Dean's Celebration of Excellence in Research - October 31 - November 2, 2022
The Dean's Celebration of Excellence in Research is an annual three-day event highlighting the research being conducted by junior faculty, senior faculty, postdoctoral trainees, and graduate students at the University of Vermont and the University of Vermont
Larner College of Medicine.
- The Graduate Student Research Showcase was held on Monday, October 31, 2022 and provided a venue for developing scientists to share their amazing work and research stories with the Larner College of Medicine community and an opportunity to earn prizes. Each presenter
spoke for 12 minutes or less about their research, followed by 3 minutes of Q&A. Presentations were considered for two prizes in each of two categories - junior graduate student and senior graduate student.
- The State of Research at the College and Dean's Excellence in Research Awards was held on Tuesday, November 1 and included a presentation by Interim Senior Associate Dean for Research Richard Gallbraith, M.D., Ph.D. on the State of Research at the UVM Larner College of Medicine, and an
awards ceremony. The awards ceremony included the presentation of awards for Outstanding Research Publication by a Graduate Student, Outstanding Research Publication by a Medical Student, Outstanding Research Publication by a Postdoctoral
Fellow, Outstanding Research Publication by a Resident, Senior Researcher of the Year at the UVM Health Network Medical Group (UVMHNMG), Junior Researcher of the Year at the UVMHNMG, and faculty awards for Research Mentorship, Rising Star
New Investigator, Mid-Career Investigator, Research Laureate, Faculty Clinical Trials Research and two awards that recognized research staff including
the Dean’s Clinical Research Coordinator Award and the Dean’s Scientific Research Staff Award.
View the State of Research at the College Presentation on YouTube >>
View a PDF of the State of Research at the College Presentation >>
View the Program >>
- The 2022 Research Laureate Lecture was held on Wednesday, November 2. Yvonne Janssen-Heininger, Ph.D., Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the 2021 Research Laureate, presented a talk titled "Redox Medicine for the Management of Chronic Diseases".
2022 Dean's Excellence in Research Award Winners
The Graduate Student Trainee Showcase
Junior Graduate Category
Winner: Kanayo Ikeh, for “Unraveling the Functional Dynamics of REV1 during cancer cells' response to therapy”. Ikeh's mentor is Nimrat Chatterjee, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Runner Up: Allison Morrissey for “Picking Up Hitchhikers: A Novel Mechanism of Cellular Transport”. Morrissey's mentor is John Salogiannis, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Senior Graduate Category
Winner: Analis Whitaker for “An agnostic interrogation of the early plasmablast repertoire from COVID-19 patients reveals broadly neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 antibodies”. Whitaker's mentor is Jason Botten, Ph.D., Professor, Medicine - Immunobiology
Runner Up: Bay Vagher for “Secondary Metabolite Uridine Diphosphate Glucose (UDPG) Alters Dendritic Cell Mitochondrial Respiration via a P2Y14R/iNOS-dependent Axis”. Vagher's mentor is Eyal Amiel, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biomedical and Health Sciences
Trainee Awards for Outstanding Research Publication
Medical Student
Jennifer Holland, M.D.'22 for “Assessing the Relationship Between Well-Care Visit and Emergency Department Utilization Among Adolescents and Young Adults”. Holland's mentor is Valerie Harder, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, in the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry
Graduate Student
Alex Thompson, Ph.D. for “Pathogenic mutations in the chromokinesin KIF22 disrupt anaphase chromosome segregation”. Thompson's mentor is Jason Stumpff, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and Biophysics
Postdoctoral Fellow
Nicholas Klug, Ph.D. for "Adenosine signaling activates ATP-sensitive K+ channels in endothelial cells and pericytes in CNS capillaries". Klug's mentor is Mark Nelson, Ph.D., Chair and University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Pharmacology
Resident
Serena Murphy, M.D. for "Gradual adoption of needle biopsy for breast lesions in a rural state". Murphy's mentors are Michelle Sowden, D.O. Associate Professor, Surgical Oncology and Brian Sprague, Ph.D, Professor, Surgical Research
UVM Health Network Medical Group Awards
Junior Researcher of the Year
Jessica Heath, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics & Biochemistry
Senior Researcher of the Year
Gary An, M.D., Professor of Surgery
Research Grants
Emmett Whitaker, M.D., Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
Jonathan Riddell, M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery, Urology & Pediatrics
Innovation Grants
Marjorie Meyer, M.D., Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
Carole McBride, Ph.D., Faculty Scientist
Larner College of Medicine Staff Awards
Scientific Research Staff
Scott Tighe, Director of Technologies, Advanced Genome Technologies Core, Vermont Cancer Center
Clinical Research Coordinator
Stephanie Burns, Clinical Research Professional
Larner College of Medicine Faculty Awards
Research Mentorship
Jane Lian, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry
Dean’s Clinical Trials Research Award
Renee Stapleton, M.D., Professor of Medicine
Rising Star New Investigator
Ellen McGinnis, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Mid-Career Investigator
Valerie Harder, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics & Psychiatry
Matthew Wargo, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics
Research Laureate
Sylvie Doublié, Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics