VANDERBILT
School of Medicine |
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by Dr. Chris Williams (MSTP Director) |
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Our MSTP community lost a cherished leader and friend this spring. Daryl K. Granner, MD, died on April 17 in Iowa City, Iowa, at the age of 89. Daryl came to Vanderbilt in 1984 to chair what was then the Department of Physiology, now Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, and in 1986 he became our program's second dedicated director, a post he held until 1993. The MSTP grew under his leadership, and although he was a giant in diabetes research who went on to lead the Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center, he never stopped caring about the trainees themselves. He helped put this program, along with Vanderbilt's diabetes research, on the national stage. I had the privilege of spending time with Daryl when he returned to campus in 2022. He sought me out specifically to talk about physician-scientist training, which told me how much this work still meant to him after all those years. With real pride, he described how he had expanded the program in the late 1980s by sitting down with each of the affiliated departments and persuading them, one by one, to contribute financially, building the shared investment that gave the MSTP room to grow. He spoke of his years as director with genuine warmth, and we are grateful for everything he built. He will be missed. Read more about Dr. Granner and his contributions here.
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by Mark Petrovic (G4) - Outgoing SAC Chair |
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Over the last several years, the MSTP Student Advisory Committee (SAC) has developed into an important vehicle for change in the MSTP community. Elected representatives serve as liaisons between each class, the SAC Chair-elect and Chair, and the MSTP Leadership team, as well as with other important bodies including the VUSM Council of Class Officers (CCO) and the VU Graduate Student Council (GSC). Every year, ideas, feedback, and concerns of the MSTP students are distilled into some of the best improvements to our program. A yearly tradition of SAC is to select a theme to foster the development of ideas and frame discussions about the topics being discussed at the monthly meeting. This year the theme was Catalyst, chosen with the goal of identifying and implementing changes that would facilitate engagement with the MSTP community. I would like to specifically highlight two important and developing initiatives with respect to engagement across our program. Click here to continue reading.
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We are delighted to welcome our new M1 class!
This incoming cohort brings together talented students from across the country, each contributing a variety of skills, experiences, and perspectives to our MSTP community. We look forward to supporting their growth and are excited to see the impactful work and pursuits they will undertake during their time in the program. Read here learn more about them!
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M1 Welcome Dinner at Director Dr. Chris Williams house.
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Thank you to Dr. Jennifer Pietenpol, Executive Vice President for Research, and Chief Scientific and Strategy Officer at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, for meeting with our MSTP students for Lunches with Leaders!
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The Vanderbilt MSTP welcomes 9 undergraduate students to Vanderbilt this summer as part of the Vanderbilt MSTP Summer Undergraduate Research Program! We look forward to getting to know them and seeing what they accomplish this summer. Click here to meet the Vanderbilt MSTP Summer Scholars.
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Thank you to the Wellness Committee for organizing a great MSTPicnic in the Park!
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Congratulations to Sam Bogdanov (G2), Neil Chada (G5), Dr. Kyle Enriquez (M4), Sharon Fernandez (G4), Dr. Duby Okonkwo (M4), and Dr. Clara Si (M4) on their recent first-author publications!
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by Leigh Ann Gardner (MSTP Sr. Grants Manager) |
Each month Leigh Ann Gardner, Vanderbilt MSTP Sr. Grants Manager and Historian by training, puts together a series looking back at the month in science and medicine history. Learn more about the scientists, physicians, and discoveries we celebrated in June!
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Celebrating Recent Defenses |
Congratulations to Dr. Emily Chu (M4) on recently completing her dissertation defense!
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Thank you to the Avery-Cohen CAB leaders for organizing a Bagel Happy Hour!
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Congratulations to Reilly Fankhauser (G4) for his recent engagement to Alise! He had to adapt under rainy conditions to pull off a surprise proposal in Spain!
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Thank you to Edwards-Goodpasture for organizing a Topgolf CAB event!
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Thank you to the MSTP Wellness Committee for organizing a Dog Days event! See Jack Trapani’s (G4) cute dog Remy (left) and Claire Hanson’s (G2) dog Georgie playing tug with Emma Fritsch’s (G2) dog Henry (right)!
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Meet Kelbi Banducci's (M1) dogs Abby and Macy!
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Meet Landon Clark's (G3) new puppy Rue!
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Meet Olive White's (M1) dog Remi!
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Congratulations to alum Dr. Kristie Aamodt (left) for receiving the Turner-Hazinski Research Award from the Department of Pediatrics! The award is intended to foster innovative, high risk, high impact, and collaborative projects that will lead to improvements in child health.
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Congratulations to alum Dr. Kevin Kumar (right) for being awarded the 2026 Medicine & Healthcare winner at the Austin Under 40 Awards.
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by Dr. Lourdes Estrada (MSTP Associate Director) |
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Three years ago, my husband Larry and I made a decision that most people thought was a little crazy—we would build our dream log home ourselves. Not from a kit. Not from milled lumber. From trees standing on our own property.
In the spring of 2023, we bought our land and got to work. Larry is the principal builder; I am the assistant, tool-fetcher, and occasional voice of reason when he wants to attempt something ambitious with a chainsaw at dusk. We cut the logs from our own woods, hauled them out one by one, and started learning—by doing—what it takes to raise a home from raw timber. Click here to continue reading.
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I began my yearslong journey to become an organist with a cold email to a professor in Salt Lake City. She agreed to teach me only after I auditioned for lessons, playing a couple of simple pieces. Throughout my senior year of high school, I would drive an hour each way before school on Wednesday mornings for lessons, missing my calculus class to make it work. During undergrad, I minored in organ performance and had the opportunity to play on a variety of church organs, including the famous Salt Lake Tabernacle organ that has over 11000 pipes. Continue reading here.
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221 Eskind Biomedical Library 2209 Garland Ave | Nashville, TN 37240 US
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