Spring 2024 CBMG Honors and Awards
Congratulations to our Spring 2024 CBMG award winners!
[Information about these scholarships, awards and fellowships]
Undergraduate Student Awards
ANUSHKA PODDAR
Recipient of the Norman Laffer Scholarship
Mentor: Dr. Volker Briken
Major: Bioengineering
Dr. Briken’s comments: Anushka Poddar worked on the implementation of new and innovative workflows to analyze bio-images in a high throughput and automated way. The objective is to decipher the dynamics of the interactions between immune cells and the bacterial pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis during the infection of these cells. Remarkably, there was no available workflow to perform single cell tracking and single bacteria tracking simultaneously, and her project aimed to fill this gap. With her strong background in programming, she demonstrated a clear ability to adapt quickly to the project that was given. She showed a great dedication to understand not just the programming part of the project but also to understand the objective and the biological questions. She was able to take initiative and propose new ways to optimize and complement the workflow. Her work is part of a recently released publication on which she is a co-author.
JASON YU
Recipient of the CBMG Outstanding Student Award
Mentor: Dr. Jiqiang (Lanny) Ling
BSCI Specialization: Cell Biology & Genetics
Dr. Ling’s comments: "Jason has worked in my lab in the past three years on projects to study how mutations in the protein synthesis machinery affect fitness and stress responses in yeast. He has contributed significantly to a study on aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and is listed as a co-author in a research article published in Nucleic Acids Research. Jason is a quick learner and demonstrates excellent research and communication skills. He is always positive in the lab and is not deterred by challenges. Jason is a very nice person to work with and a great team player. It has been fortunate for us to have him in the lab. Jason will join Albert Einstein College of Medicine this fall and I trust he will continue his success in the next chapter."
DAVID MCVEIGH
Recipient of the Appleman-Norton Award for Plant Biology
Mentor: Dr. Charles Delwiche
BSCI Specialization: General Biology
Dr. Delwiche’s comments: David McVeigh has worked in my lab since Fall of 2022, and I also had him as a student in the classroom (in Microbial Ecology). I cannot overemphasize how great it is to have David in the lab. He is hardworking, consistent, completely reliable, and very intelligent. He has a mellow personality, which means that he is always willing to do whatever needs to be done and shows no sign whatsoever of only being willing to do the glamorous work. This manifests in him being a tremendously helpful person to have in the lab, and he will literally hand me the thing I need before I even ask for it. He also has good instincts for when to ask questions and when to figure things out on his own, and when to ask for guidance; in my experience this is one of the best predictors of long-term success. For his research, he has been measuring the kill-curve for short-wavelength UV (254 nm) exposure of Haloferax volcanii, a halophilic archaeon. It has been awesome to have David working in the lab, and I will miss him very much when he graduates.
EMILY SHERMAN
Recipient of the CBMG Outstanding Student Award
CBMG Departmental Honors
Thesis Title: The Effect of B Cell Specific Neutral Lipid Accumulation on B Cell Activation, B Cell Function, and Tissue Inflammation
Mentor: Dr. Wenxia Song
BSCI Specialization: Cell Biology & Genetics
Dr. Song’s comments: Emily, a full Banneker Key Scholarship Recipient with a double major in Cell Biology and Genetics and Spanish Language Literature and Cultures, has worked in my lab for the last three years. During her time in my lab, Emily led an undergraduate honors research group focused on studying how B cell-specific neutral lipid accumulation regulates B cell fate and functions and associated B cell pathology. While at UMD, Emily made the Dean’s List for her outstanding grades every semester. In addition to her research and academic work, Emily has also maintained a flourishing volunteer and work life. Emily is an exceptional student and has contributed tremendously to the work in my lab. We could not be prouder of Emily, and we wish her a lifetime of success as she pursues her M.D./PhD from the prestigious Georgetown University Program in Tumor Biology.
DANIEL KLIMES
Recipient of the Dr. P. Arne Hansen Award for CBMG Honors Program Outstanding Thesis
CBMG Departmental High Honors
Thesis Title: Novel Computational Methods for the Comparison of Leishmania Genomes and Transcriptomes
Mentor: Dr. Najib El-Sayed
Major: Biochemistry
Dr. El-Sayed's comments: Daniel is a superlative student with genuine passion and considerable talent for biomedical research who began contributing serious and useful insights to our lab within weeks of joining the group. Daniel’s project is aimed at carrying out a meta-analysis of massive RNA-seq datasets from Leishmania spp. In addition to the batch effect challenges posed when integrating datasets from different sources, Daniel had to contend with sequence polymorphisms and read mapping issues. Within weeks of entering the lab and with minimal guidance from his lab mentors, Daniel taught himself Linux, bash scripting, Python and R programming. His undergraduate honors thesis is a testament of his acumen, and the hundreds of hours spent reviewing the literature, designing his analytical approach, programming in multiple languages, thoughtfully interpreting his results, validating his findings, and most significantly tying them back to the biology of the Leishmania systems he interrogated. His integrative analyses and the discussion of his results, ultimately lead the reader to a list of genes that may underlie the different pathologies caused by different species of the parasite.
DIVYA SWAMINATHAN
Recipient of the Professor Heven Sze Student Support Fund
CBMG Departmental Honors
Thesis Title: Engineering HeLa Cells to Better Support Rhinovirus C Infection In Vitro
Mentor: Dr. Margaret Scull
BSCI Specialization: Physiology & Neurobiology
Dr. Scull’s comments: Divya joined my lab as a sophomore and has been working on engineering a cell line that will better support rhinovirus C replication. Divya worked methodically to express two host factors known to support rhinovirus C infection – CDHR3 and STING – in cell lines and test the ability of these cells to support virus production and serve as a platform for a quantitative infectious virus assay. As graduation nears, she continues to probe the impact of additional host factors that she hypothesizes are also required for efficient replication in vitro – further expanding our knowledge of rhinovirus C biology and the tools we have to study this virus. In addition to receiving Honors, Divya’s work was also selected for presentation at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in California. Overall, she is an exceptional student and fantastic science communicator who has demonstrated extreme perseverance and in working with a very challenging virus! We look forward to seeing where her broad knowledge and technical skills take her in the future!
SACHI PAWAR
CBMG Departmental Honors
Thesis Title: Splicing Variant Effect Prediction in BRCA-1 Using Machine Learning Tools
Mentor: Dr. Stephen Mount
BSCI Specialization: Cell Biology & Genetics
Dr. Mount’s comments: Sachi came to me as a sophomore, wanting to do research. I don't think she had bioinformatics in mind, but she rose to the occasion and became a fully engaged member of a bioinformatics lab. It has been a pleasure to watch her develop an enthusiasm for research and become a programmer.
ANGEL OBIORAH
CBMG Departmental Honors
Thesis Title: Exploring the therapeutic potential of long non-coding RNA loaded extracellular vesicles in tissue regeneration
Mentor: Dr. Steven Jay (BIOE)
BSCI Specialization: Cell Biology & Genetics
Dr. Jay’s comments: Angel made important contributions to our lab’s research on developing extracellular vesicles as therapeutics. In particular, she helped to develop new strategies for loading long non-coding RNA molecules, which are especially challenging to work with. Angel’s fortitude in working on this challenging project will serve her well in the future, which is very bright. We look forward to her next steps and achievements.
CECILIA HU
CBMG Departmental Honors
Thesis Title: The Impact of B Cell Intracellular Lipid Accumulation on B Cell Activation, B Cell Function, and Tissue Inflammation
Mentor: Dr. Wenxia Song
BSCI Specialization: Physiology & Neurobiology
Dr. Song’s comments: Cecilia, a President’s Scholarship recipient, Physiology and Neurobiology major, and Music and Culture minor, has worked in my lab for the last three years. During her time in my lab, Cecilia worked in an undergraduate honors research group focused on studying the impact of B cell-specific neutral lipid accumulation on B cell fate, function, and associated B cell pathology. While at UMD, Cecilia made the Dean’s List for her excellent grades every semester. Additionally, in the summer of 2022, Cecilia’s work in the lab of Dr. Xiaofeng Jia (University of Maryland, School of Medicine) led to the publication of a paper in the MDPI journal Cells, in which she is a co-author. Cecilia has been a wonderful addition to our lab. We will miss her very much. We wish Cecilia the best of luck as she takes a gap year after graduation to work as a medical scribe for Shady Grove Orthopedics and at a local hospice while applying to medical school.
Initiates for the Sigma Alpha Omicron (SAO) Microbiology Honor Society
EMILY BLISS
BSCI Specialization: Microbiology
Emily is a senior Microbiology major at the University of Maryland and has enjoyed utilizing single-nuclei RNA sequencing of cichlid retina to determine key transcription factors involved in color vision regulation in Dr. Karen Carleton's lab. She has also led a college mentorship program for high school students in Prince George's County and worked as a medical scribe/operations intern at the sole Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) serving Cecil and Harford County, Maryland. Emily is excited to attend the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the fall to begin the next chapter in her journey to becoming a physician and is extremely grateful for the many opportunities that UMD has given her.
MEGAN GILBART
BSCI Specialization: Microbiology
Megan Gilbart is a senior microbiology major at the University of Maryland. During her time at UMD, she has served as a TA for general chemistry and hopes to continue teaching in the future. After graduation, she will be pursuing dentistry at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.
Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards
WESLEY DEMONTIGNY
Recipient of the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award
TA for BSCI223 and BSCI412
Lab: Dr. Charles Delwiche
Project Title: Understanding eukaryotic microbial diversity
BISI Specialization: Molecular and Cellular Biology (MOCB)
Comments from Dr. Tran, Dr. Buchner, and Dr. Winkler: Wesley Demontigny has been a truly outstanding TA for BSCI223 and BSCI412. He is genuinely excited and passionate about microbiology, and this enthusiasm is infectious to the students and undergraduate TAs he works with in the lab. Wesley is responsible, reliable, and prepared 100% of the time that he is teaching. He is fully invested in what he is doing, and he has consistently shown an interest in improving the courses he teaches and giving students the best educational experience possible. He goes above and beyond the description of his teaching duties and has taken an active interest in helping to develop course content despite having no obligation to do so.
CHRISTINA IPPOLITI
Recipient of the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award
TA for BSCI410
Lab: Dr. Caren Chang
Project Title: Investigating the Role of MYB119 in Orchestrating Strawberry Fruit Development
BISI Specialization: Molecular and Cellular Biology (MOCB)
Dr. Wu’s comments: Christina really cares a lot about the students and is patient and kind. She loves genetics and clearly thinks about pedagogy and how to engage students to help with their learning. For some, BSCI410 is challenging or might be the students' first upper-level biology class, so in addition to the science, there's often the intangible work to make sure that the students are feeling okay. To create a more nurturing environment with the larger sized class, she developed on her own and ran a guided study session. I have heard students before class mention how the study sessions have been really helpful with preparing for the exams.
Graduate Student Awards
MARIA RIFE
Recipient of the Wallace Prescott Rowe Award
Lab: Dr. Margaret Scull
Project Title: The impact of secreted mucins on infection dynamics by diverse respiratory viruses
BISI Specialization: Molecular and Cellular Biology (MOCB)
Dr. Scull’s comments: I have had the pleasure of serving as Maria’s Ph.D. mentor for the past two years. Maria’s fascination with viruses started prior to graduate school, working with respiratory syncytial virus at the FDA. Now, as a member of my lab, Maria is a rising star in both virology and cell biology who is investigating how different respiratory viruses negotiate the extracellular mucus barrier to infect underlying epithelial cells. To do this, Maria has mastered the cultivation and fluorescent labeling of a large panel of respiratory viruses and also engineered her own transwell-based platform that will enable her to interrogate the rate at which these viruses penetrate “healthy” and “diseased” mucus. She is a careful experimentalist and her logical thinking and creative approaches make her a scientific force in the lab!
CHRISTINA IPPOLITI
Recipient of the Carroll E. Cox Award
Lab: Dr. Caren Chang
Project Title: Investigating the Role of MYB119 in Orchestrating Strawberry Fruit Development
BISI Specialization: Molecular and Cellular Biology (MOCB)
Dr. Chang’s comments: Christina is an excellent researcher, caring mentor, and conscientious lab citizen. As a well-rounded plant scientist, she cares deeply about plants and their connection to agricultural, environmental, and social issues. Her thesis research focuses on the role of a transcription factor in strawberry seed and fruit development with the broad goal of improving fruit quality and yield. Christina received a UMD Global STEWARDS graduate training fellowship to study problems at the nexus of food, energy and water systems. She has also received well deserved awards for her service to CBMG and for being an outstanding TA.
CATHERINE HARVEY
Recipient of the Philip J. Provost Graduate Fellowship Award
Lab: Dr. Kan Cao
Project Title: Investigating the Molecular Mechanisms Behind LMNA-related Congenital Muscular Dystrophy
BISI Specialization: Molecular and Cellular Biology (MOCB)
Dr. Cao’s comments: Catherine bravely embraces a new research direction in my lab to study a rare lamin A-related human disease with only FIVE prior publications. She has worked diligently to generate all the tools needed to ask the critical questions of the disease, which will be so informative to the patients. I am very proud of her.
MEAGHAN HART
Recipient of the Andrew J. Moyer Outstanding Graduate Student Award
Lab: Dr. Kevin McIver
Project Title: The Streptococcus pyogenes Stand Alone Regulator RofA Exhibits Characteristics of PRD-Containing Virulence Regulators
BISI Specialization: Molecular and Cellular Biology (MOCB)
Dr. McIver’s comments: Meaghan exemplifies what one looks for in an outstanding graduate student. She is an excellent experimentalist, an independent thinker, willing to teach as well as produce, leads by example, and thoroughly enjoys exploring scientific problems. She will leave with 3 papers and 1 review and having presented her work at multiple international conferences. However, her impact goes beyond research success. Meaghan was an excellent TA in BSCI223, co-leads the ASM undergraduate chapter on campus, has volunteered for departmental and BISI duties over the years, won a grant to support recycling efforts on campus, and is a tireless advocate for micro mobility access at UMD. Meaghan even was able to get me to embrace social media and introduced SLACK into the lab…which has revolutionized how our lab interacts. Meaghan will be missed when she defends this summer.
NOUR EL HUSSEINI
Recipient of the Michael J. Pelczar Graduate Award
Lab: Dr. Vincent Lee
Project Title: Sequence-based studies on Pseudomonas aeruginosa in catheter-associated urinary tract infections
BISI Specialization: Computational Biology, Bioinformatics and Genomics (CBBG)
Dr. Lee’s comments: Nour joined my lab in January of 2022 after several prior research experiences were unsuccessful in providing her with scientific training she wanted. When she first joined my lab, she completed a number of experiments requested by the reviewers leading to the publication in PNAS. She then took on several projects utilizing her bioinformatic skills to determine the host pathogen interaction during catheter-associated urinary tract infection including RNA-seq, barcode tracking of microbial populations, and the requirement for a metabolic pathway for infection. In a short 2.5 years, Nour has contributed to all aspects of science from experimental design, performing experiments, analyzing data, preparation of figures, and the writing of 4-5 manuscripts and a review. In summary, I consider Nour a peer scientist well deserving of the Michael Pelczar Memorial Award.
CIERRA WILSON
Recipient of the Isabel R. McDonald Service Award
Lab: Dr. Jiqiang (Lanny) Ling
Project Title: Evaluating the role of ribosomal hyperfidelity and host environment in the regulation of Salmonella enterica cell division
BISI Specialization: Molecular and Cellular Biology (MOCB)
Dr. Ling’s comments: Cierra is a wonderful CBMG citizen and has contributed significant service to the department and larger communities as a graduate student. She co-founded the UMD Black Scholars in Biology organization and serves as the current president. BSIB provides professional development workshops to black Ph.D. students, organizes mentorship opportunities for the undergraduate population interested in scientific research careers, and organizes mentorship opportunities for local high school students interested in scientific research careers. Cierra has been instrumental in organizing various activities at BSIB. In addition, Cierra has served as a student organizer for two MOCB retreats. She was heavily involved in the planning and led the student activities during the retreat. It has been a great pleasure to have Cierra in the lab and department.
DEI Awards
AISHA ABDULKARIMU
Recipient of the CBMG Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Recognition Award
Lab: Dr. Katharina Maisel (BIOE)
BISI Specialization: Molecular and Cellular Biology (MOCB)
Project Title: Investigating the effect of interstitial fluid flow on nanoparticle transport across lymphatic endothelial cells and their junction integrity
Comments from Nomination letter: Aisha has played a significant role in the Black Scholars in Biology organization. She has designed flyers for our outreach events, coordinated social get togethers and community service events to give back to the UMD community, and also organized our high school event. In February, we went to her alma mater, Wheaton High School, where we had two student panels with students in the Bioscience Academy. These students are a part of either low-income, first generation, or non-represented minorities in Bioscience. Her efforts enabled us to reach back and have multiple detailed discussions about research opportunities in college, scholarships, internships, touring colleges, finding mentors, and financial planning. A huge part of BSIB's success in our first year was due to her efforts and passion to help minoritized students.
LAUREN WONG
Recipient of the CBMG Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Recognition Award
Major: Public Health Science
I was a teaching assistant for BSCI223 for the last two years. I have had so much fun teaching the course and meeting so many different students from various backgrounds. I will be graduating in a few weeks and in the fall, I will be attending the University of Maryland, School of Nursing for my Master's in Nursing.