The Cell Stress Society International (CCSI) named a new award in honor of MCB Professor Emeritus Larry Hightower.

The award, the Dr. Larry Hightower Award for Excellence in Mentorship, was created in the spirit of Dr. Hightower and honors mentors who pair high scientific standards with care for their trainees. They invest time, give clear guidance, share credit, and build inclusive, collaborative labs. Their steady support helps trainees become independent scientists and strengthens our community. Presented biennially at the CSSI International Meeting, this award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to mentoring in the fields of cellular stress, molecular chaperones, and proteostasis in health and disease. The award honors those who have inspired and guided the next generation of scientists, fostered collaborative and supportive research environments, and advanced the values of the Society through their commitment to training and leadership. The selected individual receives a plaque recognizing their achievement.

 

Congratulations to Russ Hanson and Heather Jamieson (Goldhamer Lab) for being selected to give platform presentations at the international Frontiers in Myogenesis Conference, October 6-11, 2025 in Sunriver Oregon!

This semester marks the one-year anniversary of Dr. Kristen Ramsey at the University of Connecticut’s Molecular and Cell Biology department.  Dr. Ramsey is a biochemist with a strong background in cell signaling, biochemistry, and molecular biophysics.  Known for her unique approach to both research and teaching, Dr. Ramsey brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to her lab and classroom.

Academic Journey and Research Pathway

Dr. Ramsey began her scientific career in Tallahassee, Florida, completing her undergraduate studies at Florida State University. During her time there, she was introduced to the world of research through Dr. Brian Miller’s lab, embarking on an independent project from her first semester. This early exposure to scientific research allowed her to gain independence and set the foundation for her career. Her undergraduate experience led her to discover her true passion for lab work, shifting from an initial desire to pursue medicine to scientific research instead.

After completing her undergraduate degree, Dr. Ramsey continued her journey in academia, earning a graduate degree at UC San Diego under the guidance of Dr. Betsy Komives. There, she developed a deep interest in protein biochemistry and cell signaling, studying molecular mechanisms of the NF-kappa B signaling pathway. This interest only grew during her post-doctoral work with Dr. Doug Barrick at Johns Hopkins, where she delved deeper into cell signaling, specifically investigating the Notch receptors and their role in cellular communication.

Focused Research on Immune Signaling

Today, Dr. Ramsey continues her research into cell signaling through her lab in the Molecular and Cell Biology department at UConn. Dr. Ramsey studies the RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs), which are crucial for detecting viral RNA and initiating immune responses. By understanding how these receptors' dynamics and structures contribute to immune signaling, Dr. Ramsey aims to explore therapeutic possibilities, particularly in the context of cancer and viral infections. Her lab is investigating how these receptors could be targeted to shift tumor microenvironments from “immune cold” to “immune hot,” potentially improving cancer treatment efficacy by harnessing the body's own immune defenses.

Dr. Ramsey’s approach is rooted in a reductionist perspective—breaking down complex biological systems into more manageable components to understand the fundamental mechanisms at play. Her ultimate goal is to uncover new therapeutic targets and use this knowledge to treat diseases more effectively.

Passion for Teaching and Mentorship

In addition to her scientific studies, Dr. Ramsey is dedicated to teaching and mentoring students.This semester, she is teaching a class on the History of Biochemistry, where she engages students with primary sources such as Pasteur's and Watson and Crick's papers. Last Spring, Dr. Ramsey taught Techniques of Biophysical Chemistry and showcased her commitment to accessible, practical learning.  The course focused not only on the theoretical aspects but also on the practical application of these methods in research. Her students have given her positive feedback, praising her ability to make complex techniques comprehensible and engaging.

Dr. Ramsey believes in fostering a research environment that encourages curiosity and independence. As a mentor, she strives to give her students the freedom and resources to explore their own research interests, just as she was allowed to do in her early career. To Dr. Ramsey, the opportunity to support the next generation of scientists in their own discovery process is one of the most rewarding aspects of her academic role.

Looking Ahead

Dr. Ramsey is excited about her future at UConn, where she plans to continue pushing the boundaries of cell signaling research while also contributing to the academic community through teaching and mentoring. Her dedication to science and education is palpable, and her work to bridge the gap between molecular mechanisms and therapeutic applications promises to have significant implications for the development of new disease treatments.

Learn more about the Ramsey Research Lab

MCB held a successful Departmental Research Exchange on Thursday 8/21. This event was created to welcome new graduate students, highlight faculty research, celebrate named scholarship donors and congratulate summer named fellowship recipients. It was a great way to kick off the new academic year! View the photos below!

 

 

Indigenous scholars set out eight steps to stop marginalization in academia and to enable a shared Indigenous agenda in science. See full commentary in Nature

The Department of Molecular and Cell Biology is proud to announce that Jonathan Gilbert, Instructor In-Residence - Stamford Campus has received a 2024-2025 Faculty Recognition Award. This award is given annually to a faculty member who made significant contributions through their scholarly activities or service benefiting the University community. Recipients demonstrate high standards for academic achievement, sincerity and enthusiasm in teaching, relate classroom learning to real life situations, motivate students to excel, and respect students’ opinions. 

Gilbert was noted for his collaboration with his students and Sociology to grow fresh produce for the Stamford Husky Harvest Food Pantry last fall. See article in Stamford Advocate

Congratulations to these students who have been awarded Fall 2025 Conference Participation Awards:
Morgan Wagner
Helena Heyer-Gray
Ryan Drennan
Danielle Arsenault
Heather Jamieson
Tristan Evans
Josh Berthiaume

 

Graduate Travel Award

Fall 2024  - Derrick Kamp
Spring 2025 - Giancarlo Montavano

---

2025 Summer Fellowship Awards

Claire M. Berg Graduate Fellowship in Genetics
Emily Fuller, Kaylah Samuelson, Katherine Fleck

Richard C. Crain, Jr. Memorial Fellowship
Antonio Rua, Morgan Wagner 

Cross-Disciplinary Fellowship in MCB and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Michael Samuelvich

Dr. Edward A. and Dr. Lamia H. Khairallah Graduate Fellowship
Jing Jin (Pharm), Liam Caran (Pharm), Nilesh Malavia (Pharm)

Jean Lucas-Lenard Special Summer Fellowship in Molecular Cell Biology
John Briseno, Helena Heyer-Gray, Julia Jerolamon, Derek Svendsen, Caroline Viera da Silva, Sarah Pasqualetti

Jean Lucas-Lenard Special Summer Fellowship in Biochemistry
Josh Berthiamue, Lee Dollar, Tristan Evans, Brenden Griffith, Russ Hanson

Philip I. Marcus Graduate Student Fellowship in Virology
Samantha Peterson, Josh Calabrese

Pfizer Summer Fellowship in Molecular and Cell Biology
Camille Pearce, Danielle Arsenault

Antonio H. & Marjorie J. Romano Graduate Education Fellowship
Derrick Kamp, Steven Klimetz, Alexander Poulter

Todd M. Schuster Award in Molecular and Cell Biology
Rilee Harris, Muhammad Faisal

Biohaven Pharmaceuticals Fellowship
Ryan Drennan, Michael Griffith, Michelle Lin, Shania Kalladanthyil, Daniel Phillips

Learn more about these fellowships

---

Conference Participation Award

Fall 2024
Giancarlo Montovano, Richard Whitehead, Michelle Neitzey, Hania Kalladanhyil, Julia Jerolamon, Leslie Russell Hanson

Spring 2025

Trevor Hunter, Camille Pearce, Kaylah Samuelson, Caroline Vieira Da Silva, Camille Pearce

Fall 2025 

Morgan Wagner, Helena Heyer-Gray, Ryan Drennan, Danielle Arsenault, Heather Jamieson, Tristan Evans, Josh Berthiaume

---

Summer 2025 Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship

Joseph Iovine, Michael Griffith, Heather Jamieson, Leslie Russell Hanson, Giancarlo Montovano

---

Summer 2025 Outstanding TA Awards

Vijayalakshmi Venkatramani , Caroline Vieira Da Silva

---

Fall 2025 Conference Participation Awards

Morgan Wagner, Helena Heyer-Gray, Ryan Drennan, Danielle Arsenault, Heather Jamieson, Tristan Evans, Josh Berthiaume

---

Fall 2025 DEI Fellowship

Michael Angelo and Kendal Berasley

---

Pre-Doctoral Fellowship

Fall 2024: Jacob Kellermeier, Alexei Cooper, Prachi Patel

Fall 2025: Alyssa Coulter, Khalia Cain, Makayla Leroux

2025 SURF Awards

The 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF) Awards were announced and 15 out of 46 awardees are MCB students! These UConn students were selected from a strong
group of applicants representing diverse areas of academic inquiry.

Ava Anderson ’26 (Mathematics-Statistics & Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: Expanding Intron Classification: Insights into Splice Variation and Evolution Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rahul Kanadia, Physiology and Neurobiology

Andrew Deierlein ’26 (Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS & Pathobiology, CAHNR) Project Title: Let’s Move In! - Gene Families and the Transition to Endosymbiosis Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jill Wegrzyn, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Muhammad Faisal ’26 (Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: Effect of Membrane Composition on the Binding of Certain Ligands to the 5-HT2A Receptor Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eric May, Molecular and Cell Biology

Abigail Goldhamer ’27 (Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: Investigating the Effects of Matrimony and Polo Kinase Localization on B Chromosome
Transmission Faculty Mentor: Dr. Stacey Hanlon, Molecular and Cell Biology

Noen Jian ’26 (Molecular and Cell Biology & Chemistry, CLAS) Project Title: Synthetic Tuning to Achieve Air-Stable Molecular Qubits Faculty Mentor: Dr. Tomoyasu Mani, Chemistry

Ruupala Kalaiarasu ’27 (Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: The Role(s) for Hox11 Genes in Expression of Prg4/lubricin by Articular Cartilage Progenitors Faculty Mentor: Dr. Danielle Rux, Orthopedic Surgery

Irena Komninakas ’26 (Molecular and Cell Biology & Spanish, CLAS) Project Title: Information Seeking Behavior of Pediatric Patients in the CT Children's Emergency Department Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sharon Smith, Pediatrics, School of Medicine

Aditi Malpure ’27 (Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: Contribution of Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis to Fear Generalization and Discrimination Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sebnem Nur Tuncdemir, Neuroscience

Abigail Messina ’26 (Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: Cartilage Regenerative Approach for TMJ-Osteoarthritis in an In Vitro Model Faculty Mentor: Dr. Caroline Dealy, Orthodontics, Orthopedic Surgery & Cell Biology

Liv Nevo ’26 (Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: Investing the Role of Activin A in Muscle Degeneration Caused in Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Goldhamer, Molecular and Cell Biology

Vedansh Patel, Dec. ’25 (Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: Investigating the Roles of Histone Modifications in Stem Cell Differentiation Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mayu Inaba-Oguro, Cell Biology

Luke Pratley ’26 (Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: Sustained Release of Azobenzene Derivatives from Selectively Permeable Nanocapsules
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eugene Pinkhassik, Chemistry

Mackenzie Robillard ’27 (Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: Investigating the Connection Between LINE1 Transposable Elements and Neocentromere
Formation and Stability Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rachel O'Neill, Molecular and Cell Biology

Melissa Sabatella ’26 (Physiology and Neurobiology & Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: Impact of Polymer Source Variation on the Properties and Performance of Long-Acting Injectable
Suspensions Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diane Burgess, Pharmaceutical Sciences

Alexandra Salem ’26 (Structural Biology/Biophysics, CLAS) Project Title: Characterize Anesthetic Sensitivity of a Mouse Model of Rett Syndrome Faculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel Mulkey, Physiology and Neurobiology

---

OUR Supply Award (Office of Undergraduate Research Supply Award)

Jake Vaccarezza

---

2024/2025 Paul Drotch Scholarship

MCB Undergraduate student Sihlelelwe Dlamini has been awarded a Lt. Paul Drotch Undergraduate Biology Memorial Scholarship for 2024-2025. This award is available to students each year as a result of the thoughtfulness and generosity of Mr. Peter and Mrs. Hinda Drotch and their family, who established this award in memory of Mr. Drotch’s brother. 

---

2025 MCB Undergraduate Research Colloquium Winners

The 11th Annual Undergraduate Research Colloquium in Molecular and Cell Biology took place on April 15 and 18, 2025. We received a record number of entries this year with a total of 14 participants. The top three presenters are 1st, Ryan Frier (Actin nucleation factors maintain genomic integrity and ​promote mitotic fidelity); 2nd, Erica Lavoie (The Epigenetic Regulator, Dot1L, Contributes to Neuropathology in Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy); and 3rd, Bianca Planeta Investigating the role of ORF1 in the transposition of the centromere-enriched retroelement G2/Jockey-3

---

MCB Students Win Undergraduate Research Symposium Awards

Outstanding Senior in MCB – Ryan Frier
Excellence in Applied Genetics and Technology – Erica Lavoie
Biological Sciences Director’s Award – Bianca Planeta

---

2025 University Scholars

Nora Lippai Investigating the Influence of Genomic Elements on Readthrough Transcription Committee: Leighton Core, Molecular and Cell Biology; Jelena Erceg, Molecular and Cell Biology; Kenneth Campellone, Molecular and Cell Biology

Jose Matute Calcium Modulation: Photoswitchable ML-9 Derivatives Committee: Michael Kienzler, Chemistry; Amy Howell, Chemistry; Christopher Malinoski, Molecular and Cell Biology

Laxmi Chinmaya Vobbineni The Synergic Role of Electrical and Chemical Stimulation in Wound Healing of Diabetic Patients Committee: Syam Nukavarapu, Biomedical Engineering; David Daggett, Molecular and Cell Biology; Sangamesh Kumbar, Biomedical Engineering

---

,