Biological sciences student highlights March 2025
Wayne State biological sciences students are making significant strides in research, scholarship and science advocacy. Doctoral candidates successfully defended dissertations on topics ranging from metabolism and transcription regulation to the ecological impact of harmful algal blooms. Undergraduate and graduate students secured competitive awards, including research grants, travel scholarships and top honors at symposiums. Here are a few recent highlights.
Doctoral defenses
- Katie Dwyer (Ansari lab): "Splicing- dependent regulation of transcription: A novel role of the splicing factor Prp19 in RNAPII-transcribed genes"
- Brenna Friday (Donna Kashian lab): "Quantifying the Ecotoxicological Effects of Harmful Algal Blooms on Vulnerable Native Amphibians"
- Kendall Case (Greenberg lab): "Valproate-induced inositol depletion is a consequence of reduced MIPS expression mediated by the Henry regulatory circuit"
- Luke Stilgenbauer (Sadagurski lab): "Hypothalamic control of metabolism under stress conditions"
- Maggie Lauria Sneideman (Meller lab): "Drosophila melanogaster X chromosome recruiting elements employ nuclear architecture for MSL localization"
Undergraduate
- Hasnat Ahmad: First place poster presentation award in the Undergraduate research symposium WSU
- Joseph Gjonaj: Recipient of Henry and Donnelly Award
- Joleigh Jackson: Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) Fredrick Douglass Scholars Grant
- Mohamad Rahal: Selected to receive a MARC scholarship
Kathryn and Gary Armstrong Endowed Scholarship
- Brody Seaman
- Rola Hoteit
- Sarah Saleem
- Shadee Baraka
Nicolette Therese Keller Endowed + scholarship in biological sciences
- Mariam Alfoaady
- Sania Bashir
Undergraduate Research Opportunity (UROP) Award
- Liv Masters
- Madison McClain
- Brianna Quallich
Graduate
- Daniel Adebayo: WSU Chemical Biology Interface (CBI) program ATTRACT fund award
- Asra Akhlaq: WSU Graduate Research Symposium Poster presentations, first place
- Sarah Black: WSU Graduate Research Symposium Three-Minute Thesis Competition second place
- Mohammed Dabaja: Shared best three-minute thesis presentation award at WSU 2024 CBI Research Symposium
- Kaveendya Mallika Arachchilage Dona: NIH-funded Diversity Travel Award for attending Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference (Indiana University, Bloomington). WSU Graduate School Travel Award for attending the RNA Society Annual Meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland
- Emma Fidler: WSU Chemistry Biology Interface (CBI) Scholarship
- Udayan Guha: Travel funds for NIH-sponsored "The Whole Scientist" course at the Jackson Laboratory
- Hashan Jayarathne: Best poster presentation award at the Midwest Aging Consortium conference
- Lindsey Kreinbring: WSU Chemistry Biology Interface (CBI) Scholarship
- Eseiwi Obaseki: Best oral presentation award at the Lipids@Wayne symposium
- Chisom Onu: Travel funds for NIH-sponsored "The Whole Scientist" course at the Jackson Laboratory; WSU Chemical Biology Interface (CBI) program ATTRACT fund award
- Abu Ramim: Travel funds for NIH-sponsored "The Whole Scientist" course at the Jackson Laboratory; WSU Chemical Biology Interface (CBI) program ATTRACT fund award
- Eleazar Reward: 2024 recipient of the Armstrong&Bromel Inspirational Graduate Student Teaching and Mentoring Award
- Sydney Scofield: First poster award at the Michigan Society of Toxicology
- Hadi Yassine: Best oral presentation prize at WSU 2024 CBI Research Symposium
Science Policy Network-Detroit
SciPolDetroit graduate student members Brenna Frida, Emma Fidler, Katie Dwyer and Dr. Lori Pile received coverage in Today@Wayne for their successful visit to the capitol to advocate for science with Michigan lawmakers in the house.
These achievements underscore the department’s commitment to advancing scientific discovery and leadership.