Every year, graduate students are nominated by faculty mentors for recognition of excellence in research as demonstrated by research publications, scientific presentations, and service and leadership in research. Award recipients are selected from the nominees by the SGPS Awards Committee.

SGPS proudly presents the past recipients of this award.

2022

Recipient - Salvatore Aiello
Program: Physiology and Biophysics
Mentor: Raúl Gazmuri, MD/PhD
Thesis Title: Amplitude Spectral Area to Assess Hemodynamic and Metabolic Interventions during Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

2021

Recipient - Jessica Centa
Program: Cell Biology and Anatomy
Mentor: Michelle Hastings, PhD
Thesis Title: Vacuolar ATPase a2-subunit is a Multifocal Regulator of T Cell Development

2020

Recipient - Theodore V. Peterson
Program: Microbiology and Immunology
Mentor: Joseph Reynolds, PhD
Thesis Title: Vacuolar ATPase a2-subunit is a Multifocal Regulator of T Cell Development

2019

Recipient - Tianhao Xu
Program: Microbiology and Immunology
Mentor: Gustavo Martinez, PhD
Thesis Title: N/A

2018

Recipient - Maria Bompolaki
Program: Physiology and Biophysics
Mentor: Janice Urban, PhD
Thesis Title: Amygdala circuitry underlying stress resilience

2017

Recipient - Eric J. Cavanaugh
Program: Cell Biology and Anatomy
Mentor: Joseph DiMario, PhD
Thesis Title: Transcriptional regulation of genes expressed during myogenic cell proliferation and differentiation

2016

Recipient - Sahithi Pamarthy
Program: Microbiology and Immunology
Mentor: Kenneth Beaman, PhD
Thesis Title: Taking it up a Notch: The role of a2 Vacuolar ATPase in Breast cancer and Mammary Gland Development

2015

Recipient - Andrew F. Scheyer
Program: Neuroscience
Mentor: Marina Wolf, PhD
Thesis Title: Synaptic Adaptations Underlying the Incubation of Cocaine Craving

2014

Recipient - Chirosree Bandyopadhyay
Program: Microbiology and Immunology
Mentor: Bala Chandran, PhD
Thesis Title: Novel roles of CIB1 and p130Cas adaptor molecules in Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus entry, trafficking, and infection

2013

Recipient - Velmurugan Gopal Viswanathan
Program: Physiology and Biophysics
Mentor: Carl White, PhD
Thesis Title: The Mechanism Underlying Vascular Smooth Muscle Dysfunction in Type-2 Diabetes Involves Calcium and Redox Signaling

2012

Recipient - Sayan Chakraborty
Program: Microbiology and Immunology
Mentor: Bala Chandran, PhD
Thesis Title: Role of lipid rafts in Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus entry, signaling and infection

2011

Recipient - Nagaraj Kerur
Program: Microbiology and Immunology
Mentor: Bala Chandran, PhD
Thesis Title: Inflammation and Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus: An enquiry into induction of inflammasome

2010

Recipient - Arun G. Paul
Program: Microbiology and Immunology
Mentor: Bala Chandran, PhD
Thesis Title: Piracy of COX-2/PGE2/EP receptor pathway by Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV): A potential Achilles' heel of KSHV related diseases