Sarah Davis, a graduate student in the UofSC College of Pharmacy, has received an F31 grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse through the National Institutes of Health. Davis is a member of Dr. Jun Zhu’s lab in the College of Pharmacy.
“This award is highly competitive and prestigious,” says Zhu. “To my knowledge, this is only the second F31 award in the history of the College of Pharmacy.”
Zhu adds that the award will greatly impact Davis’s academic career.
“She will be recognized as an excellent candidate for post-graduate study, and this award will be beneficial to her future job search,” Zhu notes. “Since Sarah joined my lab, she has established a unique assay which can assess neurotransmitter release dynamics in animal brain slices, something that is only available in a few laboratories nationwide.”
Since Sarah joined my lab, she has established a unique assay which can assess neurotransmitter release dynamics ... something that is only available in a few laboratories nationwide.
Davis’s research is aimed at understanding how HIV-1 viral proteins in conjunction with methamphetamine can influence dopamine signaling in the brain. Methamphetamine use is prevalent among HIV-1 infected persons and exacerbates the severity of HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders. Her research will help shed light on the underlying molecular mechanism of this phenomenon.
As a first-generation college student, Davis never envisioned making it so far into academia, let alone receiving a national fellowship.
“I'm grateful for the faculty and staff of the College of Pharmacy, as well as my peers, who helped support me during the application process,” says Davis. “I am thankful for Dr. Zhu's and my co-sponsor Dr. Ferris' mentorship, which prepared me for applying for this fellowship. I am eager to continue learning from them, and to begin working on this project.”
Even more adventure awaits Davis as she and her husband welcomed a new baby boy in July. Along with being a new mom, she plans to graduate December 2023.
Topics: Graduate Programs, Research