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COMMENCEMENT
2015
Members of Platform
David Weiss, Ph.D., Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
William Henrich, M.D., MACP, President, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio
Bettie Sue Masters, Ph.D., D.Sc, M.D. (Hon), Robert A. Welch Distinguished Professor in Chemistry and Professor of
Biochemistry
Patrick Davis, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Pharmacy, UT-Austin
Francisco Gonzalez-Scarano, M.D., Dean, School of Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs
David Shelledy, Ph.D., RRT, FAARC, FASAHP, Dean, School of Health Professions
Eileen Breslin, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Dean, School of Nursing
Jacqueline Mok, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs
Andrea Giuffrida, Ph.D., Vice President of Research
Reto Asmis, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Birgit Glass, D.D.S., Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, School of Dentistry
Sara Gill, Ph.D., Director of Doctoral Studies, School of Nursing
Nicquet Blake, Ph.D., Associate Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Sophie Piña, Ph.D., Assistant Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Jose Cavazos, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Dean for the M.D./Ph.D. Program
Master of Science
Class of 2015
Damian Black
Master of Science in Dental Science
(Prosthodontics)
Mentor: Chol H. Chong, D.M.D., M.S.
Thesis Title: An Evaluation of the Sealing Capability of the
Internal Conical Connections of Implants with Titanium
and Zirconia Abutments Placed Under Different Screw
Torque Values
Damian will start an assignment at Langley Air Force Base,
Virginia this summer.
Tyler Dale Borg
Master of Science in Dental Science
(Periodontics)
Mentor: Brian L. Mealey, D.D.S., M.S.
Thesis Title: Histological Comparison of Healing
Following Tooth Extraction with Ridge Preservation
using Mineralized Freeze Dried Bone Allograft Alone
versus a Combined Mineralized-Demineralized Freeze
Dried Bone Allograft
Notable Awards: John F. Prichard Research Award,
Dental Science Symposium Research Award,
Maria Yeung Research Award
Tyler will be entering private practice in Denver, Colorado.
Enas Bsoul
Master of Science in Dental Science
(Dental Radiology)
Mentor: Marcel Noujeim, D.D.S., M.S.
Thesis Title: Maxillary Palatal Canine
Displacement in Subjects with Congenitally
Missing Maxillary Lateral Incisors
Notable Award: Jordan Medical Board Certificate
Enas will be practicing Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology after
graduation.
Bradley S. DeGroot
Master of Science in Dental Science
(Periodontics)
Mentor: Guy Huynh-Ba, D.D.S., M.S.
Thesis Title: Short-Term Dimensional
Changes Following Buccal Contour Augmentation
In Conjunction With Immediate (Type 1) Implant
Placement: A Case Series.
Bradley will be joining a private periodontal practice in
Chicago, Illinois.
Kayleigh Eaves
Master of Science in Dental Science
(Periodontics)
Mentor: Brian Mealey, D.D.S., M.S.
Thesis Title: Buccal Plate Thickness of Posterior
Dentate Areas: A Prospective Cone Beam Computed
Tomography (CBCT) Study
Kayleigh will be entering private practice at Tyler
Periodontics in Tyler, Texas.
Ashley Hoders
Master of Science in Dental Science
(Periodontics)
Mentor: Guy Huynh-Ba, D.D.S., M.S.
Thesis Title: Esthetic, Clinical, Patient-Centered,
and Radiographic Outcomes of Immediately Placed
Implants (Type 1) and Early Placed Implants (Type 2):
A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
Ashley will enter a private practice in Tacoma, Washington.
Pete Holden
Master of Science in Dental Science
(Periodontics)
Mentor: Robin Leach, Ph.D.
Thesis Title: Periodontal Pathogens in Whole
Saliva Are Associated with Cardiovascular
Disease Markers in a San Antonio Mexican
American Cohort
Eirleen Hyun
Master of Science in Dental Science
(Periodontics)
Mentor: Ellen Kraig, Ph.D.
Thesis Title: Maternal Nutrient Restriction:
Effects on the Oral Microbiome in Baboon
Offspring
Notable Award: Prichard Award
Eirleen will be moving to Dayton, Ohio for active
duty service in the U.S. Air Force to practice
periodontics.
Ketu P. Lincoln
Master of Science in Dental Science
(Prosthodontics)
Mentor: Richard Batzer, D.D.S., M.S.
Thesis Title: Comparative Accuracy of Facial
Models Fabricated using Traditional and 3D
Imaging Techniques
Ketu will be stationed at Lackland Air Force Base Prosthodontics Flight in San Antonio, Texas.
Scott Makins
Master of Science in Dental Science
(Dental Radiology)
Mentor: Hassem Geha, D.D.S., M.S.
Thesis Title: Proximal Caries Detection Using Digital
Radiographs – a Comparison of Proprietary Standard
Images and Enhancement Filters versus a Fifth-Degree
Polynomial Regression Algorithm
Scott will be continuing his academic career and clinical
practice.
Robert McKenzie
Master of Science
Cellular and Structural Biology
Mentor: Yidong Bai, Ph.D.
Thesis Title: The Role of Grp75 in Mitochondrial
Respiratory Complex Quality Control
Robert will attend medical school at the University of Texas
Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Ashley Reyes
Master of Science in Dental Science
(Prosthodontics)
Mentor: Col. Richard Batzer, D.D.S., M.S.
Thesis Title: Accuracy of Surgical Guides Made from
Conventional and a Combination of Digital
Scanning and Rapid Prototyping Techniques
Ashley’s next duty station is Offutt Air Force Base in
Omaha, Nebraska.
F. David Settles
Master of Science in Radiological Sciences
(Medical Physics)
Mentor: Geoffrey D. Clarke, Ph.D.
Thesis Title: An MR Compatible Exercise Device for
Measuring PCr Recovery as an Index of Mitochondrial
Metabolism
Notable Award: Julio C. Palmaz Academic Grant
David is continuing in the Doctorate of Medical Physics
program at UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Lisa J. Shoff
Master of Science in Dental Science
(Periodontics)
Mentor: Shuo Chen M.D., Ph.D.
Thesis Title: A Domain of Dentin
Sialoprotein (DSP) Regulates Dental Cell
Differentiation Via its Receptor Occludin
After graduation, Lisa is moving to Northern
California for active duty service in the U.S. Air
Force to practice periodontics.
Xi Tan
Master of Science
Biomedical Engineering
Mentor: Jack L. Lancaster, Ph.D.
Thesis Title: Modeling Brain Volumes by Chromosomal
Deletion Size and Age in 18q- Individuals
Xi plans to look for jobs in the biomedical engineering field.
Lakshmi Vishwanat
Master of Science
Clinical Investigation
Mentor: Bennett T. Amaechi, BDS, MSc, Ph.D., FADI
Thesis Title: Clinical Trial of Toothpastes For Treating
Dentin Hypersensitivity
Lakshmi plans to continue her studies in an International
Dentists Program and practice dentistry in the United States.
Doctorate of Medical Physics
Class of 2015
Wilbert F. Cruz
Doctorate in Medical Physics
Mentor: Sotirios Stathakis, Ph.D.
Notable Awards: Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority
Participation, GSG Scholarship, TRS Travel Grant
Wilbert plans to move back to the Rio Grande Valley with
his family and start consulting in medical physics.
Doctor of Pharmacy
Class of 2015
Kalyn Marie Acker
Doctor of Pharmacy
Notable Awards: TPA Luther and Mary Ann Parker
Scholarship for Leadership, Merit, & Need, Courageous
Leader Award, Phi Lambda Sigma, Texas Pharmacy
Foundation Scholarship
Kalyn will be completing a two-year Health System Pharmacy
Administration Residency at Allegheny Health Network in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Jacqueline Argamany
Doctor of Pharmacy
Mentor: Kelly Reveles, Pharm.D., Ph.D.
Notable Award: Graduating with High Honors (UTAustin), San Antonio Pharmacy Student
Research Award
Jacqueline will continue her studies in the Pharmacotherapy
Division of the University of Texas College of Pharmacy.
Dana Gayle Boeck
Doctor of Pharmacy
Notable Awards: Texas Society of Health-System
Pharmacists Student Poster Presentation Winner, Davila
Endowed Scholarship Recipient, Generations Club
Endowment Recipient, University of Texas Financial Aid
Committee Scholarship Recipient, Phi Lambda Sigma
National Pharmacy Leadership Society
Dana will be a pharmacy resident at University Health System
in San Antonio, Texas.
Chia-Lin Chang
Doctor of Pharmacy
Chia-Lin will be a resident at Methodist
Hospital in San Antonio, Texas.
Julie Chinn
Doctor of Pharmacy
Julie will be studying for the National
Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
Christina Brooke Dorman
Doctor of Pharmacy
Mentor: Christopher Frei, Pharm.D., MSc, BCPS, FCCP
Notable Awards: Baptist Health Foundation Scholarship,
Abbott Laboratories Endowed Presidential Scholarship
in Pharmacy, NACDS Foundation Endowed Presidential
Scholarship in Pharmacy, Eckerd Endowed Presidential
Scholarship in Pharmacy, Rho Chi Academic Honor
Society in Pharmacy, Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy
Leadership Society
Christina will be a pharmacy resident at the South Texas
Veterans Health Care System in San Antonio, Texas.
Laura Gordon
Doctor of Pharmacy
Laura will be working as a pharmacist
in Huntsville, Alabama.
Philip Edward Graves
Doctor of Pharmacy
Notable Awards: UTCOP APhA-ASP Distinguished
Member 2011-2012, James Franklin Beran Endowment
in Pharmacy Scholarship 2011-2012
Philip will begin a career in infusion pharmacy at Healix, Inc.
in Houston, Texas.
Jose Guzman
Doctor of Pharmacy
Mentor: Jessica Morales, Pharm.D.
Notable Award: Intern of the Summer
Jose will be joining a community pharmacy practice.
Randall Hinojosa
Doctor of Pharmacy
Mentor Name: Laurajo Ryan, Pharm.D., MSc, BCPS, CDE
Randall will be a pharmacy resident
at St. David’s North Austin Medical
Center in Austin, Texas.
Justin Horowitz
Doctor of Pharmacy
Mentor: Tony Dasher, Pharm.D.
Justin will be a pharmacy resident at
Methodist Dallas Medical Center.
Crystal Howell
Doctor of Pharmacy
Mentors: Christopher Frei, Pharm.D., MSc, BCPS, FCCP
Kelly Reveles, Pharm. D., Ph.D.
Notable Awards: C.A.B. Bond Memorial Grant: TSHP
Research and Education Foundation, Mini Grant Recipient:
Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics, 1st Place: ACCP
2014 Clinical Pharmacy Challenge Local Competition, ACCP
Infectious Disease PRN Student Travel Award, Baptist Health
Foundation of San Antonio Scholarship, Phi Lambda Sigma
National Leadership Society
Crystal will be a pharmacy resident at Emory University
Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.
David Huggar
Doctor of Pharmacy
David will be a resident in the
College of Pharmacy’s Master’s of
Science Pharmacotherapy
division.
Steven Lee
Doctor of Pharmacy
Notable Awards: 1st Place: ACCP 2014 Clinical
Pharmacy Challenge Local Competition, Honorable
Mention: Clinical Skills Competition, University Health
System Silver Achievement Award
Steven will be a pharmacy resident at Huntsville Hospital in
Huntsville, Alabama.
Elaine Lo
Doctor of Pharmacy
Elaine will be a pharmacy resident at the
VA North Texas Health Care System in
Dallas, Texas.
Teresa Irene Wise
Doctor of Pharmacy
Notable Achievements: Midi Grant Recipient: Center for
Medical Humanities and Ethics, Excellence in
Community Service Learning, Team Lead – Project
IMPACT
Teresa will be entering practice as a community pharmacist
in the Greater Houston area.
Sara Woods-Yakhin
Doctor of Pharmacy
Project Title: Raising Awareness about Hypertension in
the HIV/AIDS Community in Bexar County
Notable Awards: Midi Grant Recipient: Center for
Medical Humanities and Ethics, Outstanding
Community Service Learning Project: Center for Medical
Humanities and Ethics, Award for HIV Outreach:
Student Government Association, Community Service
Learning Award: College of Pharmacy
Sara will be pursuing a career in pharmacy management.
Elizabeth Frances Yu
Doctor of Pharmacy
Notable Awards: Project IMPACT CSL Team MidiGrant, James Franklin Beran Endowment in Pharmacy
Elizabeth will be a staff pharmacist at University of Texas
Medical Branch John Sealy Hospital in Galveston, Texas.
Doctor of Philosophy
Class of 2015
Kendra J. Alfson
Doctor of Philosophy
Microbiology and Immunology
Mentor: Anthony Griffiths, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Characterizing and
understanding the biological consequences of
filovirus genome plasticity
Notable Awards: Student travel awards from ASV,
ASM, and UTHSCSA M&I Department
Kendra will be a postdoctoral fellow at Texas Biomedical
Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas.
Xin Bao
Doctor of Philosophy
Molecular Medicine
Mentor: Hai Rao, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Ubiquitin Mediated Proteolysis In
Yeast
Xin will pursue a postdoctoral fellowship.
Izhar Singh Batth
Doctor of Philosophy
Cellular and Structural Biology
Mentor: A. Pratap Kumar, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: New Roles for RON in Prostate
Cancer
Notable Awards: AACR Scholar-in-training (2014),
Travel Award – CPPS (2013), Young Investigator
Award (2012), Scholarship – David P. Green Family
Endowment (2012), Best Presentation – Annual South
Padre Conference (2012, 2013)
Izhar is a postdoctoral fellow at MD Anderson Cancer Center in
Houston, Texas.
Krystle A. Blanchette
Doctor of Philosophy
Microbiology and Immunology
Mentor: Carlos J. Orihuela, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Interaction of Bacterial and Host
Derived Components During Robust Biofilm
Formation in a Murine Model Of Streptococcus
Pneumoniae Nasopharyngeal Colonization
Notable Awards: COSTAR Fellow,
Microbial Pathogenesis Training Grant Recipient
Krystle will be searching for a job in the field of microbiology
and immunology.
Armand O. Brown
Doctor of Philosophy
Microbiology & Immunology
Mentor: Carlos J. Orihuela, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Cardiac Microlesion Formation During
Invasive Pneumococcal Disease
Notable Awards: Travel Award - 5th International
Conference on Gram-Positive Pathogens (2014), NIH Ruth
L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (2014),
Translational Science Training Award (2013-2014), Travel
Award - American Society for Microbiology (ASM) General
Meeting (2013), Patent UTSK.PO434US.P1 ( 2013)
Armand is a postdoctoral research scientist at Columbia University in
New York City, New York.
Danielle Callaway
Doctor of Philosophy
Mentor: Jean Jiang, Ph.D.
Cellular & Structural Biology
M.D./ Ph.D. Program
Dissertation Title: The Roles of Caspase-2 and
Connexin 43 in Osteoclast Differentiation
Notable Awards: David Carillo Memorial Fellowship
Award 2012, F30 Fellowship from the National
Institute on Aging
Danielle will graduate from medical school in May 2016 and
plans to go into a pediatrics residency followed by a fellowship
in neonatology.
Yanan Chen
Doctor of Philosophy
Cellular and Structural Biology
Mentor: James D. Lechleiter, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Impact of the Calcineurin b Isoform
on the Unfolded Protein Response in Astrocytes After
Acute Brain Injury
Yanan will pursue a postdoctoral fellowship at the
University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.
Huai-Chin Chiang
Doctor of Philosophy
Molecular Medicine
Mentor: Rong Li, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Crosstalk Between BRCA1
and a Transcription Elongation Factor in
Mammary Gland Development
Notable Award: Translational Science Training
Scholar for 2012-2013
Huai-Chin will be pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship.
Doo Eun Choi
Doctor of Philosophy
Cellular & Structural Biology
Mentor: Zhi-Min Yuan, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: c-Abl Kinase Targets Tight
Junction ZO-2 in Regulation of Cell Migration and
Morphology
Doo will pursue a postdoctoral fellowship.
Vinh Dao
Doctor of Philosophy
Microbiology and Immunology
M.D./Ph.D. Program
Mentor: Tyler Curiel, M.D., MPH
Dissertation Title: Oral Rapamycin (eRapa) Prevents
Carcinogen and Inflammation-Induced Dermal Cancer
through Immune and DNA Damage Mechanisms
Notable Awards: Jess Hay Chancellor’s Graduate Student
Research Fellowship, Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research
Service Award (F30), Translational Science Training Scholar,
Microbiology & Immunology Student of the Year Award
After finishing his M.D./Ph.D. studies, Vinh plans to establish an
academic career around cancer immunology and use his scientific
findings to advance effective clinical care for cancer patients.
Dewayne Defoor
Doctor of Philosophy
Radiological Sciences
Mentor: Sotirios Stathakis, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Development of An End-to-End Patient
Specific Dose Monitoring System Using the Epid and MLC
Log Files
Dewayne will be a resident at the Cancer Therapy Research
Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Fangjian Gao
Doctor of Philosophy
Molecular Medicine
Mentor: Thomas G. Boyer, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: MED12 Modulates SOX17
Transcriptional Activity In Early Mouse Development
Notable Award: UT Health Science Center At San
Antonio Research Prize
Fangjian will be pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship.
Gretchel Ajon Gealogo
Doctor of Philosophy
Nursing Science
Mentor: Carrie Jo Braden, Ph.D., RN, FAAN
Dissertation Title: “A Light in the Dark”: Development
of a Conceptual Model for Person-Engaged Dementia
Care
Notable Awards: U.S. Department of Education GAANN
Fellow, papers presented at the International Council of
Nurses and World Congress for Gerontology and
Geriatrics
Gretchel will be telling the stories of the participants in her
dissertation study.
Norberto González Juarbe
Doctor of Philosophy
Microbiology and Immunology
Mentor: Molly A. Bergman, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: A New Mouse Model of Serratia
marcescens Pneumonia and the Mechanisms of Bacterial
Pore-Forming Toxin-Induced Necroptosis and CaspaseAssociated Necroptosis
Notable Awards: Keystone Symposia Travel Award, Initiative
for Maximizing Student Development Training Scholar,
Translational Science Training Scholar, A total of five “Best
Poster Presentation” Awards
Norberto will be a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Carlos Orihuela’s
laboratory at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Caroline Hall
Doctor of Philosophy
Microbiology and Immunology
Mentor: Ellen Kraig, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Baboon T-Cell Immunity
Challenges Conventional Paradigms of Immune Aging
Notable Award: NIH T32 Molecular Mechanisms in
Microbial Pathogenesis Training Grant Awardee
Caroline will be a postdoctoral fellow at the U.S. Army Institute
of Surgical Research in Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio.
Kaitlyn Lewis Hardell
Doctor of Philosophy
Cellular & Structural Biology
Mentor: Rochelle Buffenstein, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Contribution of Nrf2-Signaling to
Cytoprotection, Cancer Resistance, and Longevity in the Naked
Mole-Rat
Notable Awards: Dean’s Award of Excellence, Biology of Aging
Training Grant, Excellence in Women’s Health Scholarship,
Dielmann Foundation AGE Meeting Travel Award, American
Aging Association Walter R. Nicolai Award
Kaitlyn is pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Jonathan Gelfond at the
UT Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Pei-Yin Hsu
Doctor of Philosophy
Molecular Medicine
Mentor: Tim Hui-Ming Huang, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Spatiotemporal Control of EstrogenResponsive Gene Transcription in Luminal Breast
Cancer Cells
Notable Awards: GRC Poster Award 2013, AACRWICR Scholar Award 2014, GSBS Travel Award 2015
Pei-Yin will be pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship.
Raehannah J. Jamshidi
Doctor of Philosophy
Pharmacology
M.D./Ph.D. Program
Mentors: William P. Clarke, Ph.D. and Kelly A. Berg, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Peripheral Mechanisms of Opioid
Analgesia: Regulation of Kappa Opioid Receptor (KOR)
Function.
Notable Awards: Translational Scientist Training Award
(UTHSCSA, 2013); Outstanding Oral Presentation Award at the
Behavior, Biology and Chemistry Conference (San Antonio,
2015).
Raehannah plans to complete her final two years of medical school
and then begin a medical residency program where she will practice
medicine and conduct research.
Sarah Junco Wong
Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry
Mentor: Chongwoo A. Kim, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Structure and Functional Studies
of the PRC1.1 Complex
Notable Awards: NIH NIGMS Ruth L. Kirschstein
National Research Service Award (F31), Gordon
Research Conference CSURM Fellowship, Keystone
Symposia Underrepresented Minority Scholarship,
AACR Minority Scholar in Cancer Research Award,
UTHSCSA Department of Biochemistry Horowitz Award
Sarah is currently an IRACDA postdoctoral fellow in medicinal
chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin.
Kevin Kauweloa
Doctor of Philosophy
Radiological Sciences
Mentors: Nikos Papanikolaou, Ph.D. & Panayiotis Mavroidis, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Practical Aspects and Applications of
the Biological Effective Dose Three-Dimensional
Calculation for Multi-Phase Radiotherapy Treatment Plans
Notable Awards: Third Place Oral presentation Award for
the Young Investigator Symposium at the Southwest
American Association of Physicists in Medicine 2014
Spring Meeting
Kevin will be a resident in the radiation therapy, medical physics
residency program at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer
Center in Houston, Texas.
Samaya Krishnan
Doctor of Philosophy
Cellular & Structural Biology
Mentor: Ratna Vadlamudi, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Role of PELP1 in the DNA Damage
Response Pathway
Notable Awards: WICR Scholar Award, AACR Annual
meeting, 2012 SABCS Scholar-In-Training Award,
2014 SABCS Scholar-In-Training Award
Samaya will be joining Integral Molecular, Inc. in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania as a Business Operations Associate.
Justin Alexander Long
Doctor of Philosophy
Biomedical Engineering
Mentor: Timothy Duong, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: MRI Characterization of Mild TBI in Rats
and Evaluation of Neuroprotection by Methylene Blue
Notable Awards: 2011 Three SALSI Translational Science
Awards (Surgical Cooling Device, 3D Biopsy Guidance
System, and Drainage Catheter Fixation Device), 2013
ISMRM New Entrant Stipend, 2014 UTHSCSA
Translational Science Training Scholar
Justin is a senior R&D engineer for Medtronic Cardiovascular in
Galway, Ireland.
Jorge L. Medina
Doctor of Philosophy
Microbiology and Immunology
Mentor: Peter H. Dubé, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: The Impact of Mycoplasma
Pneumoniae Cards Toxin in Asthma Pathogenesis
Notable Awards: Translational Science Training
Across Disciplines Fellowship, Molecular
Mechanisms of Microbial Pathogenesis T-32 Training
Grant, AAI Trainee Abstract Award, FASEB MARC
Program Travel Award
Jorge will pursue a postdoctoral fellowship at the U.S. Army
Institute of Surgical Research, San Antonio, Texas.
Sweta Mishra
Doctor of Philosophy
Cellular and Structural Biology
Mentor: LuZhe Sun, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Role of MicroRNA-21, Estrogen and
TGF Beta Signaling in Prostate Cancer
Notable Awards: Rennels Memorial Award for Excellence
in Graduate Studies, Translational Science Training Award,
CSH Travel Award, AACR Travel Award, UTHSCSA
Endowed Student Scholarship
Sweta is a postdoctoral research fellow at Massachusetts General
Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts.
Angela D. Pal
Doctor of Philosophy
Nursing Science
Mentor: Sara L. Gill, Ph.D., RN, IBCLC
Dissertation Title: Getting a New Life: Women Living
with a Left Ventricular Assist Device
Angela plans to pursue a faculty position in cardiac surgery
research.
Kimberly Ray
Mentor: Angela R. Laird, Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Radiological Sciences
Dissertation Title: A Graph Theoretical Analysis of
Human Intrinsic Connectivity Networks
Notable Awards: UTHSCSA Presidential Student
Ambassador Scholar 2012, Malcolm Jones Student
Award 2010 – 2014, Palmaz Academic Travel Award
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Kimberly is a postdoctoral fellow at the psychiatry
department at the University of California – Davis.
Michael Riedel
Doctor of Philosophy
Radiological Sciences
Mentor: Angela Laird, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Hierarchical Perspectives in
Intrinsic Brain Networks
Notable Awards: Palmaz Award, Invited Lecturer at
International Conferences
Michael will pursue a postdoctoral fellowship at the Florida
International University in Miami, Florida.
Therese Rizzo
Doctor of Philosophy
Nursing Science
Mentor: Andrea Berndt, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Impact of an Advanced Cardiac Life
Support Course Enhanced with High Fidelity Human
Simulation on Nurses’ Knowledge, Megacode
Performance, and Observed Clinical Reasoning
Components
Therese will be doing research at the Sidra Medical Center in
Qatar.
Jamila Sanchez
Doctor of Philosophy
Cellular & Structural Biology
Mentor: Christi A. Walter, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Mechanisms Mediating AgeAssociated Changes in AP Endonuclease 1 Abundance in
Spermatogenic Cells
Notable Awards: Predoctoral Biology of Aging Training
Grant Awardee, Walter R. Nicolai Award for AGE
Meeting Poster, Dielmann Foundation AGE Meeting
Travel Award
Jamila will be pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Rochelle
Buffenstein at The Barshop Institute for Aging and Longevity
Studies.
Rachel Smallwood
Doctor of Philosophy
Biomedical Engineering
Mentor: Donald A. Robin, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: The Neurobiology of Comorbid
Opioid Addiction and Chronic Low Back Pain: Magnetic
Resonance Imaging-Based Regional and Connectivity
Alterations
Notable Awards: Valero Research Scholar, American
Academy of Pain Management Abstract Blue Ribbon
Rachel will be pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship in
neuroimaging.
SuYu Tsai
Doctor of Philosophy
Microbiology and Immunology
Mentor: Santanu Bose, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: DAMP Molecule S100A9 Act as a
Molecular Pattern to Enhance Inflammation during
Influenza A virus Infection: Role of DDX21-TRIFTLR4-MyD88 Pathway
SuYu is a postdoctoral fellow at Washington State
University in Pullman, Washington.
Sunil K. Valaparla
Doctor of Philosophy
Radiological Sciences
Mentor: Geoffrey D. Clarke, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: MRI and MRS of Skeletal Muscle
Lipids in Type2 Diabetes Mellitus
Notable Awards: American Heart Association
Predoctoral Fellowship
Sunil will be a clinical medical physicist in Lexington,
Kentucky.
Xiaowen Zhang
Doctor of Philosophy
Molecular Medicine
Mentor: Rong Li, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Functional Interaction Between
BRCA1 and Its Co-factor COBRA1 in Mammary
Gland
Xiaowen will be pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship.
Congratulations
Class of 2015!