The Graduate School of the Stowers Institute celebrates graduates
The ceremony celebrated the accomplishments and future endeavors of the graduates who are continuing their scientific discoveries at cutting edge industry positions and at academic institutions including Harvard University, the Mayo Clinic, University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and The Rockefeller University.
11 May 2023
This year, on May 8, 2023, the Graduate School of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research hosted its first in-person ceremony since 2019 to celebrate 23 predoctoral researchers’ successful completion of their Ph.D. program requirements. Fourteen individuals who earned their degree over the past four years were in attendance, along with friends, families, and the faculty members who mentored them along the way.
The ceremony celebrated the accomplishments and future endeavors of the graduates who are continuing their scientific discoveries at cutting edge industry positions and at academic institutions including Harvard University, the Mayo Clinic, University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and The Rockefeller University.
Stowers Graduate School President Betty Drees, M.D., addressed the graduates and members of the Institute along with remarks from Dean Matt Gibson, Ph.D., Graduate Joaquín Navajas Acedo, Ph.D., and Board Member Nipam Patel, Ph.D.
The Stowers Institute and the Graduate School are proud to recognize the graduates in order of Ph.D. conferral year and commend their current positions below:
2019 Graduates
Joaquín Navajas Acedo, Ph.D., from the lab of Investigator Tatjana Piotrowski, Ph.D., currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at Biozentrum at the University of Basel
Raquel Barajas Azpeleta, Ph.D., from the lab of Scientific Director Kausik Si, Ph.D., now Head of Research Department at the Francisco Luzon Foundation
2020 Graduates
Cassandra Kempf, Ph.D., from the lab of Michael Washburn, Ph.D., and the lab of Investigator Jerry Workman, Ph.D., now Scientist I at the Stowers Institute
Dayebgadoh Gerald, Ph.D., from the lab of Michael Washburn, Ph.D., and the lab of Investigator Jerry Workman, Ph.D., now a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Mayo Clinic
Elizabeth Bauerly, Ph.D., from the lab of Matt Gibson, Ph.D., currently a senior scientist at Pfizer
Jelly Soffers, Ph.D., from the lab of Investigator Jerry Workman, Ph.D., now a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Missouri, Kansas City
Marìa Angélica Bravo Núñez, Ph.D., from the lab of Associate Investigator SaraH Zanders, Ph.D., currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard
Nicole Nuckolls, Ph.D., from the lab of Associate Investigator SaraH Zanders, Ph.D., currently a Grant Writer and Program Manager at Frontiers, Kansas City
Xingyu Liu, Ph.D., from the lab of Michael Washburn, Ph.D., and the lab of Investigator Jerry Workman, Ph.D., now a Postdoctoral Researcher at Washington University
2021 Graduates
Cheng-Yi Chen, Ph.D., from the lab of Investigator Matt Gibson, now a Bioinformatics Scientist at Vizgen Inc.
Darrick Hansen, Ph.D., from the lab of Investigator Linheng Li, Ph.D., now a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne
Irina Pushel, Ph.D., from the lab of Investigator Robb Krumlauf, Ph.D., currently a Senior Bioinformatic Scientist at Children’s Mercy Hospital
Karla Terrazas, Ph.D., from the lab of Investigator Paul Trainor, Ph.D., now Project Manager for the Stowers Graduate School
Shuonan He, Ph.D., from the lab of Investigator Matt Gibson Lab, Ph.D., now a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Harvard University
Soon-Keat Ooi, Ph.D, from the lab of former Stowers Investigators Joan Conaway, Ph.D., and Ron Conaway, Ph.D., now a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Pennsylvania
Yanfeng He, Ph.D., from the lab of former Stowers Investigators Joan Conaway, Ph.D., and Ron Conaway, Ph.D., now a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Zachary Lee, Ph.D., from the lab of Investigator Matt Gibson, Ph.D., currently Group Leader at Catalent Pharma Solutions
2022 Graduates
Alejandro Rodrìguez Gama, from the lab of Assistant Investigator Randal Halfmann, Ph.D., now a Postdoctoral Fellow at Northwestern University
Ahmet Karabulut, Ph.D., from the lab of Investigator Matt Gibson, Ph.D., currently a Postgraduate Researcher at the Stowers Institute
José Fabricio López Hernández, Ph.D., from the lab of Associate Investigator SaraH Zanders, Ph.D., now a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Chicago
Qiushuang Wu, Ph.D., from the lab of Assistant Investigator Ariel Bazzini, Ph.D., now a Postdoctoral Researcher at Rockefeller University
Viraj Doddihal, Ph.D., from the lab of President and Chief Scientific Officer Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado, Ph.D., currently a Postgraduate Researcher at the Stowers Institute
Wei-Ting Yueh, Ph.D., from the lab of Investigator Jennifer Gerton, Ph.D., now a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Fox Chase Cancer Center
Congratulations to all graduates of the Graduate School of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.