SPRING 2014
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VOLUME 13, NUMBER 1
Trio of MD-PhD students earn first author credits
With 58 students currently enrolled, the medical school’s M.D.-Ph.D. program has tripled in size in the last decade. Most students complete the program in about seven years, roughly divided between clinical and science training. This combined training is geared toward equipping physician-scientists who will transform scientific breakthroughs into effective treatments for patients. These three current students have seen early success, earning first author credit on recent publications.
This winter, TIM KEGELMAN (center) was first author of a study published in the journal Neuro-Oncology. He and his colleagues identified the gene that is a driving force behind the aggressiveness and invasive nature of glioblastoma multiforme, the deadliest form of brain cancer. Tim is currently completing the graduate study portion of the M.D.-Ph.D. program in the lab of his thesis adviser Paul B. Fisher, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Human and Molecular Genetics. The lab uses discoveries in cancer molecular genetics to develop new treatments that halt or reverse tumor progression. This is Tim’s eighth publication, but first as lead author.
For his dissertation, RAHUL MAHAJAN studied how ion channels control electrical activity in the heart and brain. His findings show how these channels function on the atomic scale and could lead to the development of treatments for life-threatening irregular heartbeats. They have already led to his being first author on a study published on the cover of Science Signaling, a publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Studying under the mentorship of Diomedes E. Logothetis, Ph.D., the chair of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Rahul is finishing medical training in his last year of the M.D.-Ph.D. program. He’ll head to a combined program at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s and Massachusetts General Hospitals for residency training in Neurology, where he plans to continue pursuing research using the methods of structural biology and electrophysiology he learned during his graduate training.
With an interest in the addictive liability of both illicit and pharmaceutical drugs, JULIE BONANO is in the second year of the graduate study portion of the M.D.-Ph.D. program. She studies with thesis advisor Steve Negus, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. The journal Psychopharmacology recently published Julie’s study on the behavioral effects of various constituents of the headline-grabbing designer drugs known as bath salts. In animal studies, she discovered that these compounds altered behavior in ways similar to other known drugs of abuse. Her findings suggest that bath salts may be as likely to cause abuse and dependence as other well-known stimulants like methamphetamine or ecstasy.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
2
Partners for Discovery
4
New Recruits
4
Tiny Table Saws
4
Alumni Star
5
Helping Kids in Bangladesh
School of Medicine
6
Honors & Accolades
6
Research Notes
In the tradition of the Medical College of Virginia