CURRENT STUDENTS
The Pharmacology Training Program currently has 35 students enrolled in the PhD Program. Of the current students, 6 entered the program as MD/PhD (MSTP) students; and 8 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.
Our students represent a broad and diverse geographic distribution as well as a variety of undergraduate majors including: biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics, pharmacy and psychology. Over the last ten years, the average size of the matriculated class of students Pharmacology Training Program students has been 4.6 and the average time to degree is ~5.2 years. The retention rate, that is students who complete the program with their PhD is (37/49) or 76% over the last 10 years. Another 8 students completed the program with MS degrees. Thus, the overall percentage of a students graduating with an advanced degree is (45/49) 92%.
| Student Name, Degree, and Undergraduate Institution | |
 | Lorena Alamillo |
 | Madison Barker BS, Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, 2021 Mentor: |
 | Dillon Boulton BS, Biology, Rowan Univ., Glassboro, NJ, 2016 Mentor: Caino, M. Cecilia Elucidating the role of Mitochondrial Rho-like GTPase, Miro2, in the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics and turnover |
 | Nicole Brown |
 | Amelia Burch BS, Neuroscience, Emory Univ., Atlanta, GA, 2015 Mentor: Herson, Paco The role of the TRPM2 ion channel in synaptic and cognitive dysfunction following focal cerebral ischemia Amelia Burch's Publications on NIH |
 | Nan Chen BS, Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical Univ., 2014; M.S., Drug Discovery and Development, Drexel Univ., 2016 Mentor: Doebele, Robert C. Investigating how EGFR mediates early adaptive resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors in NSCLC driven by oncogenic fusion kinases Nan Chen's Publications on PubMed |
.png?sfvrsn=664578bb_0&MaxWidth=150&MaxHeight=150&ScaleUp=false&Quality=High&Method=ResizeFitToAreaArguments&Signature=9B3FF3770C576C82F8C3B5DDBB7750E9B2BFE4B9 "Cailin Deiter") | Cailin Deiter BS, Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, 2019 Mentor: Costello, C. James Characterizing adaptations to therapeutic autophagy inhibition in human prostate cancer |
 | Lily Elizabeth Feldman BS, Biochemistry, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 2020 Mentor: Costello, C. 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, 2017 Mentor: |
 | Spencer Hall |
 | Connor Hughes BS, Biology, Univ. of Richmond, Richmond, VA, 2016 Mentor: Ford, Heide L. I study the role of Eya transcriptional cofactors in regulation of the immune response in triple negative breast cancer |
 | Danielle Jeffrey |
 | Austin Jolly BA, Integrated Physiology, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 2016 Mentor: Weiser-Evans, Mary C.M. Investigating the contribution of vascular progenitor cells to pathologic vascular remodeling, fibrosis, and hypertension. |
 | Dean Kareemo BS, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Univ. of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, 2018 Mentor: Kennedy, Matt Investigating the unique trafficking pathways of synaptic proteins |
 | Mason Kleinjan BS, Biology, Univ. North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, 2017 Mentor: Kennedy, Matthew J. Investigating the Spine Apparatus and unconventional protein trafficking in neurons |
 | Christophe Langouet-Astrie BS, Biotechnology & Statistics Minor, James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg, VA, 2015; M.S., Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, Univ. of Colorado Anschutz, Denver, CO, 2018 Mentor: Schmidt, Eric P. Glycosaminoglycan therapeutics to sequester pathogenic toxins in Sepsis. Christophe Langouet-Astrie's Publications on PubMed |
 | Jiajun Li BS, Biological Science, Ocean University of China, 2015; MS, Biology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, 2017 Mentor: Lahm, Tim Estrogen signaling effects on Right Ventricle during adaptive and maladaptive phases of Pulmonary Hypertension. Jiajun Li's Publications on NIH |
 | Brian Lloyd BM, Vocal Performance, Univ. of Denver, Denver, CO, 2013; BS, Biology, Univ. of Colorado, Denver, CO, 2017 Mentor: Aoto, Jason Subsynaptic characterization of neurexins Brian Lloyd's Publications on PubMed |
 | Tyler Martinez BA, Physics & French, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, 2011 Mentor: Dell'Acqua, Mark L. Synapse regulation by NFAT-dependent transcription. |
 | Carley Miller BS, Neuroscience, Penn State University, State College, PA, 2018 Mentors: Aoto, Jason Characterizing the role of the ventral pallidum in stress and drug use disorders Carley Miller's Publications on PubMed |
 | Michael Orman |
 | Madison Rodriguez BA, Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 2019 Mentor: Tsai, Ming-Feng |
 | Phinea Romero BS, Neurobiology, Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI, 2021 Mentor: |
 | Ian Shelton BA, Science and Management, Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CA, 2017 Mentor: Jordan, T. Craig Characterizing the role of leukemia stem cells to better understand the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms driving drug resistance in Acute Myeloid Leukemia |
 | Emelia Smith BS, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL, 2019 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 |
 | Eric Stokes BS, Biology, Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA, 2018 Mentor: Aoto, Jason Investigating Nrxn3a influence on synapse organization and transmission |
 | Amber Stewart |
 | Jonathan Tullis BS, Chemistry, Santa Clara Univ., Santa Clara, CA, 2014 Mentor: Bayer, K. Ulrich Investigating DAPK1 localization and function in synaptic plasticity. Jonathan Tullis's Publications on NIH |
 | Jaqueline Turner |
 | Gregory Wright BS, Chemistry, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 2003; MS Chemistry & Bioinformatics, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 2014 Mentor: Black, Joshua C. Investigating transient site-specific gain as a mechanism of gene amplification |