Two UNMC MD-PhD students, Nozima Aripova and Seth Springer, recently received external fellowship support notices of award.
Aripova received the 2023 Rheumatology Research Foundation Rheumatology Future Physician Scientist Award, a two-year, $30,000-a-year competitive fellowship covering stipend and some lab costs.
Springer received the F30 Individual NRSA Fellowship Award, a five-year fellowship for MD-PhD trainees covering stipend, partial tuition, and an institutional allowance. Funding is $33,712 per year during graduate school and $47,012 per year in the last two years of medical school.
“Among a number of standout skills, Nozima Aripova is above all curious,” said Justin Mott, MD, PhD, director of the MD-PhD program. “She routinely seeks information on complicated questions, quickly building knowledge and asking the next question. Her interpersonal leadership skills build trust and foster strong collaborations across fields, which will serve her well in her goal to be a rheumatology physician scientist.”
Springer was first introduced to research as an undergraduate student at University of Nebraska at Kearney, Dr. Mott said.
“In studying how medications get to the brain, Seth found an interest in research. He found a similar draw to being a mentor and has already mentored rotating students in his current research lab, where he studies processing of visual signals in the brain of patients with dementia,” Dr. Mott said. “His long-term goal is to improve the lives of patients living with dementia through research and clinical treatment.
“By receiving these fellowship awards, Seth and Nozima are being recognized for their work to bring the scientific method to complex diseases. These awards are a testament to the students’ hard work and focus.”
"Receiving this grant represents a large step forward towards my goal of being an active physician-scientist in the field of neuroscience," Springer said. "I am extremely grateful for the support I have received along the way from my parents, my undergraduate mentor Dr. Allen Thomas, and my current graduate mentor, Dr. Tony Wilson."
Aripova said: “The receival of this first-time grant opportunity means far more to me than any of my past accomplishments. This grant opens up new avenues for me towards reaching my ultimate career goal of serving patients both clinically and through research as a physician-scientist by working at an academic medical institution and establishing an independent research laboratory in the fields of immunology and rheumatology.
“I am incredibly grateful to the MD-PhD program at UNMC and to the UNMC Division of Rheumatology. Additionally, I would like to specifically thank my mentors, Dr. Geoffrey Thiele and Dr. Ted Mikuls, who continuously support me throughout the journey and teach me of what it means to be a successful physician-scientist. As an immigrant from Uzbekistan, I found my home in their experimental immunology lab,” she said.