The Graduate School

Graduate Research Day (GRD)

The 39th Annual Graduate Research Day

Graduate Research Day Program

134

Graduate Student Poster Presentations

10

Post-Doctoral Fellow Oral Presentations

25

Post-Doctoral Fellow Poster Presentations

AWARD WINNERS

photo of Amanda Behr

Amanda Behr

  • Fisher Scientific and Phi Kappa Phi Award for Excellence in Graduate Research

Graduate Program: Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Applied Health Sciences

Presentation Title: Design and Remote User Testing of a Hollow Bladder Simulation Model to Collect Evidence of Validity 

photo of Aubrey Bennett

Aubrey Bennett

  • Ji Cheng Memorial and Phi Kappa Phi Award for Excellence in Research

Graduate Program: Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Pharmacology

Presentation Title: Repeated Ethanol Exposures Alter the Reward-Dependent Spatiotemporal Cellular Activities in the Dorsal Striatum

photo of Fred Bonsack

Fred Bonsack

  • Lowell M. Greenbaum Award for Excellence in Pharmacology Research

Graduate Program: Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Pharmacology

Presentation Title: TSPO Regulates Acute Brain Damage Post-Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Male, But Not Female, Mice 

photo of Sheila Ngumbi

Sheila Ngumbi

  • R. August Roesel Memorial Award for Excellence in Biochemistry and Cancer Biology

Graduate Program: Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Biochemistry and Cancer Biology 

Presentation Title: Systemic Neutrophilic Switch Correlates with Inflammation in Experimental Models of Diabetic Retinopathy

photo of Husam Bensreti

Husam Bensreti

  • Virendra B. Mahesh Award for Research Excellence in Endocrinology

Graduate Program: Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Cellular Biology and Anatomy

Presentation Title: 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 Activity Contributes to Glucocorticoid-Dependent Musculoskeletal Decline in Aged Mice 

photo of Hiroko Tanaka

Hiroko Tanaka

  • Octavia Garlington Award of Instructional Design/Poster

Graduate Program: Master of Science in Medical Illustration

Presentation Title: Interactive Wound Debridement Model (A Wound Stimulation Model of Various Skin Tones for Physical Therapy Students) 

photo of Edidiong Usoro

Edidiong Usoro

  • Georgia Cancer Center Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Research in Cancer

Graduate Program: Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Biochemistry & Cancer Biology

Presentation Title: Enhancing Double-Strand Break Induction in Hypoxic Glioblastoma Cells Through dNTP Modulation and its Potential Therapeutic Implications 

photo of Malita Jones

Malita Jones

  • James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute Award for Excellence in Vision Research

Graduate Program: Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Biochemistry & Cancer Biology

Presentation Title: Establishment of a Novel Mouse Model in which to Study the Impact of Hb Variants on Diabetic Retinopathy Development and Progression 

photo of Josue Zambrano-Carrasco

Josue Zambrano-Carrasco

  • Dr. Tapan Chatterjee Memorial Award - Vascular Biology

Graduate Program: Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Vascular Biology

Presentation Title: RBX1-CRLs are Essential for Perinatal Heart Development by Regulating Hippo-YAP Signaling  


 

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH AWARDS BY DISCIPLINE

photo of Tiffany Coleman

Tiffany Coleman

  • Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Applied Health Sciences
Presentation Title: Barriers to Participant Recruitment and Retention: Prospective from Researchers  
photo of Shelton Swint

Shelton Swint

  • Master of Science with a Major in Biomolecular Science
Presentation Title: Effects of AhR and Kynurenine on Longevity and Aging in Drosophila Melanogaster  
photo of Imran Parvez

Imran Parvez

  • Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Biostatistics
Presentation Title: Identifying Survival Subgroups with Autoencoder Using Multiple Types of High- Dimensional Genomic Data from Studies of Glioblastoma Multiforme 
photo of Phylicia Allen

Phylicia Allen

  • Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Cellular Biology & Anatomy
Presentation Title: Transport of Dynein Dependent mRNA and Protein Cargos in the Drosophila Germline Functions Primarily via a Single Activating Adaptor, Bicaudal-D  
photo of Harry Henry-Ojo

Harry Henry-Ojo

  • UGA Clinical & Experimental Therapeutics Award
Presentation Title: Spermine Oxidase Inhibition Attenuates Demyelination and Axonal Loss in an Experimental Model of Optic Neuritis  
photo of Tiffany Benjamin

Tiffany Benjamin

  • Master of Health Science in Clinical Laboratory Sciences
Presentation Title: Clinical Manifestations in African American Males with Multiple Myeloma: Moving Beyond CRAB Symptoms   
photo of Ladan Kian

Ladan Kian

  • Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Computer & Cyber Sciences
Presentation Title: Enhancing Cloud Storage Security: Dynamic Models of Searchable Encryption 
photo of Richard Kontoh-Twumasi

Richard Kontoh-Twumasi

  • Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Genomic Medicine
Presentation Title: L-carnitine Ameliorates Hyperosmolarity-Induced Corneal Epithelial Barrier Dysfunction in vitro  
photo of Ogacheko Okoko

Ogacheko Okoko

  • Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Molecular Medicine
Presentation Title: Molecular and Epigenetic Mechanisms by which STAT5 Regulates Polyfunctionality in Antitumor CD4+ T Cells  
photo of Kirstyn Denney

Kirstyn Denney

  • Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Neuroscience
Presentation Title: Expression and Regulation of EZH2 in the Brain During Aging  
photo of Kelly Cashin

Kelly Cashin

  • Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Nursing
Presentation Title: Allostatic Load Theory: A Lens to View the Racial Disparity of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer   
photo of Bidhan Bhandari

Bidhan Bhandari

  • Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Oral Biology and Maxillofacial Pathology
Presentation Title: Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILCS) as the Immune Maestro in Tongue Tumor  
photo of Fred Bonsack

Fred Bonsack

  • Lowell M. Greenbaum Award in recognition of Research Excellence in Pharmacology
Presentation Title: TSPO Regulates Acute Brain Damage Post-Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Male, But Not Female, Mice  
photo of Vadym Buncha

Vadym Buncha

  • Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Physiology
Presentation Title: Role of Endothelial Cell-Selective Adhesion Molecule in the Regulation of Pulmonary Vascular Resistance in Mice  
photo of Katherine Croft

Katherine Croft

  • Master of Science with a Major in Public Administration
Presentation Title: From Federal Undertaking to Federal Undertaker: Judicial Misapplication of Section 106  
photo of Natasha Ramaswamy

Natasha Ramaswamy

  • Master of Public Health
Presentation Title: Barriers to Care in the CSRA Region  
photo of Taylor Kress

Taylor Kress

  • Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Vascular Biology
Presentation Title: HIV Proteins Derived from CD4+ T Cells Promote Endothelial Dysfunction and Hypertension via Oxidative Stress and Interleukin-1a Dependent Mechanisms in Mice  

 

THE GRADUATE SCHOOL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH BY A GRADUATE STUDENT

photo of Jillian Derjue

Jillian Derjue

  • Master of Science with a Major in Medical Illustration
Presentation Title: Use of a Patient Education Brochure for Mohs Micrographic Surgery 
photo of Mahdieh Heidaripour

Mahdieh Heidaripour

  • Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Computer & Cyber Science
Presentation Title: Privacy-Preserving Aggregate Queries on Encrypted Multidimensional Databases  
photo of Natalie Jackson

Natalie Jackson

  • Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Neuroscience
Presentation Title: Modulating NeuroD1 Expression Levels to Improve Neuronal Reprogramming  
photo of Benjamin Levine

Benjamin Levine

  • Master of Science with a Major in Biomolecular Science
Presentation Title: The Effects of Microbiome Transplants on Drosophila Melanogaster Lifespan 
photo of Ishara Menik

Ishara Menik

  • Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Vascular Biology
Presentation Title: High Salt Diet Disrupts Endothelial Function in Young Female Mice via Dysregulated Leptin-Aldosterone- Endothelial Mineralocorticoid Receptor Axis  
photo of Albert Okrah

Albert Okrah

  • Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Applied Health Sciences
Presentation Title: A Thesis Investigating Fall-Related Physical and Psychological Harm  

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH BY POST DOCTORAL FELLOWS

 

photo of Xiaohui Guan

Xiaohui Guan

  • First Place Poster Presentation

Department: Pharmacology and Toxicology

Presentation Title: Essential Role of Transcription Factors TEAD3 and TEAD1 in Maintaining Vascular Smooth Muscle Homeostasis 

photo of Varsha Tandra

Varsha Tandra

  • First Place Oral Presentation

Department: Vascular Biology Center

Presentation Title: Regulation of UFM1 Modification from ER Dynamics to Cardiac Homeostasis 

photo of Natalia Jaeger

Natalia Jaeger

  • Second Place Poster Presentation

Department: Immunology

Presentation Title: Exploring Racial Disparities in Endometrial Cancer: Unveiling Immune Landscapes through Single-Cell Spatial Imaging 

photo of Yusra Zaidi

Yusra Zaidi

  • Second Place Oral Presentation

Department: Vascular Biology Center

Presentation Title: Loss of Neurofibromin Facilitates Pathological Retinal Neovascularization (RNV) via Akt-2 Facilitated GLUT-1 Translocation 

photo of Kunj Gupta

Kunj Gupta

  • Third Place Poster Presentation

Department: Georgia Cancer Center

Presentation Title: A Chemical Hybrid of Ursolic Acid as a Novel Treatment for ChemotherapyResistant Bladder Cancer 

photo of Qian Ma

Qian Ma

  • Third Place Oral Presentation

Department: Vascular Biology Center

Presentation Title: De Novo Nucleotide Synthesis is Necessary for DNA Damage and Repair in Atheroprone Endothelial Cells 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Previous Award Winners

GRD 2023
GRD 2022
GRD 2021
GRD 2019
GRD 2018
GRD 2017

Previous Keynote Speakers

Questions? Contact

Katedra Richardson

Academic Program Coordinator

krichardson1@augusta.edu