Manasi Apte wins Dennis Smith Graduate Student in Genetics Award

Manasi Apte, a Ph.D. student under the mentorship of Dr. Victoria Meller, earned the Dennis P. Smith Award for Best Graduate Student in Genetics.

Ms. Apte's recent work focuses on the development of a new genetic tool for the introduction of novel or modified DNA sequences into preselected sites in the Drosophila melanogaster genome. Ms. Apte was recognized for her work earlier this year by winning first place in the Graduate Student Research Competition at Wayne State University.

The Dennis P. Smith Award was established in memory of Professor Smith who served as the chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at Wayne State. Dr. Smith's research was centered on DNA repair mechanisms in the model eukaryotic organism, Drosophila melanogaster. As a recognition of his role as a researcher and educator, the award was established to recognized and support graduate and undergraduate work in the field of Genetics.