MD Anderson-UTH Grad

Every defense tells a story of perseverance, discovery, and growth. 🎓✨ We're proud to celebrate the Graduate School students who have recently defended their thesis or dissertation — a major milestone in their academic journey and research careers. Join us in congratulating these outstanding scholars, and stay tuned as we continue celebrating more defenses throughout the year! 🌟 #WeAreGSBS

What inspires a scientist? Sometimes it starts with a single hands-on experience. As Summer Biomedical Academy approaches, hear why the GSBS Community Outreach Group leadership team are committed to introducing K–12 students to biomedical science. Through this program and many other outreach events, they are inspiring curiosity that could last a lifetime. 🎥 Learn how they are making science more accessible. #WeAreGSBS #ScienceCommunication #GSBSCommunityOutreach #BiomedicalAcademy

Congratulations to the Graduate School’s Senior Academic Advisor Kehinde (Kenny) Ogunseye, PhD, on being named among the 2026 UTHealth Houston Staff Recognition Spotlight Award honorees! 👏 Presented by the University Classified Staff Council, the award recognizes exceptional staff members across UTHealth Houston who exemplify care, commitment, integrity, and knowledge. In her nomination, Director of Academic Affairs Natalie Sirisaengtaksin wrote, "Kenny is one of the most genuinely caring staff members I have had the privilege to work with. She has a consistently positive attitude and brightens the day of students and staff alike." Congratulations, Kenny, and thank you for the care and dedication you bring to our Graduate School community every day! #WeAreGSBS

We're grateful to alumnus Jing-Ren Zhang, PhD '97, and his wife, Daimin Zhao, as well as Dr. Zhang's mentor at McGovern Medical School, Steven J. Norris, PhD, and Deborah Norris, for investing in the future of Graduate School students through new endowments supporting student training, research, and innovation.

Congratulations to the winners of the Summer 2026 GSBS Peer Review Challenge: Kiara Bornes, Gulzar Daya, Ece Kilinc, and Zohra Nizami! 🎉 Launched in Spring 2026, the challenge gives students the opportunity to provide and receive detailed peer feedback on their research proposals before submitting them to external funding agencies. Each winner will receive a $5,000 Excellence in Grantsmanship Award upon submission of their proposal. Meet the awardees. #WeAreGSBS #GSBSPeerReviewChallenge #BiomedicalResearch @UTGSBSGnE

🔬 Last week’s 10th annual Graduate Student Research Day celebrated outstanding student research through oral presentations, poster sessions, elevator pitch competitions, and an inspiring keynote address from Vanderbilt University Professor Erin Calipari, PhD. Among our guests, returning alumni including John J. Kopchick, PhD '80, George Thornton, PhD '79, and Jacqueline Peltier Horn, PhD '79, gave students the opportunity to connect with scientists whose careers began at the Graduate School. Congratulations to this year's award winners! 🔗 View the winners and event highlights: loom.ly/MDSVDH4 #WeAreGSBS #GSRD2026 #BiomedicalResearch

🔬 We're enjoying Graduate Student Research Day — sharing some moments from our sessions so far! Students shared their innovative research through oral and poster presentations, and the elevator pitches in just 90 seconds. Our keynote speaker, Erin S. Calipari, PhD, is now on stage! Thank you to our community for your participation and helping us celebrate. 👏 Watch out for an update about our winners. #WeAreGSBS #GSRD2026

It's Graduate Student Research Day eve, and students are prepared for faculty judges to review their presentations and elevator pitches. We look forward to celebrating your work.🙌 Good luck, all! See event details: gsbs.uth.edu/gsbs-events/gs… #WeAreGSBS

🎓 Congratulating our 2026 Distinguished Alumna, Yolanda (Yoli) Sanchez, PhD '93. From a defining moment in graduate school that launched her career in cancer research to leading the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sanchez reflects on the discoveries, mentorship, resilience, and leadership that shaped her journey. Read her story. 🔗 loom.ly/jDz-3R4 #WeAreGSBS #DistinguishedAlumna #CancerResearch @UTGSBSGnE

Looking for insights about the growing role of artificial intelligence in life sciences? Here's a conversation we thought our community might enjoy. The first episode of a new YouTube series, Corner With Wenyi, features guests including Wing H. Wong, PhD, professor at Stanford University and member of the National Academy of Sciences, who discuss resilience, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the evolving role of AI in science. 🎥 Watch the inaugural episode: youtube.com/watch?v=LyQiYB…

The Graduate School administrative offices will be closed Friday, July 3, 2026, in observance of Independence Day. Offices will reopen Monday, July 6. For assistance during this time, please contact talk2gsbs@uth.tmc.edu.

Communications Assistant Lauren Nguyen helps tell the stories that inform, engage, and connect the Graduate School community. Learn more about work, and her journey from communications student worker at the University of Houston to the UT MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. 🔗 gsbs.uth.edu/news/story/mee… #WeAreGSBS

🔬 Science is meant to be shared. The GSBS Community Outreach Group partners with schools, museums, and community organizations across Houston to make science fun, accessible, and inspiring for learners of all ages. Hear from the students who are helping connect biomedical science with the community — and why outreach has become one of the most rewarding parts of their graduate school experience. 🎥 Watch the video! #WeAreGSBS #ScienceCommunication #GSBSCommunityOutreach @GSBS_Outreach

Celebrate Student Discovery 🧬 Experience one of the Graduate School's signature events, "GSRD" — where students present the research driving tomorrow's biomedical breakthroughs. The day also features keynote speaker Erin Calipari, PhD, along with opportunities to connect with students, faculty, and colleagues. Learn more and register here: gsbs.uth.edu/gsbs-events/gs… #WeAreGSBS #GSRD2026

How do chromosomes find their matching partners and exchange genetic information during reproduction? Recent Genetics and Epigenetics graduate Melissa Frasca, PhD, helped answer that question by uncovering that the protein MutSgamma acts earlier in the meiotic chromosomal segregation pathway than previously expected. Her research, conducted in the lab of Francesca Cole, PhD, provides new insight into the mechanisms that ensure accurate chromosome segregation and could help inform future infertility research. 📖 Read our June Paper of the Month highlighting Frasca's recent article in Genetics: loom.ly/oFZzP8k #WeAreGSBS #PaperOfTheMonth #Genetics #Epigenetics #CellBiology @UTGSBSGnE

Eight trainees from the T32 Clinical and Translational Training Program recently took center stage at the UTHealth Houston Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS) fourth annual T1-T4 in 3 (Minutes) Translational Challenge. The competition challenged trainees to communicate their research in three minutes or less, translating complex scientific concepts accessible to a broader audience. 🎉 Congratulations to this year's winners, including Graduate School trainees Ritu Bohat, PhD; Natalie West; and Emma Wheeler, PhD, who earned first, second, and third place honors, respectively. 🔗 Read more about the competition and this year's winners: loom.ly/lNwvHos

The Graduate School administrative offices will be closed Friday, June 19, 2026, in observance of Juneteenth. Offices will reopen Monday, June 22. For assistance during this time, please contact talk2gsbs@uth.tmc.edu.

Genetics and Epigenetics PhD student Richa Nayak is exploring how repetitive sequences embedded in our DNA, some of which are remnants of ancient viral sequences, are regulated in stem cells to understand what goes wrong in diseases like cancer. As a Kopchick Fellow, Nayak has expanded her scientific network, developed leadership skills through the Kopchick Symposium, and found a community of peers who continue to shape her growth as a scientist. 🎥 Watch to learn more about her research, mentorship, and graduate school experience. #WeAreGSBS #Genetics #Epigenetics #BiomedicalResearch #CancerResearch @UTGSBSGnE