on making a difference through research after being chosen for a highly competitive fellowship.
Glasper is the first UT Health Science Center student selected by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for its Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). The five-year fellowship will provide her with three years of critical financial support, including an annual stipend and coverage of educational expenses, and access to professional development opportunities as she completes her PhD in neuroscience in the College of Graduate Health Science’s Integrated Biomedical Sciences Program. The GRFP is comprised of exceptional graduate students in their first or second year of a research-based master’s or doctoral program.
“Knowing that only about 14% of over 14,000 applicants receive the award each year, and that only 27% of those awardees come from underrepresented minorities, it felt surreal to realize I was part of such a selective group,” Glasper said. “The application involved crafting a personal statement and research proposal, both of which took months of drafting and revising. It was a rigorous process, but it allowed me to sharpen my research ideas and clarify my long-term vision as a scientist.”
Glasper is originally from the Memphis and North Mississippi area and a graduate of Rhodes College. She works with her mentor Max Fletcher, PhD, professor of anatomy and neurobiology and a member of the UT Health Science Center Neuroscience Institute, in researching the basic principles of how the brain encodes sensory information, which is fundamental to understanding perception and cognition.
“I am interested in cholinergic signaling within the olfactory system, with a focus on the horizontal limb of the diagonal band (HDB). This region is key to modulating attention and sensory processing, and studying it allows me to explore how neural circuits influence behavior at both basic and complex levels,” she said. “I’ve always been fascinated by the brain and how it shapes who we are, but I was particularly drawn to studying cholinergic systems because of their fundamental role in attention, memory, and learning—processes that are critical to everyday life and are often disrupted in neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease.”
Glasper said she is drawn to this area of research because of the potential for discovery and the interdisciplinary nature of the work. She said it combines behavioral analysis, advanced imaging techniques, and robust data analytics, which keeps things both challenging and rewarding.
“Every experiment feels like uncovering a new piece of the puzzle, and I’m driven by the possibility that my research could contribute to a better understanding of how the brain works, potentially leading to new treatments for cognitive disorders,” she said. “I love that my research can have both theoretical and practical implications, giving me the chance to make meaningful contributions to science while also impacting real-world health outcomes.”
According to Glasper, the GRFP will help her become a better student and researcher. She said it provides financial security so she can dedicate more time to developing her projects without the stress of securing external funding or balancing multiple responsibilities. This support allows her to take on more ambitious research questions and explore creative approaches that may not have been possible otherwise.
“The fellowship sets a strong foundation for my future career,” she said. “Being recognized by the NSF not only validates my work but also enhances my credibility as I move forward in the scientific community. It opens doors for collaborations and provides access to a network of leading researchers and resources that can shape my growth as a neuroscientist. This award strengthens my ability to contribute to meaningful advancements in the field and helps me build the skills and connections I need to succeed both in academia and beyond.”
Being the first UT Health Science Center student selected for the GRFP is an honor Glasper does not take lightly. She said she hopes this achievement serves as inspiration to her fellow students who might feel opportunities like this are out of reach.
“For me personally, it’s a reminder that my work is meaningful, and it reinforces my commitment to contributing to both science and my community,” she said. “I’m excited to represent UT Health Science Center on a national stage and show that with hard work and dedication, you can achieve your dreams right where you are.”
While she is still unsure what her future career will be, Glasper said the GRFP will help her fulfill her broader goal of creating pathways for those who may not have seen themselves represented in science before. “As a scientist, I want to use mentorship and outreach to inspire the next generation of scholars, particularly young Black men and women, to pursue careers in STEM,” she said. “Ultimately, my future will be guided by a dedication to making science more inclusive and accessible.”
Biomedical
Engineering
Student Honored at BSA Awards
Perri “PJ” Johnson Jr., a doctoral student in the joint UT Health Science Center-University of Memphis Biomedical Engineering Program, was honored in March at the 33rd annual Black Student Association Awards. A graduate of both the University of Indianapolis and Purdue University, Johnson earned dual degrees in engineering and mathematics, while excelling academically and competing as a collegiate football player. After his undergraduate studies, Johnson joined the joint graduate program and earned a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering in 2022 with a thesis on ankle orthosis and tibial load reduction. Johnson’s research journey has been marked by intellectual curiosity and a commitment to impactful solutions. His current work focuses on developing assistive devices for the treatment of tibial bone stress injuries (TBSI), with a specific emphasis on comparing the effectiveness of a Dynamic Ankle Orthosis (DAO) to clinical walking boots in promoting bone healing and preventing muscle atrophy. He is also expanding this research to explore applications for military populations.
3MT Calls for Quick Thinking, Clear Communication
2024 Giving Day and Family Campaign Exceed Donor Goals
UT Health Science Center’s fourth-annual Giving Day was a success, raising $664,850 and exceeding the goal of 1,000 donors in 24 hours with 1,155 donors from across the country. Held April 23, the one-day philanthropic event encouraged donors to support the university with gifts of any size. Giving Day 2025 is set for Tuesday, April 29. The university’s third Family Campaign also exceeded its goal of 700 donors, reaching 765. The monthlong campaign is held each September to cultivate philanthropy among the faculty and staff to support the university. Last year, students and residents were also welcome to give.
Each year in December, the College of Graduate Health Sciences and the Graduate Student Executive Council stage the 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. The contest challenges doctoral and master’s degree students to present their thesis in three minutes using one PowerPoint slide. The competition encourages contestants to think quickly and communicate clearly to explain their research.
The winners were:
• First Place: Ishita Kathuria (Pharmaceutical Sciences)
• Second Place: Rika Morales (Biomedical Sciences, PhAST Track)
• People’s Choice: Ishita Kathuria (Pharmaceutical Sciences) and Bahar Meshkat (Biomedical Sciences, Physiology Track)
White Coat Ceremony
The white coat ceremony in the College of Graduate Health Sciences is a rite of passage for students who pass their candidacy examination. This event, held annually in the Fall, signifies the students are candidates for their degrees and their commitment to the ethical conduct of scientific research and professionalism. During the ceremony, each student receives a white coat from his or her research advisor. The 2024 event honored 29 students. Congratulations to them all for reaching a milestone that is achieved by only a few!
Summer Research Scholars Program
The goal of the Summer Research Scholars Program is to introduce undergraduate students to the exciting field of biomedical research and hopefully to interest some in pursuing a PhD. The program is an eight-week, paid, hands-on undergraduate research internship in biomedical sciences, through which students learn research techniques in state-of-the-art laboratories at UT Health Science Center. Scholars enhance their skills in biomedical information retrieval, participate in workshops on writing scientific abstracts, generating PowerPoints with scientific data, and making effective scientific presentations. At the end of the program, each scholar makes a podium presentation of their research. Ten scholars participated in the program in 2024.
UT Health Science Center Welcomes New Vice Chancellor for Research
Jessica Snowden, MD, officially joined UT Health Science Center September 1 as the vice chancellor for Research. A nationally recognized pediatric infectious disease specialist and researcher, Dr. Snowden was previously the vice dean for Research and chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). She has substantial experience and leadership in multisite and multistate interdisciplinary research, including a groundbreaking opioid study, as well as a major long-COVID study into the effects of the virus on children and families, particularly in underserved areas. She is known as a dedicated mentor and a leader in integrating clinical, research, and academic work to advance the understanding of health and disease. Along with leading the university’s research enterprise, Dr. Snowden also serves as a professor in the College of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics.
Alumna Imparts Words of Wisdom to Postdoc Event
By Peggy Reisser
Weili Sun, MD, PhD, traveled to Memphis from China in 1998 to pursue a PhD in pathology at UT Health Science Center. She had not been back to the university since leaving in 2005 for her postgraduate medical training, until she was invited to be the keynote speaker at the 17th Annual Winter Postdoc Research Showcase in January.
Dr. Sun, senior medical director for oncology clinical research at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, offered advice to the postdoctoral audience for pursuing a career in the pharmaceutical industry. She also had kind words for the alma mater that helped shape the career she has today.
“I think all the mentors, the things I learned, also the skills I learned as a PhD really, really helped me a lot,” she said. “I'm still using those things at my daily work.”
Dr. Sun reminisced about her time as a graduate student working at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in the lab of James Downing, MD, who is now the president and chief executive officer of St. Jude. Her task at the time was to build a leukemia mouse model.
“I spent a lot of time at St. Jude,” she said. “My mentor really helped me to understand the field, who I am, not just for the project, but for my personal career growth.”
Understanding her personal career path took time, she said.
After completing her postgraduate medical training in pediatric hematology/oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and subsequently serving as a faculty member at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles/ University of Southern California and City of Hope National Medical Center for nearly 10 years, she decided her passion was for research, and she transitioned to the pharmaceutical industry.
“I think a lot of graduate students, we all know about academia, but then Pharma is also another area that includes job opportunities,” she said. “I think Pharma is a great industry to work with.”
Jobs are plentiful for PhDs in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly in research and development (R&D); the industry has a major impact on the overall economy; and jobs pay well. Many R&D jobs are not lab-based and require the skillset developed through PhD training, including a willingness to learn new things, critical thinking, analytical skills, strong communication skills, and resilience. “These are all of the soft skills PhDs learn,” she said.
Dr. Sun offered specific points for the postdocs to keep in mind, as they consider their futures.
• Research is hard.
• Most experiments fail.
• Be patient and persistent.
• Don’t fall in love with your project, fall in love with the skills and the process of the research.
• Enjoy discovery.
She urged them to get input from mentors, recognize their strengths, be open-minded and flexible, and start writing their CVs early.
Dr. Sun said she is grateful to UT Health Science Center for more than her education and early training.
She met and married her husband, Jean-Hugues Parmentier, while she was at UT Health Science Center. He was a postdoc in the lab of Kafait Malik, DSc, PhD. Dr. Malik, whom she called “another father figure for us,” proudly sat beside Dr. Sun at the luncheon prior to her speech.
Dr. Liza Makowski Aims to Transform Cancer Care by Understanding Obesity and Cancer Connections
By Chris Green
When Liza Makowski, PhD, moved to Memphis to join the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, she amplified her goal of making a difference in the cancer space.
Dr. Makowski leads the Makowski Lab at UT Health Science Center, studying how obesity and immune cells like white blood cells affect cancer risk and cancer outcomes. “I’ve always been interested in obesity and how weight gain or loss changes the immune system, which can affect how we get cancer, how we treat cancer, and how we prevent cancer from coming back,” she said.
Since 2020, she has received more than $12.6 million in grant funding as either a principal investigator, a multiple principal investigator, or a mentor for her trainees.
Dr. Makowski is a professor and associate director for Education and Development for UT Health Science Center’s Center for Cancer Research, which is directed by her husband, Neil Hayes, MD, MPH. The couple moved to Memphis with their three children in 2017 and have dedicated the past eight years to increasing UT Health Science Center’s status as a cancer research institution to benefit the state of Tennessee and the Mid-South region.
HER JOURNEY TO MEMPHIS
After spending the first part of her life on Long Island, New York, Dr. Makowski attended Boston College to study animal behavior on a pre-med track. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she worked for a few years in labs in both the private sector and in an academic setting, but her career took a turn after her mother got breast cancer. Dr. Makowski moved back home to take care of her mother while studying to get into graduate school. She attended the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and obtained her PhD in nutritional biochemistry. “Nutrition was something that anybody could understand and relate to, and it was also applicable to studying disease outcomes and disease risk,” she said. “Completing my PhD in a school of public health was impactful. Even though I was doing biochemistry and cell biology in a lab, I was always surrounded by patient studies and population health.”
While working toward her PhD, she took advantage of an opportunity to get a master’s degree from Harvard Medical School as a Lucille P. Markey funded fellow. According to Dr. Makowski, getting these dual degrees provided a strong foundation for her research career.
“I was fortunate to complete one and a half years of medical school at Harvard Medical School to get a
HER LATEST RESEARCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Dr. Makowski’s strategy to bridge her interests in obesity and cancer has been successful, especially since over two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. Among her lab’s recent accomplishments is an article published in the prestigious journal, Science Advances. This study, supported by the Mary Kay Ash Foundation, demonstrated that the kinase C delta signaling protein controls a certain immune cell type and hinders the body’s response to immunotherapy in multiple cancer types.
Since joining UT Health Science Center, Dr. Makowski has continued to focus on collaboration, which she said has helped her secure major grant funding. One of these grants is a $5.2 million award from the National Cancer Institute to study the link between cancer and obesity. The multisite WELCOM Study, which stands for Weight Loss and Cancer Outcomes in the Mid-South, is part of the nationwide consortium called the Metabolic Dysregulation and Cancer Risk Program (MeDOC) funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The
master’s in medical science. It completely opened my mind to doing translational science from the bench to bedside that is applicable to patient health and improving the health of the population. This broad base for my early education has bridged connections to colleagues across many fields to help fuel my research,” she said.
Early in her career, Dr. Makowski focused on diabetes and heart disease research. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in metabolism at Duke University Medical Center and then joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, where a colleague who studied breast cancer inspired her to pivot toward cancer research.
“I met a colleague who was examining the breast before a patient develops cancer. What’s amazing is that breast tissue has a lot of fatty tissue, so having studied obesity and fatty tissue, we hit it off immediately,” she said.
According to Dr. Makowski, her background of research in obesity and metabolism gives her a unique perspective as she works to understand the microenvironment in which cancer develops and grows in hopes of learning more about what feeds cancer and what can be used to fight it.
WELCOM team recruits participants and collects fecal samples, body scans, dietary data, and other tests to help them understand how gut microbes and immune cells change with being lean, obese, or after weight loss. The researchers are interested in both bariatric surgery and drugs such as Ozempic, and how weight loss can potentially protect against cancer.
Dr. Makowski is a co-principal investigator on another collaborative project funded by a highly competitive Endeavor Award totaling $3 million from the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research. Led by Jeffrey Rathmell, PhD, director of the Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, the project aims to improve care for the growing number of obese cancer patients and identify key signals or biomarkers that may provide therapeutic guidance.
Another collaboration led by Dr. Makowski is a $2.1 million project funded by the National Cancer Institute examining how the biochemicals made by the gut microbiome impact the immune system and response to immunotherapy for breast cancer. The project began as
a collaboration with Joseph F. Pierre, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
“Dr. Pierre taught my lab how to conduct weight-loss surgical interventions to study obesity and weight loss. With these highly technical advances, we can compare and contrast different body states in pre-clinical studies and cancer,” she said. “Our goal is to identify a biochemical biomarker as a novel target to treat patients to improve outcomes in the clinic.”
Dr. Makowski is also the lead investigator on a $2.05 million grant from the National Cancer Institute for an advanced genetics project to identify and validate underlying genes in breast cancer, aimed at enabling advances in targeted therapies and personalized treatment. Dr. Makowski’s team used preclinical models and advanced computational approaches in partnership
HER GOALS TO LEAVE A MARK
Dr. Makowski and her lab are diligently pursuing her ultimate research goal “to understand why people are getting cancer and find ways to design therapeutics to improve cancer outcomes.”
One thing that drew Dr. Makowski to Memphis was the state of health in the region, which has some of the highest rates of cancer-related deaths in the country, corresponding with several public health concerns. As her research and the work of the Center for Cancer Research continue to progress, Dr. Makowski aspires to help make UT Health Science Center into an institution that has a significant, direct impact for cancer patients.
with colleagues from the College of Medicine’s Department of Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics, including Department Chair Robert Williams, PhD.
“When I told people I was moving to UT Health Science Center, everyone said, ‘You’ve got to meet Dr. Rob Williams,’ because he’s a renowned mouse geneticist,” Dr. Makowski said. “This team has an incredible preclinical model with great genetic diversity that has been deeply studied for 40-plus years. We took advantage of this opportunity to test outcomes in breast cancer.”
Throughout her career, Dr. Makowski has thrived on collaborations, aligning with her catch phrase, “Work with winners.” At UT Health Science Center, she said, she has been able to accomplish more in different scientific areas than she ever imagined.
“If we could build an adult cancer center, similar to what St. Jude has built for childhood cancer, we can have an impact across the state,” she said. “UT Health Science Center is a home for top-notch research. We all have a great opportunity to grow and to impact patients with cancer.”
As she strives toward this large goal, Dr. Makowski is confident in the everyday impact she has in the lab. Not only does her research have the potential to save lives in the future, but through her mentorship, she plays a role in shaping the future of scientific research.
“I tell my lab all the time, ‘I don’t think I’m going to win a Nobel Prize, but I can train students and fellows to be the best scientists possible, conducting next-level experiments,’” she said. “That will be my legacy – training these young people to be the next generation of researchers, and then they’ll train their trainees, and together we’ll carry on a love of doing exciting and impactful cancer research.”
Dr. Makowski, third from right, is shown with members of her lab.
Congratulations to our 2024 Graduates!
Doctor of Philosophy
Briar J. Bell
Samantha Faith Calhoun
Ming Chen
Desiree Cihelka
Michelle M. Clayton
Jinglin Cui
Amy Elizabeth Davis
Alaina Catherine Grissom
Jessica Lynne Halle
Mckenna Katherine Harpring
Jeremiah Ray Holt
Menglin Jiang
Chun-Yang Lin
Jian Miao
Master of Science
Abdullah Mohammed Alwagdani
Madison N. Brown
Kayla Dale Bryant
Christopher Blake Crocker
Ajeyo De
Megan Lynn Demel
Hannah Xiao Fulbright
Joy Olaoluwa Gbadegoye
Akhil Geddati
David Mingle
Elizabeth Kate Coffey Moore
Alexis Kathleen Nelson-Tranum
Ashley Victoria Nywening
Damilola Daniel Ikechukwu
Oluwalana
Hector Gabriel Paez
Jennifer L. Patterson
Rachel Sun Perkins
Christopher Pitzer
Martin Alexander Raymond
Jessica Regan
Parker Ryan Reitler
Luis O. Romero Garcia
Elizabeth Seewer
Dewan Shrestha
Faiza Tahia
Elizabeth Nora Tobener
Jiaxing Wang
Rui Wang
Ruixue Wang
Yuhan Wang
Pamela Morgan Watson
Nelufar Yasmen
Lina Zhou
Jingwen Zhu
Maranda Anissa-Makaila Green
Hasan Hamada
Dessence Taliyah Harris
Alex Hicks
David Matthew Hill
Muhammad Talha Khan
Venkata Sai Jithin Manikonda
Parker JamesMichael
Kayhan Mirza
Daniel Benti Muleta
Jacob Lee Purkey
Susanna Phebus Rowland
Alizeh Saeed
Bennett Thomas
Nalin Verma
Rima S. Zahr
Master of Dental Science
Shahed Bayestehtarat
Bryan A. Benbow
Carolyn Nicole Cash
Kelton R Cronquist
Kimberly Taylor Freeman
Kent Healy
Thuong L. Huynh
Randall Stetson Jenkins
Eulogio Munoz
Trevor Daniel Richmond
Payton Mackenzie Southall
Mikayla Nicole Stevens
Brooke Elizabeth Cicero Wiggins
Sierra Zarate
2025 Winter Postdoctoral Research Showcase
The 2025 Winter Postdoc Research Showcase illustrated the expertise among the postdoctoral ranks of the college.
Monica Jablonski, PhD, praised all the entrants and thanked alumna Weili Sun, MD, PhD, who served as the keynote speaker. “We are always excited and grateful for UT Health Science Center alumni to share their lessons learned with our current trainees,” she said. “What better way to learn than to hear directly from those who have traveled your same path.”
Here are the winners of the various categories:
PLATFORM PRESENTATIONS
1st place – Dr. Murat Dogan, Department of Surgery; Dr. Cem Kuscu, mentor
2nd place – Dr. Amritha Seetharaman, Department of Ophthalmology; Dr. Raja Shekhar Gangaraju, mentor
3rd place (tie) – Dr. Sandesh Marathe, Department of Medicine Hematology; Dr. Liza Makowski, mentor
3rd place (tie) – Dr. Mohammad Afjal, Department of Surgery; Dr. Amandeep Bajwa, mentor
POSTER PRESENTATIONS
1st place – Dr. Mohd Salman, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology; Dr. Tauheed Ishrat, mentor
2nd place – Dr. Abdul Majid, Department of Physiology; Dr. Djamel Lebeche, mentor
3rd place – Dr. Buyan-Ochir Orgil, Department of Pediatrics; Dr. Jeffrey Towbin, mentor
TRAVEL AWARDS
Dr. Sandesh Marathe, Department of Medicine Hematology; Dr. Liza Makowski, mentor
Dr. Minjeong Kim, Department of Medicine; Dr. Liza Makowski, mentor
Dr. Murat Dogan, Department of Surgery; Dr. Cem Kuscu, mentor
2024 Graduate Research Day
The College of Graduate Health Sciences held its 2024 Graduate Research Day and awards ceremony Friday, May 31.
Here are the winners of the various categories:
PLATFORM PRESENTATIONS
1st place – Nelufar Yasmen
2nd place – Shiwani Thapa
3rd place (tie) – Dehui Kong
3rd place (tie) – Amaya Weerasinghe
POSTER PRESENTATIONS
1st place – Emaya Moss
2nd place – Faith Blanchard-Ludar
3rd place – Andrew Shaw
GRADUATE HEALTH SCIENCES AWARDS
Dean's Award – Rui Wang
Dean's Award – Christopher Pitzer
Mentor Award – Dr. Daniel M. Collier
Outstanding Student in Molecular and Translational Physiology – Hector G. Paez
Outstanding Student in Pharmacology, Addiction Sciences, and Toxicology – Elizabeth H. Schneider
Outstanding Student in Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry – Margaret S. Bohm
Outstanding Student in Pharmaceutical Sciences –Nelufar Yasmen
Outstanding Student in Nursing Science – Jennifer L. Patterson
Outstanding Student in Health Outcomes and Policy Research – Mohammad Abdullah Al Zubair Naim
Outstanding Student in Biomedical Engineering – Perri Johnson
Outstanding Student in Epidemiology – Rima S. Zahr
Outstanding Student in Anatomy and Neurobiology –Anneliesse A. Braden
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 make a donation of $100 or more in the past fiscal year, and Lifetime Partners, who make cumulative commitments
ANNUAL GIVING PARTNERS
M. Jane Antrobus
Gregory S. Baboolal
Karen Anjanette Baskerville
Danielle L. Corwin
Charles and Peggy Cruze
Mary Ellen Duffy
Jetendra R. Eswaraka and Himangi R. Jayakar
Elizabeth A. Fitzpatrick
Priscilla A. Frase and Thomas Glorioso
Naomi Gades and Leonardo Llames
Li Gao
Lidya Gebreyesus
Robert D. Gillespie
Carolyn and Paul Graff
Brigitte Grant
Weikuan Gu
Rampurna Prasad Gullapalli
David J. Hamilton
Greg and Lindsey Harris
Earl D. Henson
Suzanne and Jay Hunt
Monica Jablonski
Lisa Kyle and David K. Jennings
Patricia Jensen
Franck Kalume
Kellie A. Kitts
Walter H. Koch
William C. Kouns
Santosh Kumar and Namita Sinha
Sarah M. Layton
Jon H. and Carol J. Lowrance
of $25,000 or more during their lifetime to any college, program, or fund at the university.
The Office of Advancement wishes to thank all donors for their commitment to the College of Graduate Health Sciences and to the university. For additional information go to alumni.uthsc.edu/recognition-societies. 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, 2024.
Shuyu E. Lui
Judy C. and Willie E. Martin, Jr.
Simonne S. Nouer
Robert J. Pennington
Pat and Dick Peppler
Marko Radic
T. Ashwin Raj and Sheetal Shetty
Beverly Ross
Swarna Sakshi
John Scott
James Sensenig
Richard Smith
Vincent D. and Connie D. Smith
Rose Mary Stiffin
Yichun Sun
Satya Surbhi
Joseph Tarnowski, Jr.
Donald B. and Laura Ann Malinick Thomason
Gabor J. Tigyi and Louisa Balazs
Frances Martin Tucker
William Jennings Valentine
James J. Wang and Julie Liu-Wang
Kaiwen Wang
Zhao Wang and Rui Zhu
Felicia S. Washington
Mona N. and Sammie J. Wicks
Jason Wilson
Xudong Wu
Xiaohu Xie
Zao Cheng Xu
Jiwei Yang
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
Be a Legacy Society Member
The Legacy Society recognizes those who have remembered the UT Health Science Center in their estate plans and notified us of their intentions. This special group of individuals is passionate about this institution and our mission of education, health care, and public service — Healthy Tennesseans. Thriving Communities.
Charitable support strengthens our efforts.
As the state’s largest educator of health professionals, we are honored to partner with dedicated members of our community who support the College of Graduate Health Sciences by funding scholarships for the leaders of tomorrow, programs that enhance their education, and vital research to improve health.
Soon, a new display in the historic Mooney Building will honor our Legacy Society members for their commitments and enduring impact on our mission. Every student, faculty and staff member, and visitor will have the opportunity to celebrate those who have chosen to partner with us in their estate planning.
Planned gifts provide flexibility for your needs. Planning now for the distribution of your assets relieves your family and friends from the burden of these tough decisions and ensures your wishes are fulfilled.
To explore options for planned gifts and ensure you are included in this special tribute, contact Bethany Goolsby in the Office of Advancement at 901.448.8212 or bgoolsby@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
Lisa Jennings (PhD ’83)
MLM Medical Labs, LLC Advisor and Consultant Memphis Board Chair
Gary Gao (MS ’93)
Med Data Quest Founder/CEO San Diego, CA
Dean Gillespie (PhD ’95)
Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Biosciences Account Manager Life Sciences Solutions Raleigh, NC
Prasad Gullapalli (PhD ’93) Entos, Inc.
Vice President, Pharmaceutical Development
San Diego, CA
Viraj Ichhaporia (PhD ’18) Beam Therapeutics
Associate Principal Scientist Burlington, MA
Bill Lester (PhD ’97)
Amgen US Medical Senior Medical Science Liaison Keller, TX
Chikezie Madu (MS ’12)
Shelby County Schools Advanced Placement/Dual Enrollment Biology Instructor Memphis
Clive Mendonca
Trinity Life Sciences Consultant Waltham, MA
Ashwin Raj (MS ’96) ezCater CEO San Francisco, CA
Vreiti Sangha (MS ’12) Western Dental Company Periodontist San Diego, CA
Rose Stiffin (PhD ’95)
Florida Memorial University
Associate Professor of Chemistry and Chair of the Department of Health and Natural Resources
Opa-Locka, FL
S. Joseph Tarnowski (PhD ’79)
Glaxo Smith Kline
Former Senior Vice President West Chester, PA