CURRENT STUDENTS
The Pharmacology and Molecular Medicine Training Program currently has 31 students enrolled in the PhD Program. Of the current students, 2 entered the program as MD/PhD (MSTP) students; and 7 others entered the program from the umbrella Biomedical Science Program (BSP). The Pharmacology Graduate Training Program consistently matriculates students from all three potential sources: direct recruiting, the BSP, and the MSTP.
Over the last ten years, the average size of the matriculated class of Pharmacology and Molecular Medicine Training Program students has been 4.6 and the average time to degree is ~5.7 years. The retention rate, that is students who complete the program with their PhD is 100% over the last 10 years. Another 5 students completed the program with MS degrees. Thus, the overall percentage of a students graduating with an advanced degree is (51/59) 95%.
| First-Year Cohort | Student Name, Degree, and Undergraduate Institution |
| Hannah Fallon | |
| Natalie Hoffman | |
| Tessa Holmstoen | |
| Abigail Russell | |
| Nathan Stine |
| Second-Year Cohort | Student Name, Degree, and Undergraduate Institution |
 | Grace Akatsu BS, Biology and Theater Arts, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA Mentor: Greene, Casey Synthesizing transcriptomic modalities to determine cell type composition of high grade serous ovarian carcinoma |
 | Jacob Cox BS, Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA Mentor: McKinsey, Timothy Investigating epigenetic regulation of myocardial fibrosis in chronic cardiovascular disease. |
 | Rianna Farahani BS, Biological Sciences with Concentration in Systems Physiology, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA Mentor: Caino, Cecilia Investigating the role of GCN2 and interacting proteins in metastatic prostate cancer |
 | Danielle Heebner BS, Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC Mentor: Fernandez-Mariño, Ana Ion channel gating and the roles of ion channels in physiological processes |
 | Isabelle Hua BS, Neuroscience, University of WashingtonBA, Biochemistry, University of Washington Mentors: O’Hare, Justin and Bayer, Ulli Investigating circuit, cellular, and subcellular mechanisms of learning and disruptions in Alzheimer’s disease Isabelle Hua ORCID |
 | Rachel Stander MS, Integrative Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC Mentor: Todorovic, Slobodan Mechanisms of opioid-induced modulation of calcium channel activity in thalamic neurons |
| Third-Year Cohort | Student Name, Degree, and Undergraduate Institution |
 | Brian Brady BS, Psychology, Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA MS, Molecular Neuroscience, University of Bristol Mentor: Kennedy, Matthew Investigating the function of excitatory synaptic nanoscale organization |
 | Selin Ekici BS, Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA Mentor: Ford, Chris Mechanism of action of antipsychotics at the D2 receptor |
 | Shelby Fainelli BS, Cell and Molecular Neuroscience, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO Mentor: Aoto, Jason Characterizing the binding partners of the presynaptic cell adhesion molecule, Neurexin 1. |
 | Patrick Pence Mentor: Investigating SEMA7A CAR T cells with T cell backpacks to improve TNBC tumor treatment. |
 | Heidi Solis BS, Biological Science, California State University, Sacramento, CA Mentor: Jacobelli, Jordan Exploring the mechanistic role of formin cytoskeletal proteins on lymphocyte migration |
 | Annalise Sturno BA, Biology and Cognitive Science, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH Mentor: Bruce, Kimberley GLUT5 fructose transport as a novel therapeutic target for microglial metabolic reprogramming in Alzheimer's disease. |
 | Raul Vargas BS, Neuroscience & Psychology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH Mentor: Oh, Won Chan Investigating Serotonergic Psychedelics in Inhibitory Plasticity. |
| Fourth-Year and Above | Student Name, Degree, and Undergraduate Institution |
 | Lorena Alamillo BS, Biochemistry, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Denver, CO Mentor: Lau, Edward Building on spatiotemporal proteomic techniques to better understand biological processes. |
 | Madison Barker BS, Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Denver, CO Mentor: Bayer, Ulli Exploring CaMKII's role in synaptic plasticity, structure-function relationships, and its therapeutic potential for diseases. |
 | Ralf Dagdag BS, University of Alaska, Anchorage, 2016; MS, University of Alaska, Anchorage, AK Mentor: Gixnoux, Chris R and Costello, James Elucidating the causal relationship between germline and somatic mutations in prostate cancer aggression |
.png?sfvrsn=664578bb_0 "Cailin Deiter") | Cailin Deiter BS, Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming Mentor: Costello, James Characterizing adaptations to therapeutic autophagy inhibition in human prostate cancer |
 | Lily Elizabeth Feldman BS, Biochemistry, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM Mentor: Costello, James Characterizing novel chemoresistance mechanisms in human bladder cancer |
 | Hannah Ferris BA, Biochemistry, Hamilton College, Clinton, NY, 2016; MS., Medical Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT Mentor: Dabertrand, Fabrice Mechanistic characterization of cerebral pericyte contractile pathways and their role in capillary control of brain perfusion |
 | Spencer Hall BS, Biology, University of Virginia Mentor: Verneris, Michael; Davila, Eduardo Investigating CAR T cell costimulatory domains for improved solid tumor treatment |
 | Danielle Jeffrey BS, Cellular and Molecular Biology, California State Univ., Chico, CA, 2012; M.S., Biomedical Sciences, Regis Univ., Denver, CO Mentor: Dabertrand, Fabrice Investigating the role of mural cells in normal brain microcirculation in comparison to small vessel diseases. |
 | Jiajun Li BS, Biological Science, Ocean University of China, 2015; MS, Biology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL Mentor: Lahm, Tim Estrogen signaling effects on Right Ventricle during adaptive and maladaptive phases of Pulmonary Hypertension. |
 | Michael Orman BS, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA Mentor: Costello, James Investigating molecular drivers of metastatic prostate cancer |
 | Madison Rodriguez BA, Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO Mentor: Sussel, Lori Characterizing the metabolism of pancreatic β-cells during endocrine differentiation |
 | Phinea Romero BS, Neurobiology, Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI Mentor: Dabertrand, Fabrice Investigating the role of the cerebral microvasculature in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders |
 | Emelia Smith BS, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL Mentor: Ford, Heide Investigating molecular crosstalk mechanisms between phenotypic clones within the heterogeneous tumor and how to target this intratumoral signaling to prevent drug resistance and progression towards metastatic disease |
 | Amber Stewart BS, Chemistry, Towson University, MD Mentor: Smith, Katharine R. Investigating the nanoscale organization at inhibitory synapses and alterations during plasticity |