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Transcript of October 2009 - GSO News
The GSO NewsVolume 1, Issue 1, October 2009
www.mcg.edu/gradstudies/students.htmMedical College of Georgia Graduate Student Organization
The GSO News �
Inside this Issue
Welcome Back from the GSOPresident
2009/10 GSO Officers
2009 Start! Augusta Heart Walk
Current Student Spotlight
Alumni Student Spotlight
Clinical Nurse Organization
GSO Camping Trip
Student Accomplishments
GSO Bingo Night
Welcome Back from the GSO President!
My fellow graduate students,
It’s a new academic year and we’ve got a
lot planned for you, already!
This year, the Graduate Student Organiza-
tion (GSO) is proud to welcome you back
with its long awaited issue of the GSO
Newsletter. Here, you will be updated
with the latest news about MCG graduate
students, read our interviews with recent
alumni and senior students, learn about
our organization’s activities, and even an-
nounce your own personal news!
Our main objectives for this year are to
improve the communication between
GSO and its approximate 500 members,
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3
4
5
6
7
8
to connect graduate students from differ-
ent programs at MCG, and establish new
relationships with graduate student orga-
nizations at different institutions around
the state of Georgia. In doing so, GSO
continues to advance interests of graduate
students, identify and protect their rights,
and make sure their voice is heard at dif-
ferent institutional levels. GSO is equally
committed to the community at large or-
ganizing service and fundraising events,
and creating many volunteering opportu-
nities for graduate students year round.
Please, feel free to contact us any time at
[email protected] or join our blog on
facebook at Students of MCG GSO, let
us know what’s on your mind and how
we can serve you better. Finally, I want to
thank my fellow GSO Officers and vol-
unteers for their sincere dedication and
enormous efforts. We all wish you a very
successful year.Moataz (Taz) Elkasrawy
2009/�0 GSO OfficersSamuel Herberg
In addition to the GSO president’s wel-
come note, the GSO officers would
also like to take the opportunity to
briefly introduce themselves. Here we
provide you with some basic informa-
tion about the work we do at MCG and
highlight the goals each one of us is ea-
ger to achieve within this academic year.
President Moataz (Taz) Elkasrawy:4th year BIOMED PhD student in Dr.
Mark Hamrick’s lab, research interest in
…to“Officers”, pg. 2 phot
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The GSO News 2
2009 Start! Augusta Heart WalkColleen Carey
On September 29, individuals from all
over the CSRA participated in the Amer-
ican Heart Association’s annual Heart-
walk, and among them was ‘Team GSO’.
As many of you may know, the American
Heart Association is one of the premier
voluntary health organization in not
only working towards the prevention
and treatment of heart disease, stroke
and cardiovascular disease, but also in
raising awareness about cardiovascular
health. In the past, research funded by
the AHA has contributed to discoveries
and advancements such as CPR, pace-
makers, bypass surgery and many others.
The AHA is also an invaluable source of
funding to the MCG community and an-
nually contributes approximately $6 mil-
lion to researchers here at MCG. This is
more than to any other institution in the
southeast and signifies the importance
of the research being done right here
on campus that ultimately will benefit
all communities.
O
“bone regeneration and fracture healing.”
Goal(s) for this year: “To make sure our
GSO services reach all 500 graduate stu-
dents at MCG, to establish better commu-
nication between students from different
graduate programs, and to act as an invalu-
able link between them and the different
administrative levels at MCG. Ultimately,
I wish GSO becomes part of graduate stu-
dents’ positive intellectual, social, and cul-
tural experiences here at MCG.”
Vice president Samuel A. Herberg:2nd year BIOMED PhD student in Dr.
William Hill’s lab, research interest in
“stem cells for tissue regeneration.”
Goal(s) for this year: “To improve the
interaction and communication within
GSO as well as between the GSO and all
MCG graduate students, school officials,
and GSO representatives of other Georgia
universities. Also, to create and publish a
‘welcoming booklet’ for all incoming new
graduate students with the idea of making
the transition to Augusta and MCG as
smooth and fun as possible.”
Secretary Crista Royal:5th year BIOMED PhD student in Dr.
Richard White’s lab, research interest in
“estrogen’s signaling pathways and physi-
ological effects in resistance arteries in
models of postpartum and menopause.”
Goal(s) for this year: “To help improve
communication between the different
graduate programs and increase
job networking opportunities for
GSO students.”
This year Team GSO, captained by Davies
Agyekum and made up of both graduate
students and faculty, worked very hard to
raise a team total of $1003 towards the to-
tal event goal of approximately $170,000.
We would like to extend our thanks to ev-
eryone who help to support this cause as
we, as a research community, understand
firsthand how the funds raised will con-
tinue to allow for advancements in cardio-
vascular research to be made. Your gener-
osity in the face of this uneasy economy
goes beyond helping our team reach goals
and in fact goes as far as touching the lives
of those affected by cardiovascular disease
and stroke. Because of your support, those
facing cardiovascular disease or stroke
will have an organization that is better
equipped to educate and assist them. We
hope that next year you choose to join us
again in supporting this fight against heart
disease and stroke. O
from “Officers”
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…to“Officers”, pg. 4
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The GSO News �
Current Student Spotlight
In future issues the ‘Current Student Spotlight’ will continue to highlight current graduate stu-dents throughout each department in the School of Graduate Studies with regards to their current research. If you would like to nominate someone to be featured please email us at [email protected] with ‘Student Spotlight’ in the subject line.
Limor RazParamita Pati
Limor Raz is a fourth year Biomedical Sci-
ences PhD student in the Neuroscience
program. She is doing her dissertation
research in the laboratory of Dr. Darrell
Brann, where she studies mechanisms of
neuroprotection in stroke as wells as estro-
gen down regulation of free radical pro-
duction and estrogen epigenetic modifica-
tion of proapoptotic factors. Some factors
that led Limor to choose her lab include
her interest in the nature of the research,
interaction with her mentor, and the envi-
ronment of the lab.
Limor originally moved from Israel to Co-
lumbus, GA at the age of twelve. She at-
tended Columbus State University where
she majored in Biology. When asked why
she decided to attend MCG, Limor said
she wanted to “be in a medical school
environment with a clinical perspective.
MCG is an excellent school, and it has
a very friendly environment.” Limor’s
recent major achievements include win-
ning the American Physiological Society
First Place Research Recognition Award
for her poster presentation in July 2009
and a publication in press in the Journal
of Neuroscience.
Moreover, Limor has been involved in a
number of other activities at MCG. She
says her most rewarding experience while
being here was giving an evening seminar
on Estrogen Neuroprotection in Stroke to
students in the MCG Student Education-
al Enrichment Program (SEEPs), which is
a summer program for undergraduate stu-
…to “Limor”, pg. 5
Heather CathcartJessica Osmond
Heather Cathcart is a Biomedical Scienc-
es graduate student in the Cellular Biol-
ogy and Anatomy Department. Heather
dergraduate, and graduate students,
especially in the laboratory. I enjoy the
interaction involved in teaching, and
I always end up learning something,
too.” Additionally, she added, “I also
love when I design and execute an ex-
periment independently and it works
the very first time. That makes up for
all the days when the experiments do
not work.”
While at MCG, Heather has been
actively involved in GSO and has par-
ticipated in SGA events. Away from
campus she enjoys traveling and cook-
ing for friends. Last year she took up
dance lessons and rowing classes on the
Savannah River. Heather is also a long-
time fan of vampire novels and movies.
Currently, much of her time is devot-
ed to writing her dissertation. GSO
wishes Heather well as she completes
her PhD! O
is conducting her thesis work in Dr. Sally
Atherton’s laboratory where she is investi-
gating the role of interferons and infiltrat-
ing immune cells in the response to ocular
viral infections. Among other things, Dr.
Atherton’s approach to mentoring gradu-
ate students led Heather to her lab. Prior
to entering the Biomedical Sciences pro-
gram at MCG, Heather obtained an M.S.
in Biology at Georgia Southern Univer-
sity. She chose to continue her graduate
training at MCG because of “location,
common admissions, and class size.”
When asked about rewarding experiences
at MCG, Heather replied with a Latin
proverb, “By learning you will teach; by
teaching you will learn.” She explained,
“My most rewarding experience while at
MCG has been the opportunity to for-
mally and informally teach medical, un-
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The GSO News �
Alumni Student Spotlight: Anh LeSamuel Herberg
Anh Le is from Conyers, Georgia and
graduated in 2008 with a Masters degree
from the Department of Biostatistics. Her
dissertation was entitled ‘Bone mineral
content in adolescents is related to dairy
intake and vigorous physical activity’.
When asked about why she decided to
come to MCG in the first place, Anh
replied “because of its reputation as one
of the top research institutions in Geor-
gia”. During her time here, she considers
her most rewarding experience at MCG
as “getting to know the MCG commu-
nity and the friendly faculty and staff in
her department”. In addition, Anh ex-
plained “I’ve been a part of many projects
and studies where I had opportunities to
work along with faculty to provide sta-
tistical analysis and results. [Also] I was
one of the first students from SGS to be
a member of MCG’s honorary service
organization AUPhi.”
While here at MCG, Anh “became ac-
tive on campus the moment she arrived”.
Anh was involved with GSO (as SGA rep,
then President), Graduate Council, the
International Students Org., Junior Medi-
cal League as PR chair, and served on the
MCG Judicial Committee. In addition she
was also a part of many intramural sports
teams with other graduate students includ-
ing flag football, basketball, and softball.
Of her involvement Anh mentions “I have
developed great friendships through these
[activities] and they remained some of my
fondest and happiest moments at MCG”.
Currently Anh is working as a biostatisti-
cian at UAB-Birmingham and fondly ex-
plained, “[Of MCG] My department has
prepared me very well to carry out the job
duties that I have now.” When she is not
working, Anh loves to read, participate
in outdoor sports, and enjoy time with
friends and her pets.
When asked about some general advice
for current students, Anh suggested “Be
active and don’t be afraid to get involved
in student and campus organizations or
make new friends outside your areas of
comfort.” Last but not least, specifically
for current students biostats students, Anh
came up with the following advice, “Your
work experience with a faculty member on
consultant projects will contribute greatly
to the skills you need later on as a biostat-
istician. Also, don’t be afraid to talk to any
faculty if you have questions about your
future career or education because they
know their stuff.”
GSO wishes Anh well as she continues
to build her career in the biomedical
field! O
The ‘Alumni Spotlight’ will continue to highlight alumni from departments within the School of Graduate Studies with regards to their accomplishments since graduation. If you would like to nominate someone to be featured please email us at [email protected] with ‘Alumni Spotlight’ in the subject line.
subm
itted
by
Anh
Le
from “Officers”, pg. 2
TreasurerRenee Bozard:4th year BIOMED PhD student in Dr.
Sylvia Smith’s lab, research interest in “fo-
late transport in the retinal Müller cell.”
Goal(s) for this year: “To start a fund-
raising program to better supply
GSO with funds to serve MCG and
our community.”
Social ChairColleen M. Carey:2nd year BIOMED PhD student in Dr.
Jin-Xiong She’s lab, research interest in
“Type 1 Diabetes biomarker discovery.”
Goal(s) for this year: “To increase the
overall involvement of the graduate stu-
dent body in events both on campus and
within the community, and specifically
to integrate the involvement of the vari-
ous programs falling under the School of
Graduate Studies. It is my hopes, through
volunteer events, and ‘just for fun’ out-
ings, that increased involvement will re-
sult in an increase in recognition of the
GSO within the MCG community.”
GSO representatives at the Student Government Asso-ciation (SGA):Davies Agyekum
Tiffany Nguyen
Yashoda Puttabyatappa
Scott J Webster
Christina Wilson O
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GSO Officers in action at the Student Organization Fair
The GSO News �
Clinical Nurse Leader Student OrganizationEmmie Norville, CNL-SO Historian and Social Chair
The Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) pro-
gram was established at MCG in 2006 on
the Augusta campus, and has continued to
expand across the state to Athens, Macon,
and Americus. CNLs are used in the clini-
cal setting to improve patient outcomes by
coordinating care among the health care
team, and evaluating problems in the de-
livery of treatment. The program at MCG
is a 16-month pre-licensure program, and
draws individuals from many different ed-
ucational and career backgrounds to join
Biomedical Science PhD. Class of 20��The GSO would like to share a recent photograph of the (now) 2nd year Biomedical Science students and congratulate them all for suc-
cessfully passing their First Qualifying exam. We wish you the best of luck in your research!
dents interested in health careers. Limor
felt that she used knowledge obtained
here at MCG—her area of expertise and
presentation skills— to open the students’
eyes to something that might change their
minds and cause them to take an interest
in research. She served as the GSO Social
Chair for the 2007-2008 school year and
has participated in other activities as well.
Limor’s advice for current students is to
take advantage of every opportunity such
as teaching and national conferences. She
said, “The more you invest, the more re-
warding your experience in grad[uate]
school will be.” In her spare time, Li-
mor enjoys ballroom dance and travel-
ing. The GSO wishes her the best in her
future endeavors! O
the field of nursing. The CNL is the first
new role in nursing in over 35-years.
As a student in the CNL class of 2010, it
is very exciting to announce the creation
of the CNL Student Organization, which
was established by members of the 2009
class. We are a group that has big ideas
about reaching out in the community,
preparing ourselves for the work force,
and creating strong lines of communica-
tion between students and the faculty.
For more information on the CNL-SO
contact Joshua Dunn at jodunn@stu-
dents.mcg.edu. O
from “Limor”
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The GSO News �
GSO Fall Camping Trip a SuccessColleen Carey
As a first event for this school year
the Graduate Student Organization
organized a weekend long camping trip at
Mistletoe State Park in Appling, Ga. This
trip was intended for any and all graduate
students to come out and take a weekend
away from the labs and classrooms to go
out and enjoy the beautiful Clark’s Hill
Lake together. Through this event students
who may not otherwise cross paths in a
given day were able to meet new people
and form friendships that will surely last!
Additionally this trip provided an oppor-
tunity for those students who are new this
year to get to know some of their fellow
students, both within their programs and
outside. In total about 50 students from
different programs including Biomedical
Science PhD., Biostatistics, and Medical
Illustration were able to create memories
of a great trip!
For many of our international students
this was a first experience with ‘camping’
and both teaching and learning of this pas-
time became a great way interact with and
get to know other students. Such things as
pitching tents, starting fires and even the
idea of cooking s’more became a learning
experience for those who had never camped
before. In addition the weekend consisted
of a multitude of activities that a state
park can offer. Individuals looking
to be more active formed groups that
went canoeing and kayaking, hiking,
swimming, or played volleyball while oth-
ers, wanting to relax more played card
games, and just chatting around the fire.
All in all this trip was enjoyed by all who
attended and has laid the foundation for
what (hopefully!) will turn into an annual
GSO tradition.
Those of you who missed out on this trip
need not worry as we will be planning a
spring camping trip as well. In the mean-
time, please enjoy some of the photos
taken at this fall trip in hopes that it will
hold you over! O
GSO FALLCAMPING TRIP
2009
com
pile
d by
Col
leen
Car
ey
The GSO News �
Davies Agyekum: (Biomedical Science) was recently awarded
the Doctoral Scholars Fellowship Award
from the South Regional Education Board
(SREB). The SREB has this award in place
as a means of increasing the number of
minority students who earn doctoral
degrees and become faculty at America’s
colleges and universities. The award comes
in the form of a yearly stipend support for
3 years as well as providing professional
development at an annual ‘Teaching
and Mentoring’ meeting.
Kirti Bhat:(Biomedical Science) was awarded the
GSA (Greater Southeast Affiliate) Spring
09 Predoctoral fellowship of the American
Heart Association (AHA) for a period of
two years.
Paresh Chothe :(Biomedical Science) was awarded
the National Biotechnology Graduate
Student Symposium Award at the
American Association of Pharmaceutical
Scientists-National Biotechnology
Conference in Seattle WA in June,
where he was also the invited speaker
in the Graduate Student Symposium.
Paresh also just had a first author paper
published in Investigative Ophthalmology &
Visual Science entitled “Identification of
a Novel Sodium- coupled Oligopeptide
Transporter (SOPT2) in Mouse and
Human Retinal Pigment E Epithelial
Cells.” Also, in May Paresh was married
to Sheetal Malke!
Aisha Cobbs:(Biomedical Science) recently received The
American Physiological Society’s Porter
Physiology Development Fellowship
Award. In addition, she was awarded an
American Physiological Society (APS)/
NIDDK Minority Travel Fellowship
Award to attend ET-11: APS International
Conference on Endothelin in
Montreal, Canada.
Aimee Hartle:(School of Nursing BSN), a first year
student, was awarded, in May 2009,
Student of the semester from Georgia
Perimeter College for “Outstanding
Performance and Excellence in Survey of
Chemistry II Lab” She was chosen among
23,000 students to receive this award!
NagendranMuthusamy:(Biomedical Science) has had his first
paper accepted in the Journal of Molecular
Evolution that is entitled “Phylogenetic
Analysis of the NEEP21/Calcyon/
P19 Family of Endocytic Proteins:
Evidence for Functional Evolution in the
Vertebrate CNS.” Also, he and his wife
Tharkika Nagendran, a graduate student
in the neuroscience program would like
to announce their daughter, Niharika
Nagendran, who is 18 months old.
Jeniel Parmar:(Biomedical Science) also has a lot to
share. He has a paper in preparation for
submission entitled “Adrenal glomerulosa
specific expression of aldosterone synthase
(Cyp11b2) promoter in transgenic
mice.” In addition, Jeniel has an abstract
submitted for the 35th meeting of the
International Aldosterone Conference
entitled: “Tissue expression pattern of
aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) mRNA
in the mouse.“ Last, but certainly not least
he has been involved in the writing of two
book chapters: •Parmar J, Rainey WE Adrenocortical cell lines. Adrenal Cancer Textbook. 2009. GD Hammer and T Else. Springer and Humana press. Chapter 3, 2009•Parmar J, Rainey WE Comparisons of adrenocortical cell lines as in vitro test systems. Adrenal Toxicology. PW Harvey, DJ Everett and CJ Springall. Taylor and Francis Publishers. Chapter 8 pp. 183-204, 2009
Crista Royal:(Biomedical Science) has been busy! She
recently won a MCG Department of
Pharmacology & Toxicology Graduate
Seminar Presentation Award, in the Upper
Level Students’ Division. In addition she
was asked to be a committee member
for American Society for Pharmacology
& Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
Division for Integrative Systems,
Translational and Clinical Pharmacology
(iSTCP) Young Scientists Committee.
She also presented an abstract at the
Experimental Biology conference and
was a symposium speaker for the ASPET
breakout session. In her ‘spare’ time she
has also been appointed Adjunct Faculty
at Augusta Technical Institute. O
The GSO News would like to congratulate the following individuals on some recent accomplishments!
The GSO News �
Contact Information
Websitehttp://www.mcg.edu/gradstudies
/students.htm
Facebook GroupStudents of MCG GSO
Newsletter Staff
Layout Design Chief EditorMichelle Reinke Colleen Carey
EditorsMoataz (Taz) Elkasrawy Samuel Herberg
Jessica Osmond Paramita Pati
Feature ArticlesEmmie Norville
Graduate Student
Organization Presents...
Questions? Contact Colleen Carey at
Time: 7:00pm We will meet at the Student Center at 6:40pm!
Date: 10/27/09
A Community Service Event!!!
Come with us as we sponsor a Halloween Bingo Night at the Georgia War Veterans
Nursing Home
or DONATE CANDY!
Candy donations can be dropped off in the SGS office starting 10/12!
AddressGraduate Student Organization
School of Graduate Studies
Medical College of Georgia
1120 15th St. CJ 2201
Augusta, GA 30912-1500