Feng, DeNegre and Coulter Receive Conference Participation Awards

July 24, 2023

The Graduate School offers a Conference Participation Award (previously known as the Doctoral Student Travel Award) to support a student’s ability to present their research at national or international meetings and conferences, including both in-person and virtual events. Yutian Feng, Katelyn DeNegre and Alyssa Coulter each received an award that will be used for participation in a conference at which the student is presenting their research.

2022-2023 MCB Outstanding TA Awards

June 8, 2023

The MCB department is proud to announce that Danielle Arsenault and Brenden Griffith have been named the 2022-2023 Outstanding MCB TAs in recognition of their outstanding contributions, professional dedication to inspiring student learning and commitment to education.

Please join us in congratulating Danielle and Brenden on their notable accomplishments!

David Knecht Retirement

May 16, 2023

The recent retirement of Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology David Knecht might suggest the end of an era in MCB.  David KnechtDavid joined our department in 1987 after undergraduate studies and a major in chemistry at Oberlin College, doctoral work in cell biology at the University of Wisconsin/Madison, and postdoctoral work on the molecular and cell biology of development at the University of California/San Diego.  He has been an active and extremely vocal member of the department for the entirety of the ensuing 35 years.  During that time, he made seminal contributions to both the immediate departmental environment, the University at large and the wider scientific community.  He has provided a constant source of expertise in microscopy, molecular biology and developmental biology, has served as Co-head of the Flow Cytometry and Confocal microscopy Facilities in the Biotechnology Center, headed the Cell and Developmental Biology Area of concentration, and led the departmental Courses and Curriculum Committee, to name but a few of his contributions.  His scholarly productivity has been quite high, with significant grant support over the decades from NIH, ACS, and NSF, and his work has resulted in nearly 100 scientific publications and a patent.  David’s overall role in the UCONN scientific community was recognized in 2019 with the UConn CLAS Faculty Research Excellence Award in the Life and Behavioral Sciences.  Despite his well-known penchant for asking the “hard questions”, David has been a sought-after mentor and graduate committee member, both for his own research in the molecular mechanisms of cell motility, and for his legendary expertise in many different forms of high-end microscopy.  This role as mentor has been recognized by the University with the 2022 Marth Award, which celebrates a faculty member for outstanding leadership and dedication to excellence in mentoring graduate students.

As an invaluable colleague and collaborator who was always willing to share his expertise, engage in vigorous debate on the relative merits of a scientific approach, the interpretation of novel data, or just about anything else, he will be missed in the everyday rush of MCB activities.  But he no doubt will be equally busy as he steps into his new role as Rear Commodore for Racing at the Thames Yacht Club, and we expect that he will continue the tradition of excellence and community that he has fostered within MCB.

MCB Student Among Nine UConn Students Named to Fulbright US Student Program

May 10, 2023

Stephanie Schofield ’23 (CLAS) earned her UConn undergraduate degree in molecular and cell biology with a minor in psychological sciences. She will perform research in Heidelberg, Germany, and work with Magdalena Laugsch of the Heidelberg Institute for Human Genetics. She and Laugsch will study the genetics behind hereditary neurodevelopmental disorders, with a focus on early embryonic human neural crest cell development. Schofield is planning to pursue a career in genetic counseling. See full article in UConn Today

GO:MCB New Officers Announced

May 4, 2023

President: Michael Griffith; Vice President: Josette Nammour; Treasurer: Dan Phillips; Secretary: Heather Jamieson; Outreach Coordinator: Camille Pearce; Diversity Facilitator: Emry Brannan; DEIC Grad Representatives: John Briseno, Sophia Gosselin

Three MCB Students Win Undergraduate Research Symposium Awards

May 3, 2023

Three MCB undergraduates who were selected to give talks at the All Biology Undergraduate Research Symposium last week have been selected by the panel of judges to receive an award. Teresa Tamborra-Walton has received the Outstanding Senior in MCB Award, Rayna Esch has received the Excellence in System Genomics Award, and Taylor Domingue has received the Biology Directors Award. 

They will have the opportunity to receive their awards in person at the All Biology Undergraduate Commencement Reception, which will take place on Sunday, May 7th in the BPB lobby from 3:30-5:00 PM. 

Congratulations to Teresa, Rayna, and Taylor for their fantastic accomplishments! 

 

Judith A. and David C. Kelly Summer MCB Research Fellowships Announced

May 1, 2023

The MCB department is pleased to announce the 2023 recipients of the Judith A. and David C. Kelly Summer MCB Research Fellowship Awards. They are Sindy Gorka (Leighton Core’s lab), Klea Nito (Charlie Giardina’s lab), and Victoria Yi (Aoife Heaslip’s lab).

The awards support three rising senior MCB majors in their research activities in an MCB Faculty laboratory during the summer of 2023. The three fellowships are funded jointly by
Kellys and MCB, in the amount of $8,000 each, are intended to support students with demonstrated financial need who are MCB majors in good standing, and who have career goals aligned with the major.

Greetings from Department Head Carolyn Teschke

April 19, 2023

Greetings friends and alumni:

Here we are at the start of the 23/24 academic year. We all enjoy the summer because we get a chance to slow down a bit, but it’s always exciting when the undergraduates arrive back on campus. Our new class of graduate students have also arrived and are being welcomed into classes and research labs. This year we have 17 new PhD students, 5 MS students, and 11 Professional MS students. We are excited that they have joined us here in Storrs.

Our teaching mission continues to grow. MCB majors now number around 550 and we contribute to the education of the greater than 1000 Biological Sciences students. Many of our undergraduates participate in research. Many of our undergraduate researchers are awarded SURF funds to support their summer research. Last year Romir Raj '24 was awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship and Stephanie Schofield '23 became a Fulbright US Scholar to study in Heidelberg Germany.  In addition, Ananya Aggarwal '24 and Sindy Gorka '23 were chosen as University Scholars.

In terms of research support, we continue to produce new grant proposals at a good rate, and to date in this academic year these efforts have attracted additional major awards totaling more than $4.7 million and research expenditures of ~$7.1 million for FY23. Faculty are also producing work that is translational, with several MCB research programs being supported by institutions and agencies working to transform our scientific discoveries into products, therapies, and diagnostics.

In this issue, we share the work of Kat Milligan-McClennan to strengthen Native American and Indigenous communities, as well as recent research from the labs of Jelena Erceg, Dan Gage, and Jonathan Klassen. I am so proud of how hard our entire community works to provide excellent educational opportunities for our students and the research each lab produces, which enhances our understanding of our world.