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Trainee Spotlight: Megna Tiwari

Donna Huber on November 4, 2020

Megna Tiwari 

Megna Tiwari is a second-year Ph.D. trainee in the laboratory of Diego Huet. She is originally from Newport Beach, California and completed her undergraduate degree in Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). While at UCR, she worked as an undergraduate researcher in the fungal genomics lab of Dr. Jason Stajich for 2 years and co-founded Women in STEM Engaging Riverside (WISER). After graduation, she worked as a blood bank lab technician at LifeStream Blood Bank where she screened for and routinely found blood samples positive for understudied pathogenic parasites. Her fascination with pathogenic parasites led her to seek a thesis-based Master of Science in Biology at California State University, Fullerton under the supervision of Dr. Veronica Jimenez. During this period, Megna worked on understanding the functional and structural relationship of mechanosensitive ion channels found in T. cruzi and cemented her passion for molecular parasitology.

Megna has been awarded a CTEGD T32 Training Fellowship. She currently serves as Vice-president of CTEGD’s Graduate Student Association and New Student Liaison for the Department of Cellular Biology’s Graduate Student Association.

Why did you choose UGA? 

My master’s research in parasitology reaffirmed my passion for research in unconventional parasitic pathogens. Therefore, I applied for doctoral programs that would allow me to remain in the field of cell and molecular parasitology and the CTEGD at UGA was the perfect place for me to obtain the best possible training as a parasitologist.

What is your research focus/project and why are you interested in the topic? 

The over-reaching research goal of the Huet lab is the investigation of the highly divergent metabolic adaptations of apicomplexans. My research interests in the lab have led me to study the role of the ATP synthase in the apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii, the causative agent of toxoplasmosis. For my project, I am examining the role of apicomplexan-specific ATP synthase subunits and how they might contribute to the regulation of the ATP synthase function in the parasite.

What are your future professional plans?  

Following graduation from UGA, I hope to continue on for a postdoctoral research position in parasitology.

What do you hope to do for your capstone experience? 

For my capstone experience, I want to gain an outside perspective and understanding of foreign research culture that I can apply to my own research when I return to the CTEGD. 

What is your favorite thing about UGA and/or Athens? 

At the CTEGD, I love the collaborative nature. If I am trying to learn a new technique or understand new concepts, I am able to easily walk down the hall to a neighboring lab and get advice. In Athens, for entertainment, I love the endless craft beer scene and I love all the greenery and being able to hike gaps of the Appalachian trail!

 

Support trainees like Megna by giving today to the Center for Tropical & Emerging Global Diseases.

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Trainee Spotlight: Melissa Sleda

Donna Huber on September 16, 2020

Melissa Sleda

 

Melissa Sleda, a Ph.D. trainee is Silvia Moreno’s laboratory, is in her third year at UGA. She is originally from Sandusky, Michigan and attended Lawrence Technological University where she majored in Molecular and Cell Biology with a minor in Chemistry. At UGA, she has held positions as the Secretary for the Cell Bio Grad Student Association (2019-2020), and as Treasurer (2019-2020) and current President (2020-2021) of the CTEGD grad student association.

Melissa Sleda has been awarded a T32 Trainee Fellowship for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Why did you choose UGA?

I chose UGA because of the Integrated Life Sciences Umbrella program. As an incoming graduate student, I was not set on studying a particular organism, and I was excited for the opportunity to rotate in labs across different departments.

What is your research project?

My project seeks to characterize enzymes of the isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway in Toxoplasma gondii and to investigate these enzymes as potential chemotherapeutic targets. The current chemotherapy for Toxoplasmosis is ineffective because it does not eliminate the chronic stage of infection. My project seeks to test drugs that target enzymes of the isoprenoid pathway in both the acute and chronic forms of infection in order to find a more effective chemotherapy.

What are your future professional plans?

My future career goal is to stay in academia and become a professor at a smaller institution with a higher emphasis on teaching and leading smaller research projects. I want to help students at smaller universities gain research experience through classroom labs and one-on-one research projects.

What do you hope to do for your Capstone Experience?

For my capstone experience, I hope to be able to do research in another country to gain a wider perspective of how research is done in other countries. I hope that I am able to do research in a lab that I can learn new techniques that will translate into my research project.

What is your favorite thing about Athens?

My favorite thing about Athens is the warm weather and the great sense of community.

What advice do you have for students interested in this field?

Do things out of your comfort zone because it will help you develop as a scientist.

 

Support trainees like Melissa by giving today to the Center for Tropical & Emerging Global Diseases.

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Trainee Spotlight: Alona Botnar

Donna Huber on August 18, 2020

Alona Botnar

T32 trainee Alona Botnar is entering her fifth year as a Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Dennis Kyle’s laboratory. She is from Doylestown, Pennsylvania and completed her B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in Biochemistry at the University of Georgia in 2015. During her undergraduate career, she also worked at Janssen, a pharmaceutical company of Johnson & Johnson as a Biologics R&D co-op.

As a graduate student, she was able to spend three semesters teaching Anatomy and Physiology labs here at UGA, and in 2019, she was awarded the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Instruction. She also received a graduate school travel award to attend the 2018 annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in New Orleans, Louisiana, and an Office for Vice President and Research travel award to attend the 2020 Molecular Approaches to Malaria meeting held in Lorne, Victoria, Australia.

Why did you choose UGA?

Having been at UGA for my undergraduate degree, I was already in love with UGA and Athens and all that they have to offer. I was attracted to the Integrated Life Sciences program because it gives incoming graduate students the freedom to explore a wide range of research topics among 14 different departments before choosing the lab they would ultimately like to join. Furthermore, I found the interdisciplinary approach of the program appealing. I love the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases because of all the resources available to us as scientists. Not only do we have state of the art microscopy and flow cytometry cores, but we also have very collaborative labs that are happy to share equipment, supplies, and expertise.

What is your research focus?

My research is focused on malaria and addressing significant problems at the stages of development at which the malaria parasite enters a drug-induced dormant period and evades the antimalarial. The mechanism by which the parasite enters drug-induced dormancy and later recrudesces to continue development is currently unknown.

Half the world’s population is at risk of malaria with about half a million people dying each year from it. A majority of these deaths are in children under the age of 5, located mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. While there are 5 species that can infect humans, Plasmodium falciparum is the most lethal and is responsible for a majority of the deaths. Our current arsenal of malaria drugs is failing at an alarming rate as drug-resistant strains of the parasite continue to emerge.

Thus I chose this research project because it is vital that we respond to the challenge of antimalarial drug resistance by not only developing novel drugs but also by understanding the mechanisms the parasite is using to evade the drugs.

What are your future career goals?

I plan on continuing my work in the field of infectious diseases. I am leaning towards industry research but I’m keeping an open mind. Lately, I have been interested in alternative careers available to life science Ph.D.’s such as consulting and being a medical science liaison.

What is your favorite thing about UGA?

UGA football. There’s nothing quite like a fall Saturday in Athens between the hedges. GO DAWGS!

Do you have any advice for a student interested in this field?

It’s never too early or too late to get into the field. Don’t be afraid to send those emails and get involved in research. And always ask questions.

 

Support trainees like Alona by giving today to the Center for Tropical & Emerging Global Diseases.

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NIH awards CTEGD $1.9 million to support training in tropical and emerging global diseases

Donna Huber on August 6, 2020

UGA’s Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases has been awarded $1.9 million from the National Institutes of Health to continue its pre- and post-doctoral training program for the next five years. First funded in 2004, CTEGD has received nearly $2 million from NIH to train the next generation of scientists in the fight against neglected tropical diseases. The new funding will support additional fellowships and new training initiatives.

Every year, parasitic diseases are responsible for more than a million deaths and leave hundreds of millions more with chronic infections lasting years. However, there are few U.S. programs that specifically train researchers in this field.

CTEGD is recognized as a pre-eminent research center that brings together the largest number of laboratories in the U.S. to study the full gamut of parasitic diseases, which are highly prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, South America and Asia. Often, these diseases are the consequence and cause of poverty, and they are increasingly emerging (or re-emerging) in industrialized nations. Most of these diseases have no cure and few treatment options, and growing drug resistance complicates the fight against them. Now more than ever, researchers are needed in the field of parasitology and tropical diseases in order to improve global health.

NIH recognizes the need for researchers trained in parasitology and tropical disease, as well as UGA’s and CTEGD’s ability to fill it, by providing funding for two additional pre-doctoral fellowships. CTEGD will now be able to award five pre-doctoral fellowships and two post-doctoral fellowships each year

“This is incredibly exciting,” said Dr. Silvia Moreno, program director of CTEGD’s Training in Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases (TTEGD) and Distinguished Research Professor in cellular biology. “It’s a very competitive program and having additional pre-doc positions funded is even more exciting. Our program offers a great environment for training in parasitology which is the result of the hard work of the CTEGD community plus great UGA institutional support”.

The support of the university community

UGA’s support of the program has been instrumental to its continuing funding by NIH. The state-of-the-art equipment and facilities available to trainees allow them to learn cutting-edge techniques and technologies.

Under the direction of Vice President David Lee, the Office of Research has committed significant support over the next five years to fund the capstone experience, which allows each fellow to conduct research in an international setting, and two additional pre-doctoral assistantships.

“The Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases is one of the key components of UGA’s strength in the wide-ranging fight against human disease,” Lee said. “The exceptional training that students and posdocs receive at CTEGD is a point of significant pride for the university, and I am committed to supporting the further growth of the Center and the TTEGD program.”

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will continue to partner with CTEGD to provide grant-writing workshops and career development opportunities for post-doctoral fellows. Last year, CTEGD organized a workshop on NIH’s K-Award grants that are available to post-doctoral fellows.

Franklin College of Arts & Sciences has also committed over the next 5 years to match funds from CTEGD to provide for a mini-sabbatical program a faculty member from a local college or university, along with up to two undergraduate students from that school, to spend a semester working in a CTEGD laboratory. The goal of this program is to increase awareness of post-undergraduate opportunities and spark interest in neglected tropical disease research.

Committed to training the next generation of scientists

To date, 37 pre- and post-doctoral fellows have received training support through the NIH T32 Training Grant. The fellowships awarded by CTEGD include a stipend, travel award, health insurance, and some financial support for research supplies. Pre-doctoral fellows also receive a tuition waiver. In the past 15 years, graduate students have assisted in field studies in Haiti, Tanzania, Argentina, Thailand, Ecuador, and Kenya as part of their capstone experience.

“My trip to Ecuador was unimaginably enriching,” said Dr. Manuel Fierro, a former T32 fellow who completed his Ph.D. this year. “I was presented with the way great research is done in a setting containing fewer resources than in the US and it gave me important connections for my professional development. More importantly, it gave me hope of returning to my home country and continue applying my parasitology training.”

Trainees have gone on to positions in academia, government and industry. They have secured positions as post-doctoral fellows, staff scientists, and assistant professors at such institutions as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, University of California, Emory University School of Medicine, Tufts University’s Cummings Veterinary Medical School, and Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infective Research in Scotland.

Embarking on its 16th year this fall, CTEGD is committed as ever to increasing rigor, diversity, and career development in its training program. New requirements for post-doctoral trainees, more rigorous training for new trainers, strategic recruitment initiatives to target underrepresented minorities, and expansion of training to include large data mining and computer science are just a few of the changes the program will undertake over the next five years.

“The T32 training grant represents the core of CTEGD’s effort to prepare the next generation of scientists to tackle the scourge of the neglected parasitic diseases of mankind,” said Dr. Dennis Kyle, director of CTEGD. “The renewal of this award allows us to expand our efforts and is recognition of the excellence of our students, postdocs, staff, and faculty.”

Trainee Spotlight: Emma Troth

Donna Huber on July 23, 2020

Emma Troth

Emma Troth, a Ph.D. trainee in Dennis Kyle‘s laboratory, is entering her fourth year at UGA. She is originally from Eureka, Illinois, and attended Bradley University where she majored in Biology with a minor in Ethics. While at UGA, Emma has served as president of the CTEGD Graduate Student Association (2019-2020) and is currently the CTEGD Graduate Student Association representative.

How did you get interested in neglected tropical diseases?

As an undergraduate, I participated in a Research Experience for Undergraduates program at the University of Notre Dame. At Notre Dame, I worked on a project characterizing malaria vectors in the Solomon Islands and Indonesia. My summer at Notre Dame sparked my interest in neglected tropical diseases.

Why did you choose UGA?

I chose UGA because of the diversity of research. Coming into graduate school, I knew I was interested in infectious diseases but did not have my heart set on a particular organism to work on. UGA works on the biggest selection of infectious organisms. With the Integrated Life Sciences Program, I had the opportunity to experience multiple labs working on different organisms, regardless of department, to help me identify where I would like to complete my doctoral degree.

What is your research focus? Why are you interested in this topic?

My project focuses on drug discovery for Naegleria fowleri, the brain-eating amoebae. My main project focuses on structure-based drug design to develop novel drug targets against N. fowleri. Additionally, I am working to develop phenotypic drug screening assays to complement our high-throughput drug discovery. I am fascinated by N. fowleri because it is such a mysterious, deadly organism. Though infections may not be as common as other parasitic diseases, nearly all cases of primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) are fatal. This amoeba is grossly understudied; very few labs in the world research this organism. It is both a privilege and a challenge to be able to work on this neglected parasite.

Have you done any fieldwork or is there a collaborator/field site that you would like to visit in order to enhance your training?

I hope to complete an internship with the Task Force for Global Health. This internship will ideally include fieldwork with one of their neglected tropical disease programs.

What are your future professional plans?

Going forward, I would like to continue my career in neglected tropical diseases with an emphasis on global health. I am particularly interested in a career involving field research. Ultimately, I hope to work for a government agency like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or a non-profit organization focused on neglected tropical diseases.

What is your favorite thing about Athens?

My favorite thing about Athens is the food! There is such a variety of local restaurants and new restaurants are continually opening. Coming from a small undergraduate institution, I really enjoy the atmosphere of a large university in a small college town. Athens is a very easy city to feel “at home”.

Any advice for a student interested in this field?

Never be afraid to reach out for help, wherever you need it! Coming into graduate school can be intimidating and at times, isolating. There are so many people eager to help you on your graduate school journey and ultimately want to see you succeed. Particularly within the CTEGD, I have always been met with kind and willing responses. All it takes is for you to take the step and reach out!

Support trainees like Emma by giving today to the Center for Tropical & Emerging Global Diseases.

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Noelia Lander receives research award

Donna Huber on April 9, 2020

Noelia Lander, a cellular biologist and postdoctoral researcher in Roberto Docampo‘s laboratory, has received the 2020 Postdoctoral Award from the UGA Research Foundation.

Lander has used her research to advance understanding of a dangerous parasite affecting millions of people worldwide. She adapted the CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing system for the study of Trypanosoma cruzi, a human parasite that causes Chagas disease. In widely cited research, she proved the usefulness of this new gene-editing system and its range of applications in T. cruzi, which historically had been difficult to manipulate. Dozens of Chagas molecular biology labs worldwide use her CRISPR/Cas9 strategy to study the parasite’s proteins, characterize its metabolic pathways, understand its biology and search for new chemotherapeutic targets. More recently, she has used her system to study protein function and calcium signaling in T. cruzi. She has trained laboratory personnel and students in scientific research and is currently conducting the mentored phase of an NIH Pathway to Independence Award.

Created in 2011, Postdoctoral Research Awards recognize the remarkable contributions of postdoctoral research scholars to the UGA research enterprise. The UGA Research Foundation funds up to two awards a year to current scholars.

Trainee Spotlight: Edwin Pierre Louis

Donna Huber on March 23, 2020

Trainee Edwin Pierre Louis

 

Edwin Pierre Louis is a pre-doctoral trainee in the laboratory of Dr. Drew Etheridge. Originally from Haiti, he immigrated to the US to attend the University of Florida (UF), where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry Molecular Biology. After earning his degree at UF, Edwin accepted a position as a biological scientist in the UF Center of Excellence for Regenerative Health Biotechnology, with a focus on gene and cell based therapeutic development, where he worked for three years. There, he first discovered his love of host-pathogen interactions as a biological scientist working under the supervision of Dr. Richard Snyder for the component Florida Biologix at this center and later merged to create Brammer Bio which was subsequently acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific. During this time in industry, he realized that to improve his scientific capacities he would need to continue his studies by pursuing a graduate degree. As part of his preparations to apply to a graduate program, he joined the UGA post-baccalaureate PREP program whose mission is to prepare students interested in a graduate degree for the application process. During this time, he was granted the opportunity to join Dr. Michael Terns’ laboratory for a year where he investigated the molecular mechanism of CRISPR-Cas based viral defense in Streptococcus thermophilus as well as prime adaptation events in the type II-A CRISPR-Cas system.

Since attending UGA, Edwin has been awarded both the Gateway to Graduate School Bridge Program and the Graduate Scholars Leadership, Engagement and Development Program (GS LEAD) scholarships sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

What is your research focus and why are you interested in the topic?

Broadly, my key research interests center around how organisms like viruses and parasites manipulate their host cell in order to grow and propagate. My current project is focused on elucidating how the protozoan pathogen Toxoplasma gondii is able to use secreted protein effectors to manipulate its host cells functions.

Why did you choose UGA?

I chose to study at the University of Georgia, in part, because of my excellent post-baccalaureate experience in the PREP program. It was evident from my interactions that UGA excels at fostering a productive relationship between students and faculty. Regardless of any faculty member’s relationship to the students, there was a sustained willingness for faculty to give of their time in order to see the students succeed.  I also decided to pursue my PhD at UGA because of the cutting-edge research and in particular the collection of outstanding parasitologists that is uniquely found in the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases (CTEGD).

What are your future professional plans?

As I continue my graduate studies on host pathogen interaction, I plan to do some post-doctoral trainings to augment my apprenticeship and ultimately become an independent scientist to lead my own research group.  I also hope to be able to give back to the local community that has contributed so much to my own personal success by donating my time and knowledge to mentor young budding scientists especially those from underprivileged homes and/or underdeveloped countries.

 

Support trainees like Edwin by giving today to the Center for Tropical & Emerging Global Diseases.

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Visiting Scholar Fellow: Fernando Sanchez-Valdéz

Donna Huber on August 28, 2019

Fellow: Fernando Sanchez ValdezDr. Fernando Sanchez-Valdéz, from Salta, Argentina, completed a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2014. After his Ph.D., he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Dr. Rick Tarleton´s laboratory at University of Georgia. In 2018, he obtained a Research Scientist position in the career pathway of the National Research Council in Argentina (CONICET). Earlier this year, he was awarded a fellowship from the CTEGD-Janssen Visiting Scholars Program, which enabled him to return to the Tarleton Research Group.

What is your primary research focus? Why are you interested in this subject?

The main focus of my research has been to uncover the mechanism of drug resistance in the Chagas disease agent, Trypanosoma cruzi. The main question we are trying to answer is why the treatment with highly effective drugs like Benznidazole (the current available treatment for Chagas disease) often fails to cure Chagas disease. By combining ex vivo luminescence assays and tissue-clearing techniques we were able to report, for the first time, the presence of dormant non-replicating amastigotes forms in the chronic phase of the disease. Dormant amastigotes were uniquely resistant to extended drug treatment in vivo and in vitro and could re-establish a flourishing infection after treatment interruption. T. cruzi‘s capacity to become dormant makes them transiently drug-resistant, suggesting that this phenomenon accounts for the failure of the otherwise highly active compounds such Benznidazole (Sanchez-Valdéz, et al eLife 2018).

Why did you choose UGA?

I returned to Athens in February 2019 to continue working on the findings we made during my postdoctoral training in the Tarleton Laboratory. I initially decided to come UGA based on a colleague’s recommendations and the fact that Tarleton´s lab is one of the reference centers for Chagas disease research. It’s a really motivating environment to do science since the scientific and technical level here is really high as well as diverse including areas as immunology, drug discovery, genetic manipulation, genomics, diagnostics, etc. Also the amount of resources available is impressive not only from the lab but also from the Biomedical Microscopy Core, Cytometry Shared Resource Laboratory and the animal facility at UGA.

What has been your research project while at UGA?

Currently, we are expanding our knowledge about T. cruzi dormancy and trying to interfere T. cruzi dormancy using new compounds or the conventional drugs but in a different treatment schedule. One of the approaches we are testing now involves the evaluation of drug doses and treatment schemes able to kill dormant parasites. For this purpose, we are optimizing a robust platform to detect low levels of parasites in whole clarified mice organs using light-sheet fluorescent microscopy. This technique will allow us the specific detection of low levels of persistent dormant parasites.

How has the CTEGD-Janssen Visiting Scholar Fellowship and your time at UGA impacted your research and professional goals?

I am so glad about the opportunity to continue working on T. cruzi dormancy with such experienced and renowned scientists and particularly using state-of-the-art microscopy techniques currently unavailable in South America. This experience will definitely have a positive impact on my career development and probably in the Chagas disease research field.

Grad school ready

Donna Huber on October 2, 2018

by Camie Williams

 

Stephen Hajduk with student
PREP@UGA Scholar Jilarie Santos Santiago, center, consults with her faculty mentor Stephen Hajduk, left, and postdoctoral mentor Michael Cipriano. (Photo by Dorothy Kozlowski)
PREP@UGA Scholars program trains next generation of life sciences researchers.

As an undergraduate student in Maryland, Ian Liyayi planned to major in nursing but got lost on the campus tour and found himself in the biochemistry department. He liked that even better. 

When it came to preparing for graduate school, Liyayi didn’t want to get lost along the way, so he applied for the University of Georgia’s competitive PREP@UGA Scholars program to give him more experience before he began applying to doctoral programs.

“This program gets you fully ready for grad school because you get a ton of time in the lab,” said Liyayi, a current scholar who said he enjoyed research experiences in his undergraduate years at Stevenson University but didn’t gain much hands-on laboratory experience on long-term projects. 

“I knew I wanted to do graduate school, but I didn’t feel like I was completely ready,” said Liyayi, a native of Kenya who grew up in Baltimore. “This program seemed like a perfect fit.”

With funding from a National Institutes of Health grant, the PREP@UGA Scholars program was created five years ago. Earlier this year, co-directors Erin Dolan and Mark Tompkins received a $2.1 million, five-year grant renewal, which will continue to fund a cohort each year of six to eight scholars from underrepresented groups or with limited opportunities in the STEM fields at their undergraduate institution. 

To date, 32 students have participated in the program. About one in four later enrolled in a UGA doctoral program, with the remainder going on to graduate programs at other institutions. Programs such as PREP@UGA have helped make UGA the nation’s top public flagship university for the number of doctoral degrees it awards to African Americans.

“Undergraduate students are in the mindset of taking classes, but in grad school they don’t just consume knowledge, they create it,” said Dolan, Georgia Athletic Association Professor of Innovative Science Education in the department of biochemistry and molecular biology, part of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “This program smooths that transition to graduate school and to thinking like a scientist.”

While students spend most of their time in a laboratory, they also go through professional development workshops and benefit from the advice of a faculty mentor and an advanced graduate student or postdoctoral mentor. “It’s a holistic program,” Dolan said. “We focus on the research experience and the career around it.”

For Jilarie Santos Santiago, those mentors have helped her realize her potential in just her first few weeks on campus. “I am stepping out of my comfort zone,” said the graduate of the University of Puerto Rico Humacao, who is currently conducting research in Stephen Hajduk’s lab.

As an undergraduate, Santos Santiago worked on a project for several years to determine a way to thwart parasitic nematodes from destroying the plantain harvest on her home island, but she wanted to explore other areas of life sciences research and learn new techniques before beginning a doctoral program. She also wanted to improve her communication skills, and she’s excited to learn more about the process of publishing research articles.

“The transition to a Ph.D. program, it can be overwhelming. Even this building is confusing when you come from a small college,” Santos Santiago said from her lab in the Davison Life Sciences Complex. “It can be a lot to take in, but if you don’t take the first step, you never do it. This was the right first step for me.”

Tompkins, a professor of infectious diseases in the College of Veterinary Medicine, said his experience as a mentor for a PREP@UGA Scholar last year drove home the impact of the program on students, the research team and on academia as a whole.

“It’s a win-win for the students, the faculty member and the research mentor,” he said. “The perspectives that the scholars bring add a richness to the lab. For the university and academia, the program will have an intangible impact on increasing diversity in the long run.”

Tompkins’ former scholar, Carlie Neiswanger, who has recently begun her doctoral program in pharmacology at the University of Washington, said her experience as a PREP@UGA Scholar was “nothing short of life-changing.” 

After a rocky start to her undergraduate education, she found her passion as a returning student but didn’t believe she had the grades and test scores to make graduate school an option. But her postbaccalaureate experience changed that while providing lessons in independent thinking and problem solving that have given her confidence going into her doctoral program.

“I knew that I wanted to stay in research after graduation, but I was at a loss for what the next steps would be if I wasn’t prepared for graduate school. The PREP program was a near-perfect solution for me,” said Neiswanger, an alumna of Washington State University. “Not only did I get to experience what it means to work full time in a lab while learning to balance things like classes and social life, it truly made me feel prepared for graduate work. … I worked really, really hard, and it paid off. Now I’m ready for the next step.”

 

First published at https://news.uga.edu/grad-school-ready/