The GSO News
Volume 3, Issue 1, September-October 2011
Inside this Issue
Welcome Back from the GSOPresident
2011/12 GSO Officers
Student: Frank Spradley
Student: Courtney McCraken
Alumna: Yewei Xing
Graduate Student Fundraiser:‘Sell Out’ to help theChildren’s Medical Center
Welcoming New Students
GSO Fall Camping Trip 2011
Games: Word Search
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Welcome Back from the GSO PresidentIt’s the beginning of a new academic year and the Graduate Student Organization is off to a great start! Thus far we have gotten to know many of the new students at a Luau that was graciously hosted by Dr. Ergul, a camping trip, and an infor-mal happy hour or two. GSO has also jumped right into community service in-volvement with helping to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Founda-tion’s Walk to Cure Diabetes as well as for the local charity, Bundles of Books.
In following with the traditions of the Graduate Student Organization our goals for this upcoming year are to continue to enhance the overall com-munication among the graduate student body in various programs, as well as to further increase the awareness of our organization on campus. With the pres-ence of two graduate students now on
the Student Government Association board, in addition to many SGA rep-resentatives throughout the programs within the College of Graduate Studies, now more than ever we hope to get to know, and become more involved with students across this campus. The op-portunities that present themselves for involvement at the campus-wide level will provide for students to get a feel for the larger university that we are all a part of and everything that there is to be offered from such an enterprise.
On behalf of the GSO and my fellow of-ficers and SGA representatives, I would like to encourage you to get involved in those things that interest you and truly experience the resources that are around you in your time here. Good luck for a successful academic year and I look for-ward to seeing each of you at many of the upcoming events that we have planned.
Colleen CareyGSO President
2011/12 GSOOfficersAshish Gurav and NamitaHattangady
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 the officers provide you with some basic informa-tion about themselves, their research at GHSU and the goals they are eager to achieve within this academic year.
...to “Officers”, pg. 2
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...from “Officers”, pg. 1
President Colleen Carey:
I am a 4th year student in the Department of Genomic Medicine. As part of Dr. Jin-Xiong She’s Lab I am currently attempt-ing to identify novel anti-cancer therapeu-tics with little to no effect on the immune system as well as to identify the targets for these compounds and to understand their underlying mechanism of action with regards to cancer. My goals for GSO for this year are to continue the growth of the organization both within the College of Graduate Studies and the University as a whole. This will be accomplished by continuing our representation of the Graduate Student body with regards to various issues on campus, as well as community service and social activities.
Vice President Anil Bhatta:
I am a 3rd year Pharmacology student in Dr. R. William Caldwell’s lab. My research interest is to define the role of diabetes induced arginase activity in vascular smooth muscle cell prolifera-tion and fibrosis. My goals as an officer this year are to 1) increase the involve-ment of GSO in on-campus and com-munity events, 2) serve as a GHSU Representative to raise your voice/con-cerns involving various housekeeping...to “Officers”, pg. 3
Frank SpradleyMargaret Zimmerman
Frank Spradley is a 6th year student in the Vascular Biology program. He is originally from Aiken, SC, where he completed his undergraduate degree at the University of South Carolina Ai-ken. The decision to come to GHSU was based on the recommendation of an alumni undergraduate professor. This year Frank will be spending his time writing his dissertation, and has already accepted a post-doctoral posi-tion with Dr. Joey Granger at the Uni-versity of Mississippi Medical Center.Frank’s decision to work in the Vascular Biology Center under Dr. Jennifer Pol-lock started when he got to know her during her Biochemistry lectures. He wanted to join Dr. Pollock’s lab because she was a high caliber researcher who blended biochemistry techniques with whole-animal studies to assess mecha-nisms of disease. Frank’s project has been to assess the mechanisms that re-sult in blood vessel dysfunction in hy-pertension, specifically by examining the mechanisms of how high-fat diets in-duce hypertension in rats. Additional fo-cus has been placed on how endothelial cells and perivascular adipose tissue reg-ulate vascular function in rats on high-fat diets. His research has also extended to the kidney, to assess mechanisms of high-fat diet-induced renal injury.
During his time at GHSU, Frank has maintained an excellent research record. He has received two awards from the Col-lege of Graduate Studies, including the Fisher Scientific Award, and is currently funded by a pre-doctoral fellowship from the American Heart Association. He has given three oral presentations and eight poster presentations at nation-al meetings, winning three travel awards to attend those meetings. He currently has one publication and one in revision.
When reflecting on his time in the grad-uate program, Frank has found that the most rewarding part of it was participat-ing in Physiology Understanding Week. This program allows scientists to go into elementary schools and speak with the kids about life as a scientist and the im-portance of studying human disease. For new scientists in the program, Frank’s advice would be to not only enjoy the...to “Frank”, pg. 6
CURRENT STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
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...from “Officers”, pg. 2
issues to the larger graduate student body within the University System of Georgia, 3) take advantage of the cultural diversity of GHSU’s students, faculty and staff and organize an “International/Inter-cultural Event” as an opportunity for all of us to learn about the culture, food, religion, etc. of our friends and/or colleagues.
SecretaryJuan Mo:
I am a 3rd year Cell Biology PhD stu-dent in Dr. Sally Atherton’s lab. My re-search interests lie in understanding ‘the relationship of apoptosis and autophagy during murine cytomegalovirus retini-tis’. My goals as GSO Secretary for this year are to establish better communica-tion between students in different years and programs, and to contribute to plan-ning and organizing GSO activities.
TreasurerDavies Agyekum:
I am a 4th year Molecular Medicine student in Dr. Steffen Meiler’s lab. My research concerns the development of novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of Beta-hemoglobinopathies including sickle cell disease. My goal as the trea-surer for GSO this year is to continue delivering good oversight of the finances of GSO to ensure our ability to provide excellent amenities to our student body.
Social ChairAshley Wilson:
I am a 2nd year student in Dr. David Kozlowski’s Lab. My research studies the molecular mechanisms underlying zebrafish ear hair cell regeneration and re-enervation. ...to “Officers”, pg. 5
CURRENT STUDENT SPOTLIGHTCourtney McCrakenDavies Agyekum
4th year GHSU graduate student, Court-ney MacCraken, is pursuing a PhD in Biostatistics under the guidance of Dr. Stephen Looney in the Department of Biostatistics. Having already completed a master’s degree here at GHSU, the Kentucky native is now entering her final stages of completing a doctorate degree in Biostatistics. Courtney’s am-bition to go to graduate school led her to GHSU, where she found the unique program offering post-graduate degrees in biostatistics. The program not found at the many universities located in the state of Georgia offered her a unique blend of affordability, a competitive fi-nancial package with fewer distractions.
In her four years in the PhD program, Courtney has already amassed 7 co-
author publications. Her thesis topic concerns the methodology utilized in left-censored data. Left-censored data is data that is unobserved but known to fall below a certain censoring point. Courtney says, “one of the major goals...to “Courtney”, pg. 6
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Yewei XingNamita Hattangady
Yewei Xing graduated as one of the many successful and accomplished stu-dents of GHSU. She was a student of
Biomedical Sciences, Ph.D. in Dr Wil-liam Rainey’s laboratory in the Depart-ment of Physiology for six years and defended her thesis in August 2010. Her graduate research focused on exploring the regulatory mechanisms of adrenal steroid production in adrenal zonation and lipoprotein regulation of aldosterone synthesis in humans. Some of the factors that led Yewei to choose Dr. Rainey’s lab were her interest in the area of research, the lab environment and good funding.
Yewei is originally from China and joined GHSU for its areas of research, the friendly people and the warm weath-er of Augusta. While at GHSU, she has had several achievements to her credit. She is the first author on five publica-tions and shares authorship on several more. Yewei has also been the recipient ...to “Yewei”, pg. 6
The GSO News
Kate Buckley
The MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center (CMC) is this area’s only hospital dedicated completely to the care of chil-dren and adolescents. The CMC treats children with everything from common childhood illnesses to life-threatening conditions such as cancer, heart disease and neurological disorders. From out-patient services to intensive care units, the talented physicians and staff dem-onstrate great caring and compassion in helping to care for the children of our community and support their fami-lies. Health Care Credit Union (HCCU) serves the financial needs of providers in the health care industry and they organize yearly campaigns to benefit the CMC.
In April of 2011, in recognition of the Graduate Student Organization (GSO) receiving the 2011 Campus Contribu-tor Award, HCCU asked the GSO to help the completion of the sale of CMC t-shirts as part of a fundraising effort. The design on the CMC t-shirts was originally the CMC-award win-ning art work of an eleven year-old pa
tient at the hospital. All proceeds from each sale were donated to the CMC.
The GSO accepted the invitation from HCCU and, in a great team effort, suc-cessfully worked through the month of May, selling 263 t-shirts and raised $2,630 to benefit the CMC. The effort kicked off on the first Friday of the May, in downtown Augusta, with a base stand in front of Stillwater Taproom; gradu-ate student volunteers walked around downtown and sold t-shirts to patrons on the sidewalk as well as inside generous local merchants. During the following two weeks, graduate students were seen walking the halls, knocking on the doors of GHSU offices and lab with bags of t-shirts.
The GHSU faculty and staff were very supportive and purchased several shirts. The Department of Bio-chemistry was especially encouraging with every lab purchasing at least one t-shirt. The middle of the campaign in-volved a full night working the GHSU Family Night at the Green Jackets Sta-dium. GSO’s final sale attempt ended at the Augusta Market on May 28th. In June, Rui Wang and Kate Buckley rep-resented the GSO at the HCCU check presentation at the CMC. The effort of all of the wonderful students of the GSO was greatly appreciated and HCCU made a donation of $500 to the GSO in appreciation of the students’ efforts. O
Graduate Students ‘Sell Out’ to help the Children’s Medical Center
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Incoming Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. Class
Incoming Biostatistics Ph.D. Class
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...from “Officers”, pg. 2
My goals for GSO this year are to 1. Improve GSO activities 2. Increase membership enrollment and participa-tion through improved event planning 3. Coordinate with organizations outside of GSO, allowing students to branch be-yond the scope of the Biomedical Sci-ence Program and 4. Assist the GSO Vice President, Anil Bhatta, in co-ordinating and ensuring the success of his plan for an annual “International/Inter-cultural Event” for the GHSU student body.
GSO Ambassador Ashish Gurav:
I am a 3rd year Biochemistry and Mo-lecular Biology Student in Dr. Vadivel Ganapathy’s lab. My research interest is to investigate the molecular mechanisms behind suppression of colonic inflam-mation by gut bacterial metabolites. My goals as a GSO ambassador for this year are to make the GSO activities more ef-fective by facilitating better coordination between various appendages of the GSO and to promote the mission of GSO to other student organizations on and be-yond the GHSU campus.
GSO Ambassador Namita Hattangady:
I am a 4th year student in the laboratory of Dr William E Rainey in the Depart-ment of Physiology. My research project aims at understanding the gene regula-tion of aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) in normal physiology and in pathological conditions such as cardiovascular disor-ders. My goal as Ambassador this year is to help the GSO grow as an organization, increase student participation and make our efforts felt within and outside of the graduate school. As the new chief editor
...to “Officers”, pg. 6
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SGA Representatives1. Christina Torres2. Bhavna Desai3. Rui Wang4. Juilee Rege5. Katie Spitler6. Sadiki Deane
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The GSO extends a warm welcome to the new students from the various College of Graduate Studies Programs!
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...from “Courtney”, pg. 3
of my research is to find ‘the best’ sta-tistical method for correlating two con-tinuous left-censored variables under lots of different parameter conditions”.To determine this, Courtney is conduct-ing a massive computer simulation using thousands of simulated data sets.
Although navigating the social scene in the CSRA hasn’t been as challenging as compared to metro-Atlanta, Courtney has found out that with great finds, a good time is always as near as a friend’s house. Through the years, Courtney and her friends have enjoyed countless nights during impromptu gatherings, hanging out Bees Knees and or grabbing a bite at Takosushi. These companion-ships have played a key role, she says, in her survival of the challenges that graduate school poses. Courtney’s most rewarding experiences, so far, come in the classroom where she has always sought to help fellow classmates facing challenges. In 2009, she received the ‘
Outstanding Graduate Student’ award from the Department of Biostatistics for her academic accomplishments.
Following her time here at GHSU, Court-ney plans to become an assistant profes-sor, preferably near Emory University, where her husband is doing residency. To up and coming graduate students, her advice is to “learn to find balance in your life. It is important to study but it is also important to reward yourself”. The GSO wishes Courtney the best in all her future endeavors! O
...from “Officers”, pg. 5
of the newsletter, I also hope to increase readership, and encourage students to make full use of GSO activities and GHSU opportunities. O
...from “Frank”, pg. 2
science you are doing, but to develop a good working relationship with your boss because of the things they can teach you. Also, keep asking questions. O
...from “Yewei”, pg. 3
of several honors such as invitations for oral presentations, competitive awards such as travel awards, the Young Inves-tigator Award in 2010 and the Award for Research Excellence in Physiology 2008 and 2009. She is also a recipient of the American Heart Association Pre-doctor-al Fellowship and the Pfizer Pharmaceu-tical Company Research Fellowship.
Yewei involved herself in several other activities, including holding the posts of Social Chair of the GSO and SGA rep-resentative. She also volunteered at the MCG Hospital and at Blood Donation drives. Outside of academic life, Yewei enjoys hanging out with friends, going shopping and traveling for relaxation and visiting family.
Her advice to students is that hard work and critical thinking are the most impor-tant factors in becoming an independent researcher. Reflecting on her student life at GHSU, Yewei believes that the GHSU system of lab rotations, intense course work in the first year and the opportu-nities to attend conferences, prepare stu-dents well for a career in research. Yewei plans to continue working in the field of academics and has currently assumed the position of a Post Doctoral fellow in adrenal physiology at the University of Michigan. The GSO is proud of Yewei’s achievements and wishes her the best in all her future endeavors! O
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Medical Illustration Class of 2013
Provided by Mr. Bill Andrews
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GSO Camping TripAshish Gurav
As a continuation of what has now turned into a tradition, the GSO orga-nized the 3rd Annual Fall Camping Trip at the beautiful Hamilton Branch State Park in South Carolina between Sep-tember 9th and 11th 2011. The camp-ing venue was located on the banks of the magnificent Clarks Hill Lake. This weekend-long camping trip was open to all graduate students and their families, as a social gathering. This event also al-lowed for some of the new students to get to know some of the beautiful places
around Augusta, their second home for the next five years!
The trip was more than just camping. It provided an excellent opportunity for the new students to meet the returning ones in a light-hearted environment. It was refreshing to see our fellow classmates and colleagues talking about something other than science! Around 40 GSO stu-dents from all research centers and de-partments had gathered along with their friends to make this event as successful as it has been in previous years.
During the trip everyone received what he or she was longing for. Some enjoyed chatting in the vicinity of campfire, while
others enjoyed the barbecued food. For some, this trip provided relaxation from the physically and mentally tiring every-day schedules in the labs, while for some of the adventure seekers it was an oppor-tunity they couldn’t resist as the lake was calling them for swimming and paddling in almost perfect weather.
In all, the 3rd Annual GSO Camping Tradition was a great success. Let’s hope that the fun that was had here will en-courage continued participation in such social gatherings in future. For those who couldn’t attend the trip, please be on the lookout for the next camping trip and make sure you plan well in advance to attend! O
Provided by Ashish Gurav and Colleen Carey
The GSO News
GAMES:Namita Hattangady
Dear Readers, In an attempt to make the GSO newsletter more in-teresting and fun, we decided to start including a section on games. For this issue, we have designed a ‘word search’ with ‘pathological conditions’ being the theme. Over time, we do plan to expand this sec-tion and hopefully, make it more interactive and fun! We hope you enjoy this new section. Your input is appreciated. To contact us, please email us at [email protected]
N E P T A L D O S N X B P R L Z W O R D
A A P H N E P H R I T I S A D X Z K G T
R T N E P H O S C E R O O A S T Y U R H
C A H G L A U C T L A R R H Y T H M I A
A P G E H P L D S M S Y I G G Y Y T V L
W R S A R L D T H A P S A L Z H E I S A
O A R A L O I I F I S M S P O Y G L A S
H T L H D Y S A L Z H E I M E R S Y Z S
Y H Y D Y Y Y C S M O P S Y O P S D W E
P E B S O T Y B L S D I A B E T E S A M
E T H R S S H Z Z E C D E M E N T I A I
R I R M O Y T M Z D R L A M E M R O N A
T S A Z E A L E A E H O L B Y S M T E Z
E I B H Y P T E R M O Y S O S Z B H U X
N S Z G R A D E S O P L O I A R H M Y H
S A H Y S T S G H R N Z D Y S E S E Z Y
I D N Z A Z A N E I I I B S T I B M S P
O O E E D E M G R A V E S I A S I S T E
N B D M U Y S E M I M E I M E R S A R R
A R R Y E R P S T H A L I Y R Y Y T B T
L O S T A N Y X Z A P H A S I A Y Y S E
D B I A B E Y S Y T A G A U M A I S M N
T L A U C O T S M I T R A V E S M S T S
E P I L E P S Y H R G L A U C O M A S I
AldosteronismAlzheimersAneurysmAphasiaArrhythmiaAtherosclerosisDementiaDiabetes
EpilepsyGlaucomaGravesHypertensionNephritisPsoriasisThalassemia
Pathologies:
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Contact Information
Websitehttp://www.georgiahealth.edu/gradstudies/students.html
Facebook Group AddressStudents of GHSU GSO Graduate Student Organization College of Graduate StudiesEmail Georgia Health Sciences [email protected] 1120 15th St. CJ 2201 Augusta, GA 30912-1500
Newsletter Staff
Co-Editor in ChiefNamita HattangadyColleen Carey
EditorsMargaret Zimmerman Davies AgyekumKate Buckley Ashish Gurav
Layout DesignMeg Gullotto
