News

Romina Gonzalez-Pons successfully defends her dissertation

With the assistance of the 2024 MSU Owen/Willard Student Entrepreneur Scholarship and a master's degree, the long-time gamer and engineer has a vision for the future. "I might as well be the one start it,” she said. “Being there at the right moment is the key.”

Times has changed and so has the responsibility of mentors in their relationships with mentees. Dr. Anne Dorrance has been a mentor trainer for 12 years and stresses a key point. "If we want to train new scientists who can inspire the generation that comes after them, we need to be better mentors.”

Brianna Finn and Sera Sermet want to take what worked last year and add their own touches to an organization that continues to grow. "With the sequel, we're really excited to get more of the word out and rally more people to events," Finn said.

Rachel Bauer defends her dissertation

Originally interested in teaching and doing research at a small college, Dr. Alan has found her home at MSU, studying a myriad of topics from cancer biology to the issues of aging, gender-affirming health care and neurodegenerative diseases. "I'm happy as a clam," she says.

Learning from "experts" in the field of pharmacogenomics.has helped him chart his course at MSU, where his research concentrates on multiple myeloma progression and the development of drug resistance.

He has spent years studying the impact of alcohol on the liver and how to help those in need. Now at MSU, he is hopeful to take that research in new directions. “We’re trying to make new therapies, and that’s the other arm of pharmacology and toxicology," he said.

Jess Moerland successfully defended her dissertation Jan. 30. Her topic was “Pharmacological Nrf2 Activation Reprograms the Immune Microenvironment and Decreases Tumor Burden in KRAS-Driven Lung Cancer." Congratulations Dr. Moerland on a job well done.

Thanks to MSU's Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training program, she has found a role in the pharmacology and toxicology field that has allowed her to excel. "I got a good range of different options for my career," she said.