UNMC for the record

Research award winners with Keshore Bidasee, PhD, (far left), chair of the neuroscience graduate program, and Howard Gendelman, MD (far right), chair of the UNMC Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience holds annual retreat

After a one-year pandemic hiatus, the UNMC Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience's 2021 retreat featured a day of science and fun on Aug. 4. Morning scientific sessions at the UNO Thompson Alumni Center showcased research and poster presentations from graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, along with a keynote Zoom lecture by Dr. Marisela Morales of the NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse. A panel of judges granted $500 awards to the best poster and oral presentations. A picnic with games and food closed out the daylong event at Elmwood Pavilion. Poster and oral presentation award winners included:

Graduate students: 

  • Suyash Deodhar
  • Liz Bierlein
  • Kabita Pandey
  • Lara Bergdolt
  • Sam Johnson
  • Farah Shahjin
  • Mahmudul Hasan

Postdocs:

  • Ju Gao, PhD
  • Xiaojia Ren, PhD
  • Divya Thomas Chemparathy, PhD

Dunkin’ celebrates grand opening today with outdoor event

Dunkin’ will have its grand opening today on the UNMC Ice Rink from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Faculty, staff and students may stop by the ice rink for a variety of swag and free coffee coupons plus chances to win free coffee for a year. The event will begin at 11 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting cereony and check presentation to Camp Munroe.

Coupons received at the outdoor event may be presented indoors at the UNMC Dunkin’ location – fourth floor of Wittson Hall across from the Dr. Leland & Dorothy Olson Atrium – through next week.

Travis B. Lewis Scholarship Luncheon celebrates young researchers

picture disc.
The 2021 Travis B. Lewis Scholars and the scholarship's benefactor, Lisa Lewis, center. Her son, Travis Lewis, MD, worked in the lab of Howard Gendelman, MD, as a youth in Omaha. He is now a medical director at Prevail Therapeutics in New York City.

The Travis B. Lewis Scholarship Luncheon on Aug. 11. showcased five area high school students' summer research in laboratories of the UNMC Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience. The students presented work to family, teachers, UNMC mentors and to the Lewis family, who sponsors the annual scholarship. The 2021 scholarship recipients included:

  • Zainab Al Badran (Millard West High School, junior; mentored by Farah Shahjin and principal investigator (PI) Bhavesh Kevadiya, PhD);
  • Sean Bidasee (Elkhorn South High School, sophomore; mentored by Ed Makarov and PI Santhi Gorantla, PhD);
  • Grace Henderson (Millard North High School, senior; mentored by Muthukumar Kannan, PhD, and PI Shilpa Buch, PhD);
  • Nathan Ramachandran (Creighton Preparatory School, junior; mentored by Dr. Ren and PI Xinglong Wang, PhD); and
  • Ina Satpathy (Duchesne Academy, sophomore; mentored by PI Prasanta Dash, PhD).

Frizzell named interim director of student services at College of Nursing Lincoln Division

Amy (Fellhoelter) Frizzell, UNMC College of Nursing Lincoln Division, will serve as interim director of student services, leading student service’s staff across the state. Former director, Molly Handke Belieu has accepted a position at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.