Medical Center Graduate Student Organization
Medical Center Graduate Student Organization

Research Grants

The Student Research Grants Program (SRGP) was initiated to give graduate students an opportunity to conduct small, independent research projects and to give graduate students an opportunity to write and review grants. Applicants must have an active representative in MCGSO to be eligible for SRGP.

If you are interested in reviewing grants for this or future cycles, please contact your Grant Officer (see Instructions below).

Naama Zur

Read the full instructions for Student Research Grants.

The SRGP is an annual grant meant to fund student-initiated projects that one’s mentor cannot otherwise fund. Please note that projects must be independent. This means that the project must be conceived of, initiated, and developed by the student, not the mentor. An SRGP project may be related to the student’s thesis, but must have a component of new training/experience that the student would not otherwise get (this could be technical or theoretical).

For examples of appropriate projects, please see the full instructions.

Any Ph.D. candidate currently enrolled in a Biomedical Graduate Program Eligible Programs: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Biostatistics, Cell Biology, Microbiology & Immunology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Tumor Biology
The above eligible programs must have an active student representative in MCGSO for students from that program to apply for SRGP funding.  An active representative is defined as a student who attends each monthly MCGSO meeting.  If the representative cannot be present at a meeting, a valid excuse for his or her absence must be communicated to the MCGSO president.
Applicant must have passed required qualifying exams by the time funding begins (Anticipated funding date: July 1, 2023).
Applicant must be in good academic standing with their graduate program.

2025 Cycle

  • Submission Opens: March 11, 2025
  • Submission Closes: June 9, 2025  at 5:00 p.m. (EXTENDED)
  • Review Panel Meeting: June 2025
  • Notification of Award: End of June 2025
  • Funds Available: End of July 2025
  • Progress Report: February 7, 2026
  • Final Report: June 14, 2026

Application Forms: Please download the forms for your application below.
IF YOU HAVE ISSUES WITH THE COVERPAGE, CONTACT YOUR SRGP OFFICER TO REQUEST A HARD COPY. ADDITIONALLY, TRY DOWNLOADING FORM 1_1 IN FIREFOX (NOT CHROME) AND OPENING THE DOWNLOADED VERSION.

For renewal and resubmission forms, please contact your grant officer.

*If you are having trouble viewing any of these files, try using a different browser (like Firefox) or downloading them and then opening those files!*

Please submit your full application as one document in PDF format to your grant officer and MCGSO via email before the submission deadline.

2022

  • Ismary Blanco – IPN – MMP-9 inhibition modulates SWR abundance and working memory in zebrafish in a developmental specific way
  • Daniel Chapman – IPN – Mapping spatial and cell-type bias in the dentate gyrus engram
  • Bryce Jones – Pharmacology & Physiology – Developing a novel method to study the kidney
  • Plamen Nikolov – IPN – Investigating the neural architecture of speech perception and production pathways

2021

  • Plamen Nikolov – IPN – Investigating the neural architecture of speech perception and production pathways
  • Tahiyana Khan – IPN – Elucidating the gene expression profiles of senescence phenotypes following epileptogenesis
  • Jerry Xiao– Tumor Biology – Isolating and growing circulating tumor cells from patients diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma
  • Seyedehfatemeh Razavipour – Tumor Biology – C-terminally phosphorylated p27 modulates chromatin remodeling in breast cancer

2020

  • Plamen Nikolov – IPN – Investigating the neural basis of internal models during speech production
  • Ismary Blanco – IPN – Perineuronal nets modify bran-wide neuronal population activity after exposure to chronic stress in zebrafish

2019

  • Andrew Speidell –IPN – The role of dendritically-localized BDNF in structural plasticity within the amygdala
  • Katherine O’Connell – IPN – Evaluating the impact of a social meditation training on pain tolerance
  • Bonnie Carney – Biochemistry and Molecular Biology – A characterization of dyschromic hypertrophic scar: an observational clinical trial
  • Deran Erdengiz – Biochemistry and Molecular Biology – Calmodulin agonists as novel Parkinson’s Disease therapeutics
  • Reham Ajina – Tumor Biology – Pancreatic cancer cells upregulate STAT1 signaling to foster immune suppression

2018

  • Garrett Graham – Tumor Biology – Investigating RNA content of membraneless nuclear bodies associated with EWS-FLI1 in Ewing sarcoma
  • Mondona McCann – IPN – Polychlorinated biphenyls and synuclein as a ‘dual hit’ model of astrocytic dysfunction
  • Katherine O’Connell– IPN- Evaluating the impact of a social meditation training on pain tolerance
  • Laya Rajan – IPN – The impact of metabolic dysregulation on neural inflammation in frontal lobe
  • Catherine Sevigny–  Tumor Biology- Characterization of cellular metabolism in endocrine therapy resistance

2017

  • Chinyere Agbaebu  – IPN – PRG-3 modulates CSPG and Nogo-6 inhibition of neurite outgrowth through the RhoA-ROCK pathway
  • Nathanael Lee – IPN – Investigating the role of fibrinogen in inflammatory demyelination
  • Jay Patel – Tumor Biology – Repurposing the anti-fungal agent itraconazole to target drug resistant cancer cells
  • Evan Wicker –  Pharmocology – The role of the nucleus reticularis of the thalamus during epileptogenesis

2016

  • Lorenzo Bozzelli – IPN – In vivo investigations into the role of matrix metalloproteinases in impaired waste clearance in HIV
  • Max Kushner – Tumor Bio – Identification and characterization of novel regulators of Yes-associated protein in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
  • Sara Maimouni – Biochemistry/Cellular Biology – Characterization of RARRES1 and its role in intermediary metabolism
  • Amrita Pai – Biochemistry/Cellular Biology – The role of NO in the inflammation associated with hypertension in ovariectomized female Dahl salt sensitive rats

2015

  • Brittany Aguilar – IPN – Contributions of Intermediate and Deep Layers of the Superior Colliculus to PTSD Behavior
  • Erika Raven – IPN – Investigating the Relationship of Total Body Iron to Brain Iron in Adolescents
  • Deanna Tiek – Tumor Biology – Parsing out the Function of ESRRB Splice Variants in the Progression of Glioblastoma Multiforme
  • Xiyuan Zhang – Tumor Biology – Maternal high-fat diet changes gene expression profile in offspring’s mammary gland that potentiates tamoxifen resistance

2014

2013

  • Valerie Darcey – IPN – Vitamin B12 Status and the Neural Bases of Implicit Memory in Healthy Aging
  • Alexei Medvedev – Microbiology & Immunology – Initiation of Positive Strand Synthesis in Norovirus
  • Christine Hercik – Global Infectious Disease – Emerging Infectious Disease Surveillance in a Global Disease Hotspot—Moshi, Tanzania
  • Jared May– Microbiology & Immunology – Importance of human norovirus polyprotein processing

2012

  • Lee Campbell – Pharmacology – The chemokine CCL5 as a neuromodulator of morphine tolerance
  • Adam Oaks – Biochemistry -Involvement of the proteosome in synuclein modulation of the dopamine transporter
  • Brittany Griffin– Global Infectious Disease – Assembly of Hepatitis Delta Virus Ribonucleoprotein complexes
  • Jared May – Microbiology & Immunology – Human Norovirus ORF-1 processing kinetics by Pro and dProPol

2011

  • Teal Connor – IPN – The role of interactions between fyn and apoER2 in the reelin pathway
  • Rachel Wurzman – IPN – A role for ehprin-A2, A3, and 5 in excitatory synaptic development and function within the striatum
  • Dawn Beraud – IPN – Toll-like receptor 2 involvement in alpha-synuclein-directed microglial activation
  • Nuo Sun – Microbiology & Immunology – Investigate the mechanisms of action of proflavin, a poten inhibitor against multidrug resistant fungal pathogens

2010

  • Lauren Ullrich – Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience (IPN) – MCI and memory processes
  • Nick Fingland – Biochemistry – Ice core samples and bacterial endospore viability
  • Meredith Clifford – IPN – EphA7 and somatosensory cortex
  • Patty Washington – IPN – TBI and A-beta species
  • Arianne Motter – Pharmacology – TrpA1 and docosahexaenoic acid