Category: 2024 News

2024 News

Congratulations to Jeramia Ory for being selected as a member of the WASHU Academy of Educators!

Jeramia Ory Congratulations to Jeramia Ory’s selection as a new member of the Washington University School of Medicine Academy of Educators! This achievement acknowledges significant contributions to education and recognizes their valuable place as a central contributor to the education mission of the School of Medicine.

The Academy of Educators received many applications for membership in the Academy. Each application was reviewed by one external and two internal peer reviewers. Ory’s application, letter(s) of support, CV and supporting documentation were scored by these three peers using our specific standards and criteria for membership, as delineated in the application review matrix. (more…)

2024 BMB SURGE Poster Session

Featured are six individuals chosen for the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics’ Summer Undergraduate Group Experience (SURGE) program. Gavin Ghafoori (Dr. Hema Adhikari’s Lab), Alec Garasimowicz (Dr. Andrea Soranno’s Lab), Maxine Akunnakwe and Baika Erdenepurev (Dr. Natalie Niemi’s Lab), and Kylie Villadolid (Dr. Eric Galburt’s Lab) showcase their remarkable lab research during the annual SURGE poster session. These photos encapsulate the culmination of their dedicated 8-week journey of lab experience and study.

You can click here to view photos from the event.

Congratulations to Jin Ye being awarded the 2024 BMB Postdoctoral Research Discovery and Innovation Award!

Jin Ye Dr. Jin Ye is a postdoctoral associate in the laboratory of Dr. Weikai Li in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Ye received a B.A. in Biotechnology from Northeast Agricultural University and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from University of Science and Technology of China, where his work focused on the mechanistic and functional studies of Ankyrin-G mediated protein complex in neuronal polarity maintenance and signal transmission.

During his postdoctoral training at the Li lab, his work mainly focuses on structural and mechanistic studies of vesicular neurotransmitter transporters. (more…)

Congratulations to Brent Scott being awarded the 2024 BMB Postdoctoral Research Discovery and Innovation Award!

Scott Dr. Brent Scott is a second-year postdoc in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Greenberg and is currently funded by the Pediatric Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Disease Training Program. Dr. Scott received his B.S. in Exercise Science with a minor in Sports Medicine from Belmont University (Nashville, TN) and was a research assistant for Dr. Ted Towse in the Neuromuscular Physiology Laboratory at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He then received both an M.S. and Ph.D. in Kinesiology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst working in the Muscle Biophysics Laboratory of Dr. Ned Debold where he studied the basis of energy transduction by myosin and the molecular mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle fatigue. (more…)

Congratulations to Melissa Arenz for being awarded the 2024 Jayma Mikes Departmental Service Award!

Melissa Arenz Mrs. Arenz was publicly recognized of this well-deserved award on May 20th, 2024 at the BMB Departmental Retreat.

Mrs. Arenz was nominated by Dr. Michael Greenberg for her unwavering dedication to departmental activities and focus on cultivating a positive and supportive environment. With her attention to detail, empathetic leadership, meticulous organizational skills, and vast knowledge of the university. (more…)

Congratulations to Daniel Ramirez for receiving the 2024 ORISE Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowship!

Daniel Dr. Ramirez was awarded the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for his project entitled “Mass spectrometry profiling of biomolecular condensate proteins and their regulation by glucose metabolism and posttranslational O-GlcNAc modification”. This is a 2-year fellowship funded primarily by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the U.S. Department of Energy that provides a stipend, health insurance supplement, travel allowance, and a lab supply budget.

Congratulations to Jasmine Cubuk and Keri-Lyn Kozul for receiving the 2024 W.M. Keck Postdoctoral Fellowship award!

Cubuk&Kozul This fellowship provides one year of funding to postdoctoral appointees in the early phase of their postdoctoral training who demonstrate exceptional potential for becoming leading experts in biomedical research.

Dr. Jasmine Cubuk is doing her postdoctoral work in the laboratory of Dr. Andrea Soranno. Dr. Keri-Lyn Kozul is doing her postdoctoral work in the laboratory of Dr. Natalie Niemi.

Congratulations to Jenna Lin for receiving the 2024 John E. Majors Award

Jenna Lin Jenna Lin received her B.S. in Bioengineering and a minor in Biology from University of Missouri-Columbia. During her undergraduate research, Jenna developed a great interest in ion channels and electrophysiology. She began her Ph.D. studies in the Biophysics program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2018 and joined the Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology program in the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis in 2020 when the lab relocated. (more…)

Congratulations to Lianjie ‘Jerry’ Wei for receiving the 2024 John E. Majors Award

Lianjie ‘Jerry’ Wei
Mr. Lianjie ‘Jerry’ Wei is a forth-year graduate student in the Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology (BBSB) program. He is currently working in the Laboratory of Dr. Natalie Niemi in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics to complete his Ph.D. studies. His research is focused on understanding how protein post-translational modifications regulate mitochondrial organellar homeostasis. (more…)

Congratulations to Drs. Natalie Niemi and Andrea Soranno for being awarded the DBBS Outstanding Mentor Award

Drs. Natalie Niemi and Andrea Soranno were awarded the DBBS Outstanding Mentor Award on April 5th.  This award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated exceptional mentorship qualities, providing invaluable guidance, support, and inspiration to graduate students in their academic and professional endeavors.