UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Inspiring minds, shaping futures, empowering diverse scientists. The oSTEM Chapter at UT Southwestern has announced Arnaldo Diaz Vazquez, Ph.D., as Advisor of the Year!

In his time at UT Southwestern, Dr. Diaz Vazquez has served as a dedicated mentor and advisor to UT Southwestern students and trainees. Drawing on his personal journey as a first-generation student, he empowers students from similar backgrounds to navigate their unique academic and career paths successfully.

Congratulations on this well deserved recognition, Dr. Diaz Vazquez!

We are honored to announce that Alyssa Kaser, 3rd Year Clinical Psychology doctoral student, has been selected to receive the prestigious Jess Hay Chancellor’s Fellowship from the UT System!

This fellowship was established by former Regent Jess Hay, who passed away in 2015, to support graduate education and high-quality research benefiting the State of Texas.

Alyssa’s research has focused on novel technologies and psychometric techniques for early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. For her dissertation, she is exploring everyday functioning and neuropsychological performance across the Alzheimer's disease continuum in a racially and ethnically diverse community sample, emphasizing the need to address cognitive health disparities to develop culturally sensitive diagnostic tools and interventions.

The research done here at UT Southwestern by our faculty, students and trainees pushes and builds upon the boundaries of human knowledge, for the advancement and improvement of quality of life.

Congratulations again, Alyssa!

"Is my Ph.D. killing my love of science?" in his Science article, Carlo Quintanilla, Ph.D. ('21 Cell & Molecular Biology Alumnus) describes the journey of rediscovering of the magic sharing science once brought him through reading sci-fi novels for leisure.
Read his article here: https://bit.ly/45WJPu3

In May we honored this year's Ida M. Green Award recipient, Maggie Wang, M.S., with an award ceremony to celebrate her works and accomplishments. Maggie's research has advanced our understanding of stimulator of interferon genes (STING)-mediated immune mechanisms in nanoparticle-based cancer immunotherapy, identifying a critical subset of rare immune cell populations essential for driving STING-mediated antitumor immunity against solid and metastatic mouse tumors.

The award honors a female graduate student who has demonstrated both scholastic excellence in her field and outstanding citizenship in support of fellow students and advancing the mission and values of UT Southwestern and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. In addition to her research work, Ms. Wang has exemplified the spirit of the collaborative science community at UT Southwestern through serving as a mentor to fellow students and high school students, and holding executive leadership roles in various professional organizations, and

We are proud to celebrate Maggie, as she truly embodies the spirit of the Ida M. Green Award. Thank you to for capturing these great photos!

Photo 1: Maggie pictured with (left to right) Drs. Andrew Zinn, Dean of the Graduate School, Jinming Gao, Maggie's Mentor & Professor, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center and Mr. Michael McMahan of the Southwestern Medical Foundation.

Photo 2: Maggie pictured holding her Ida M. Green award

Photo 3: Maggie pictured with her lab - we love to see the support!

Photo 4: That sweet feeling of success - Congrats, Maggie!

We are still C-H-E-E-S-I-N-G from last week's commencement ceremony. 😁 Check out these great photos of our 2024 graduates!

Congratulations to the Medical School graduating class of 2024!

Achieving the pinnacle of educational success UT Southwestern Medical School students to celebrate graduation on May 8.

We are proud to announce the winner of the 2024 Ida M. Green Award is Maggie Wang, M.S., a 4th year student in the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program. The award is given annually to a female graduate student who has demonstrated both scholastic excellence in her field and outstanding citizenship in support of fellow students and advancing the mission and values of UT Southwestern and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Through her dissertation research in the lab of Professor Jinming Gao, PhD, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ms. Wang has advanced our understanding of stimulator of interferon genes (STING)-mediated immune mechanisms in nanoparticle-based cancer immunotherapy, identifying a critical subset of rare immune cell populations essential for driving STING-mediated antitumor immunity against solid and metastatic mouse tumors. This work was featured in a co-first authored publication in Science Immunology. She also helped identify prognostic biomarkers for cancer patient responses to immunotherapy through multiplexed immunohistochemistry of lung cancer patient tumors.

In addition to her research work, Ms. Wang has exemplified the spirit of the collaborative science community at UT Southwestern. Maggie has mentored a Green Fellow, served as vice president and president of the Biotechnology Club and vice president of the UTSW Bioengineering Society chapter, and acting as lead on a Biomedical Sciences Workshop for the Research and Health Careers Conference sponsored by the Office of Student Empowerment and Engagement.

In addition, she has dedicated herself to ongoing community service efforts like serving as a STEM Higher Education mentor for City Year of Dallas and mentoring Irving High School students in the Sibs in Science program.

We are proud to celebrate Maggie's many accomplishments and wish her continued success in her academic career!

Congratulations to the 2024 Nominata Award Recipient and Finalist for their work and recognition of excellence in scientific research!

This year's recipient, Heankel Lyons, discovered novel mechanisms that drive biomolecular condensate specificity and function in the regulation of gene transcription during cellular differentiation and in dysregulated gene expression in cancer. Part of this work has been published and featured on the cover of Cell. Heankel will receive a monetary award and the honor of presenting her research to the UT Southwestern community within the forum of the University Lecture Series on May 8th, 2024.

The award finalist, Yichi (Tony) Zhang, PhD., will receive a Dean’s Discretionary Award. Dr. Zhang completed his Ph.D. last summer. His work focused on identifying the contribution of the myogenin-myostatin axis to cancer cachexia-induced muscle atrophy and establishing the role of the nuclear envelope protein Net39 in muscle development, maintenance, and disease. This work appeared in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology and the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

The Nominata Award is presented annually and is the highest honor for academic and research accomplishment bestowed by the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences to an advanced graduate student. Created by the Graduate Student Organization (GSO) in 1980, the award's objective has been to stimulate academic excellence and research achievement among advanced graduate students.

Congratulations to this year's Haberect Wildhare-Idea Research Grant Recipient, Qing Zou, Ph.D.!
Dr. Zou's proposed "hare-brained' idea, "reducing routine cardiac MRI exams from an hour to five minutes" is not just innovative, it could be a game-changing innovation in biomedical research. 🚀

The Haberecht Wildhare-Idea Research Grant supports speculative ideas that if correct, would be the basis for a giant step forward in biomedical research.

At UT Southwestern, our faculty researchers consistently push the boundaries of research excellence, paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries that shape the future of medicine. Their unwavering dedication, relentless pursuit of knowledge, and pioneering spirit set the standard for research caliber, driving innovation and transforming healthcare worldwide.

We are thrilled to congratulate Maggie Wang and Yehui Sun on receiving the 2024 Carol & Robert Eberhart Endowed Scholarship! Maggie and Yehui are both 4th Year Biomedical Engineering Students in the labs of Dr. Jinming Gao and Dr. Daniel Siegwart, respectively.

Dr. Robert Eberhart served as Chairman of the Joint UT Southwestern-UT Arlington Graduate Biomedical Engineering Program from 1983 to 2000. The purpose of the Endowed Scholarship is to recognize the excellence and stature of the Biomedical Engineering Program and the academic achievements of its student body, further encouraging outstanding students to pursue graduate education and careers in biomedical engineering.

Join us in congratulating Maggie and Yehui on their dedication to academic excellence! 🌟 Wishing you both continued success in your academic journies.

From eclipse glasses to shared gasps, the UTSW community came together for an unforgettable cosmic spectacle! 🌘✨

Massive thanks to everyone who joined our watch party and to the organizing teams who made it shine brighter than any star. We'd love to see your photos, tag us in your pictures from the event!

Former postdoc earns Brown-Goldstein Award for gene editing cardiology work, Center Times Plus, UT Southwestern Former UTSW postdoctoral fellow Simon Lebek, M.D., has won the Brown-Goldstein Award for research.

UTSW AMMSA (American Muslim Medical Student Association) is hosting a Fast-a-Thon event next Tuesday 3/12!

Next Monday marks the beginning of Ramadan, a holy month of prayer and fasting for Muslims. Alongside Muslims around the world, UTSW Muslim students will be fasting from sunrise to sunset (so no food or water) for a month. We will be tabling outside the student center on Monday (3/11) from 11am-3pm with some free goody bags and more information about Ramadan, so feel free to stop by!

We hope you can join us the next day on Tuesday to fast alongside us from sunrise (6:30 am) to sunset (7:30 pm). After a long day of fasting, please celebrate with us at our Community Iftar (post-fast meal) on Tuesday 3/12 at the MedPark Clubhouse at 7:30 pm for A FREE DINNER OF LOVE AND COMMUNITY AND BONDING!

We will be attending the Spring 2024: All Majors Career Fair tomorrow at UNT Dallas ✨ Stop by and see us to learn more about career opportunities at !

Nothing but smiles (and cookies) when UTSW Student Life shows some love to our Graduate Trainees! 😁

Children’s Health and UT Southwestern announce plans for transformative new pediatric campus in Dallas’ Southwestern Medical District Children’s HealthSM and UT Southwestern Medical Center unveiled plans for a new $5 billion pediatric health campus in Dallas’ Southwestern Medical District today. Spanning more than 33 acres, the new pediatric campus offers a patient-centric design that can meet the rapidly increasing need for m...

Congratulations, Dr. DeBose-Boyd! The Hill Prize is a new award designed to accelerate research ideas that offer significant real-world impact. The Complex is Commonplace at UTSW.

UT Southwestern molecular geneticist wins Hill Prize from TAMEST Russell DeBose-Boyd, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Genetics at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has been awarded the Hill Prize in Biological Sciences from the Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology (TAMEST) in recognition of his ...

Incredible news! Children's Health & UT Southwestern have announced plans for a new pediatric health campus to further support academic research, training, and discovery next door to many of UTSW's innovative research labs and functional academic areas.

Children’s Health and UT Southwestern announce plans for transformative new pediatric campus New multitower hospital to replace Children’s Medical Center Dallas to meet surging demand for pediatric care, research, and training.

UTSW Professor to Receive O'Donnell Award in Biological Sciences Molecular biologist Vincent Tagliabracci, who was named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator in 2021, will be honored by the Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology for his groundbreaking work on so-called zombie enzymes.

Last week Lemmon Drop stopped by as a special treat for our Community Check-In! Thank you for providing an end-of-semester treat to our GSBS community!
Did you get a chance to stop by?

Alumni Roundup Join us for an afternoon of good food, family fun, and great alumni.

Calling all undergraduate aspiring scientists in the DFW area! 🌟

Are you ready to embark on an adventure that will ignite your curiosity and fuel your passion? Join us for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the renowned Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry Graduate Programs at UT Southwestern! 🔬

Step into a world where breakthroughs happen and discoveries are made. Trust us, this is an opportunity you won't want to miss! 🚀 Register at bit.ly/3FzXMSp. See you there!

This event is exclusive to students located in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. For those joining us, please arrange transportation to and from the event.

Calling all undergraduate science enthusiasts in the DFW area! 🌟

Are you ready to embark on an adventure that will ignite your curiosity and fuel your passion?

Join us for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the renowned Biochemistry Department at UT Southwestern! 🧪🔬

Step into a world where breakthroughs happen and discoveries are made. Trust us, this is an opportunity you won't want to miss! 🚀 Registration details are linked in our bio. See you there!

Calling all UT Southwestern alumni! Join us for a sizzling lunch featuring flame-grilled American Wagyu with all the fixings.

Come be part of the laid-back picnic scene, mix and mingle with the alumni community, enjoy family-friendly games, and network with old and new friends.

Don't forget your appetite! You can find registration details linked in our bio🤠