GSBSE NIH T32 Institutional Research Training Grant 2019-2020 Awardees

The Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering (GSBSE) T32 Steering Committee has chosen six current GSBSE PhD students as the first cohort of the UMaine GSBSE NIH T32 Institutional Research Training Grant.

The awardees are:

  • Nicklaus Carter, mentor Dr. David Neivandt of the University of Maine
  • Sarah Holbrook, mentor Dr. Greg Cox of the Jackson Laboratory
  • Connor S. Murphy, mentor Dr. Michaela Reagan of the Maine Medical Center Research Institute
  • George C. Murray, mentor Dr. Robert Burgess of the Jackson Laboratory
  • Jesse Rochester, mentor Dr. Dustin Updike of the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory
  • Katie Stieber, mentor Dr. Lucy Liaw of the Maine Medical Center Research Institute

Eligible students submitted proposals, which were reviewed for overall impact, significance, innovation, approach, and transdisciplinary nature. The awardees will receive fellowships, which include a stipend, tuition and university fees, and health insurance coverage as well as an allowance for travel and other training related expenses.

The five-year, $1.07 million GSBSE NIH T32 grant was the first of its kind to be awarded in the state of Maine from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

According to the NIH, the T32 program supports broad and fundamental, early-stage research training for predoctoral participants in centers that have significant impact on the health-related research needs of the US.

The UMaine GSBSE uniquely positioned to train doctoral students interested in life science and medical-related careers. The doctoral program utilizes its partnerships with renowned research institutions that span the state of Maine in transdisciplinary methods of collaboration and team science.

The awarded T32 grant is on “Transdisciplinary predoctoral training in biomedical science and engineering.” In addition to the $1.07 million received from NIH, UMaine is providing $0.5 million in direct contribution to the award, thus resulting in the total amount of $1.57 million in support of this initiative.

Contact: Zhen Zhang, zhen.zhang@maine.edu, 207.581.4654