Infection and Immunity: The Pathogenesis of Host-Microbe Interactions Training Program
Infection and Immunity: The Pathogenesis of Host-Microbe Interactions Training Program
The overarching goal of this predoctoral training program is to train the next generation of researchers in microbiology, and to prepare them with the skills necessary to address the nation’s critical needs in the battle against infectious disease. Our program takes a student-centric approach that blends didactic and wet lab learning with the University of Rochester’s signature URBEST program in career preparedness to develop self-motivated, independent research scientist who are well prepared for diverse research careers.
Our Faculty
The training faculty in this program are members of the various departments across UR and URMC.
Our T32 Trainees
Blurb about the trainees. This blurb should be approximately this long (in words).
News and Announcements
News and Announcements
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Exploring the roles of melanocytic markers and NETosis in a murine model of Lymphangioleiomyomatosis"
Raegan Myers - Graduate Student
Dec 18, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Stephen R. Hammes, M.D., Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Influenza drives remodeling of lung resident macrophages"
Zoe Matacchiera - Graduate Student
Dec 11, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Felix Yarovinsky, M.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Enumerate pathogenic Th2A and Th2B cells and explore other T cell subpopulation differences in farm vs urban lifestyle children and relate to allergic outcomes"
Abby He - Graduate Student
Dec 04, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Kirsi Järvinen-Seppo, M.D., Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Nearest Neighbor Parameters for RNA Sequences with Modified Nucleotides"
Thandolwethu Shabangu - Graduate Student
Nov 20, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: David Mathews, M.D., Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Reprogramming of the Exhausted T Cell Compartment by SBRT/IL-12 Therapy in Pancreatic Cancer"
Sarah Eckl - Graduate Student
Nov 13, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Scott Gerber, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Replication mechanisms of plasmid-like RNAs in bacteria"
Maedeh Aghahosseini - Graduate Student
Nov 06, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Upper Auditorium (3-7619)
Host: Advisor: Andrew Varble, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Immune phenotyping to understand pediatric allergy"
Natalie Vance - Graduate Student
Oct 30, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Juilee Thakar, Ph.D.
1st Annual Infection and Immunity Symposium
Oct 27, 2025 @ 9:00 a.m.
Medical Center | Class of '62 Aud. and Flaum Atrium
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Integration and Latency of HIV-1 DNA in the centromere"
Stephanie Renner - Graduate Student
Oct 23, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Yiping Zhu, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "T cell dysfunction during implant-associated S. aureus osteomyelitis"
Katya McDonald - Graduate Student
Oct 16, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Gowrishankar Muthukrishnan, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Gut microbiome-derived modulation of Staphylococcus aureus systemic infection severity and abscess pathogenesis in obesity-related type 2 diabetes"
Lyvia Markle - Graduate Student
Oct 09, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Steve Gill, Ph.D.
"Staphylococcus aureus: Portrait of a pathogen" - Melville Hare Memorial Lecture
Dominique Missiakas, PhD - Professor of Microbiology Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago
Oct 06, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Upper Auditorium (3-7619)
Host: Microbiology Students in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "The Combinatory Effects of Estradiol and Tumor Derived Factors on Neutrophil Differentiation and Function in Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM)"
Thomas Henson - Graduate Student
Oct 02, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Stephen R. Hammes, M.D., Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Plasmid establishment depends on surviving the moment of transfer"
Heather Curtsinger - PhD Candidate
Sep 25, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Allison Lopatkin, Ph.D.
Determining the effects of proteasome inhibition on the ovarian cancer immune microenvironment - Thesis Defense
John P. Miller - PhD Candidate
Sep 24, 2025 @ 10:00 a.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Hybrid EventHost: Advisors: Rachael Rowswell-Turner, MD, PhD & Minsoo Kim, PhD
MBI Student Seminar - "BST2 restricts SARS-CoV-2 by both preventing virion release and enhancing antibody-dependent cellular responses"
Haley Aull - PhD Candidate
Sep 18, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Ruth Serra-Moreno, Ph.D.
MBI Student Seminar: Beyond blocking viral entry: SERINC5 Impairs the Expression of Non-Self-DNA
Shahad Ahmed - PhD Candidate
Sep 11, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Ruth Serra-Moreno, Ph.D.
Towards targeting the metabolism-immune interface to treat cancer and infectious diseases - Faculty Recruit
Pinghui Feng, Ph.D. - Section of Infection and Immunity Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California
Sep 08, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
MBI 501 Student Seminars
Sumaita Nahar; Vaishnavi Patil - PhD Candidate
Sep 04, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Molecular Regulation of Dendritic Cell Tolerance and Function - Faculty Recruit
Nicholas M. Adams, Ph.D. - Postdoctoral Fellow, New York University School of Medicine
Aug 25, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K207 (2-6408)
Reprogramming the tumor–immune microenvironment: from stromal circuits to engineered microbial immunotherapies - Faculty Recruit
Nicholas Arpaia, Ph.D. - Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Aug 18, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K207
MBI Seminar Series: The SARS-CoV-2 protein ORF8 is a driver of the COVID19-associated clotting disorder and hyperinflammation
Michael H. Bachmann, MD, ScD - Associate Professor, Dept. of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University
Jul 21, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Lower Auditorium (1-7619)
Host: Steve Dewhurst, Ph.D.
Cellular Factors Restrict HIV-1 Gene Expression
Andy Phan - PhD Candidate
Jul 09, 2025 @ 1:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K207 (2-6408)
Hybrid EventHost: Advisor: Yiping Zhu, Ph.D.
SAVE THE DATE: Summer Kick Off Picnic
Jun 27, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
The Impact of Early Life Exposures to Per – and Poly – Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) on the Developing Infant Human Immune System - Thesis Defense
Darline Castro Meléndez - PhD Candidate
Jun 25, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Helen Wood Hall | 1W-304
Hybrid EventHost: Advisor: Kristin Scheible, M.D.
Die another day: Stemness and survival of long-lived plasma cells - MBI Faculty Recruit Seminar
Mohamed EITanbouly, Ph.D. - Postdoctoral Associate, The Rockefeller University
Jun 23, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Adolph Lower Aud. (1-7619)
Investigating the interactions between the human pathogens HIV and SARS-CoV-2 with the autophagy machinery
Yuexuan Chen, MS - PhD Candidate
Jun 13, 2025 @ 1:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K207 (2-6408)
Hybrid EventHost: Advisor: Ruth Serra-Moreno, PhD
Investigating Naïve CD8+ T Cells’ Heterogeneity in Early Life
Adam Geber, MS - PhD Candidate
Jun 09, 2025 @ 2:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Hybrid EventHost: Advisors: David Topham, Ph.D. & Kristin Scheible, M.D.
Assessing the characteristics of novel Old Order Mennonite- and Rochester-derived Bifidobacterium infantis strains - Thesis Defense
Tyler Scherzi, MS - PhD Candidate
Jun 05, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Hybrid EventHost: Advisor: Kirsi Järvinen-Seppo, MD, PhD
MBI Seminar Series - Faculty Recruit: "Control of Peripheral Immunity by Nociceptors"
Pavel Hanč, Ph.D. - Instructor in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Immunology
May 22, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Lower Adolph Aud. (1-7619)
Host: Translational Immunology
MBI Seminar Series: "When good bugs go wild: The role of oral commensals in the development and treatment of chronic airway disease"
Ryan Hunter, Ph.D. - Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
University of Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
May 19, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Lower Adolph Aud. (1-7619)
Host: Steven Gill, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Functional Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 Defective Viral Genomes"
Justin Brennan - Graduate Student
May 08, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Zoom Meeting ID: 967 6343 2320 : 145220 - passwordHost: Advisor: Yan Sun, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Investigating glial contributions to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HANDs) through human microglial and astroglial models"
Sebastian Bosch - Graduate Student
May 01, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Stephen Dewhurst, Ph.D.
Investigating the Contributions of Infection and Vaccination-Induced CD4 T cells to the Establishment of Protective Immunity Against Respiratory Pathogens
Chantelle Lehone White - Graduate Student
Apr 28, 2025 @ 2:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Ryan Case Method (1-9576)
Zoom LinkHost: Advisor: Andrea Sant, PhD
MBI Seminar: "The role of specialized microtubule regulators during HIV infection"
Mojgan Naghavi, PhD - Professor, Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Apr 28, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Upper Aud. (3-7619)
Host: Yiping Zhu, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "LECT-2/LECT2 and the menorin complex: Neuronal development vs maintenance"
Ian Stone - Graduate Student
Apr 24, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Carlos Diaz-Balzac, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology Seminar Series - "DNA barcoded libraries to determine how abundant gut anaerobes tolerate stress"
Yolanda Huang, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo
Apr 14, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Upper Auditorium (3-7619)
Host: Steven Gill, Ph.D.
MBI Seminar Series: "Bio-inspired catalysis for circularizing the polymer economy"
Gang Fan, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Rochester
Mar 31, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Upper Auditorium (3-7619)
Host: Jacques Robert, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Determining Phage Specificity in S. aureus"
Kenny Jacoby - Graduate Student
Mar 27, 2025 @ 12:30 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Andrew Varble, M.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Developmental Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Alters the House Dust Mite Induced Allergic Response in Mice"
Hannah Teets - Graduate Student
Mar 27, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Paige Lawrence, M.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Determining the Mutation Rate of Vaccinia Virus Using a Fluorescence-Based Fluctuation Assay"
Julie Tobin - Graduate Student
Mar 20, 2025 @ 12:30 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Brian Ward, M.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Role of antiviral pattern recognition receptor RIG-I in poxvirus infection"
Christine Li - Graduate Student
Mar 20, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Brian Ward, M.D.
MBI Seminar Series: "Characterizing the pathogenic determinants of an emerging cold-blooded killer: from pond to bedside?"
James Jancovich, Ph.D. - Chair, Department of Biological Sciences, California State University San Marcos
Mar 17, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Upper Auditorium (3-7619)
Host: Brian Ward, Ph.D., Co-Sponsored by the Pathogenesis Training Grant
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Studying the association between a putative secondary metabolite pathway and the pathogenicity of Mycobacterium abscessus in Xenopus laevis"
Nicholas Miller - Graduate Student
Mar 06, 2025 @ 12:30 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Jacques Robert, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Identification of proteins that interact with vaccinia virus envelope protein F13"
Zhinian Zhou - Graduate Student
Mar 06, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Brian Ward, M.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Identification of proteins that interact with vaccinia virus envelope protein F13"
Zhinian Zhou - Graduate Student
Mar 06, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Brian Ward, M.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Determining the role of metabolism in antimicrobial resistance"
Zirui Zhao - Graduate Student
Feb 27, 2025 @ 12:30 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Allison Lopatkin, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Myelodysplastic Syndrome leads to loss of diversity and immunomodulatory capacity in human Bone Marrow Stromal Cells"
Adam Tyrlik - Graduate Student
Feb 27, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Laura Calvi, M.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Exploring the role of glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB) in a Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) model"
Raegan Myers - Graduate Student
Feb 20, 2025 @ 12:30 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Stephen R. Hammes, M.D., Ph.D.
MBI Student Seminar: "Investigating the role of lung resident macrophages during influenza infection"
Zoe Matacchiera - Graduate Student
Feb 20, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Felix Yarovinsky, M.D.
POSTPONED When good bugs go wild: The role of oral commensals in the development and treatment of chronic airway disease
Ryan Hunter, Ph.D. - Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
University of Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Feb 17, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Upper Auditorium (3-7619)
Host: Steven Gill, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Role of innate immunity in farming lifestyle protection against food allergy"
Sophie Troyer - PhD Candidate
Feb 13, 2025 @ 12:30 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Kirsi Järvinen-Seppo, M.D., Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Nearest Neighbor Parameters for RNA Sequences Including Pseudouridine and N1-Methyl-Pseudouridne"
Thandolwethu Shabangu - PhD Candidate
Feb 13, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: David Mathews, M.D., Ph.D.
MBI 501Student Seminar: "The effect of CCL3 on T cell populations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) bone marrow microenvironment (BMME)"
Kevin Li - PhD Candidate
Feb 06, 2025 @ 12:30 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Benjamin Frisch, Ph.D. & Scott Gerber, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Investigating pathogenic CD4+ T cell subpopulations to prevent the progression of the atopic march"
Abby He - PhD Candidate
Feb 06, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Kirsi Järvinen-Seppo, M.D., Ph.D.
MBI Faculty Candidate: "Decoding the Interactions Between Ultrasmall Epibiotic Bacteria and Their Hosts"
Yaxi Wang, Ph.D. - Postdoctoral Scholar and Acting Instructor, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Feb 03, 2025 @ 2:30 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Steve Gill, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Replication of RNA-like plasmids in bacteria"
Maedeh Aghahosseini; Sarah Eckl - PhD Candidate, Immunology, Microbiology, and Virology Ph.D. Program
Jan 30, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Andrew Varble, PhD and Advisor: Scott Gerber, PhD
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "T cell dysfunction during implant-associated S. aureus osteomyelitis"
Katya McDonald - PhD Candidate, Immunology, Microbiology and Virology PhD Program
Jan 23, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Gowrishankar Muthukrishnan, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Elucidating host factors responsible for the silencing of HIV-1 DNA in the centromere"
Stephanie Renner - PhD Candidate, Immunology, Microbiology, and Virology Ph.D. Program
Jan 16, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Yiping Zhu, Ph.D.
MBI Student Seminar: "Characterizing Immune Cell Heterogeneity and CD4+ T Cell Dynamics in Pediatric Allergy"
Natalie Vance - PhD Candidate
Jan 09, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Juilee Thakar, Ph.D
IL-9 in the Allergic Lung
Mark H. Kaplan, Ph.D. - Chair, Dept. Microbiology & Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine
Jan 06, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Upper Auditorium (3-7619)
The New Issue of Opportunities to Explore is Out Now!
Monday, December 8, 2025
Read the December 8-12, 2025 Issue
Where Research and Mentorship Shine: Highlights from the 2025 GEPA Awards
Monday, October 6, 2025
with members of the Graduate Student Society after receiving the GSS Mentoring Award.
Each year, the School of Medicine & Dentistry’s Office for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs honors the people who advance discovery and inspire others to do the same. The 2025 GEPA Awards Ceremony, held on October 1, recognized outstanding contributions in research and mentorship across our research community.
Below is the full list of awardees.
GEPA Awards 2025
Faculty Awards
| Award | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring | Mohammad Mehrmohammadi, PhD |
| Outstanding Graduate Program Director | Christopher Seplaki, PhD |
Postdoc Awards
| Award | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Outstanding Postdoc Mentor | Erin Davis, PhD |
| Outstanding Postdoc Researcher | Sonali Sharma, PhD |
| Community Impact & Advocacy Postdoc Award | Kathryn Toffolo, PhD |
Graduate Student Awards
| Award | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Graduate Alumni Fellowship | Jessica Fiser, Neuroscience |
| Community Impact & Advocacy Graduate Student Award | Sophie Troyer, Microbiology and Immunology |
| Irving L. Spar Fellowship | Catrin Zharyy, Neuroscience |
| J. Newell Stannard Scholarship | Jiwon Choi, Neuroscience |
| Merritt and Marjorie Cleveland Fellowship | Jessica Ogu, Neuroscience |
| Outstanding Student Mentor | Michael Giannetto, Neuroscience |
GSS Awards
| Award | Recipient |
|---|---|
| GSS Advocacy Award | Richard Libby, PhD |
| GSS Mentoring Award | Ruth Serra-Moreno, PhD |
| GSS Recognition Award | Leah Brown |
T32 Award
| Recipient |
|---|
| Mike McDermott, PhD |
| Robert Holloway, M.D., M.P.H. |
Fellowships & Scholarships
| Award | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Provost Fellowship | Jonathan Williams, Neuroscience |
| Provost Fellowship | Penelope Pando, Toxicology |
| Meliora Scholarship | Hiba Ahmed, Epidemiology |
| Meliora Scholarship | Jessica Ogu, Neuroscience |
| Meliora Scholarship | Jihad Gadsden, Pathology |
| Meliora Scholarship | Rosebell Onuma, Toxicology |
Celebrating the Legacy of David Oakes, PhD
Friday, October 3, 2025
Last month, colleagues, collaborators, and former mentees from near and far came together to honor a scholar, mentor, and colleague whose impact has been felt across generations: David Oakes, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Biostatistics and Computational Biology.
For more than four decades, David’s work has advanced both science and people. His pioneering contributions to survival analysis have shaped the way we understand clinical trials and patient outcomes, and his collaborations with neurologists, cardiologists, and environmental health researchers have directly influenced new FDA-approved therapies.
But what stood out most at his retirement celebration were the stories of mentorship and humanity.
Steve Dewhurst, Vice Dean for Research, reflected on how David’s career has been defined not only by impactful science but also by the collaboration that made it possible.
“What makes you special is the collaboration you’ve done in your career,” he said. “Your work has led to FDA therapeutics. And the mentorship you’ve provided—former trainees speak so highly of you. You’ve built a true legacy.”
Amita Manatunga, Professor of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics at Emory University, and David’s first PhD student in the U.S., recalled his thoughtfulness as both a mentor and a person. She described him as “a true British gentleman, straight out of Masterpiece Theatre.” Soft-spoken but deliberate, “every comment mattered.”
She shared a story of when her son was born at Strong Memorial Hospital on the very day her dissertation proposal was due. David visited her and reassured her that presenting could wait. “He was the first guest my son ever saw,” she said. “David truly launched my career, and I will always be grateful for the start he gave me.”
In his own remarks, David showed his trademark wit. “Of course I did it all by myself,” he said before humbly crediting mentors such as Sir David Cox, as well as longtime colleagues Ira Shoulson and Arthur Moss for shaping his path.
University of Rochester Medical Center CEO and SMD Dean David Linehan, MD, wrote in his tribute, “Your impact, particularly in shaping what is now the Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, is truly immeasurable. Your groundbreaking work has led to advances in the treatment of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders, benefiting the scientific community and patients around the world.”
David leaves behind not only a body of scholarship but also a legacy of people, ideas, and collaborations that will continue to thrive.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Oakes on a remarkable career and wishing him joy in his retirement.
Building the Blueprint: SMD Graduates Its First Genetic Counseling Master’s Students
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
From left to right: Kimberly Fluet, Emily Calamaro, Abigail Hamilton, Emily Miller, Elizabeth Masteller, Srinka Arora, Jordan Lehman, Ben McPherson, and Audrey Schroeder.
One small step across the commencement stage, one big milestone for the School of Medicine and Dentistry. We’re proud to celebrate the first graduating class of our genetic counseling master’s students.
“We’ve reached a few big milestones during development and implementation of the program,” said program director Audrey Schroeder. “Welcoming our first cohort of students in fall 2023 and now celebrating their graduation is especially meaningful for our faculty, clinical partners, and the broader genetics community.”
MSGC graduate Emily Miller speaking during the Master’s and
Advanced Certificate Commencement Ceremony on May 17, 2025
Our Master’s in Genetic Counseling is the first accredited genetic counseling master’s program in upstate New York and helps meet a growing need for highly trained professionals who can guide patients through complex genetic information and its impact on their health.
Students benefit from close collaboration with a wide range of genetics professionals at URMC, which is home to the largest number of clinical genetics professionals of any health care system in upstate New York. Through hands-on learning and clinical rotations, they gain experience in specialties including reproductive genetics, cancer genetics, cardiogenetics, neurogenetics, ocular genetics, inherited metabolic disorders, and more.
“The University of Rochester has been an ideal training site,” Schroeder added. “Our students work directly with genetics experts and have access to the full array of resources and support available through the School of Medicine and Dentistry.”
The milestone graduation was highlighted during the master’s and advanced certificate commencement ceremony, where a member of the inaugural class, Emily Miller, served as student speaker.
“Although only six of us in this room are actually earning the title ‘genetic counselor’ today,” she said, “each person before me exemplifies traits that are key to successful genetic counseling and key to a successful professional career of any kind: innovation, compassion, perseverance, and optimism.
The program welcomed its second cohort of seven students in the fall of 2024 and is poised for continued growth
“Our graduates will go on to improve health care and access locally, nationally, and internationally,” said Schroeder. “We look forward to seeing the contributions they will make to the field of genetics and to the patients they will serve.”
Honoring excellence in mentoring, teaching, and research
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Join us in congratulating this year's SMD faculty award winners!
SMD Faculty Mentoring Awards
Trainee Academic Mentoring Award in Clinical Programs
Joseph A. Nicholas, MD, MPH, ’01M (Res)
Professor of Medicine, William and Sheila Konar Family Professor in Geriatrics, Palliative Medicine and Person-Centered Care
Trainee Academic Mentoring Award in Basic Science
Marissa Sobolewski Terry, PhD
Assistant Professor of Environmental Medicine and Neuroscience
Faculty Academic Mentoring Award
Anne C. Nofziger, MD, ’00M (Res)
Associate Professor of Family Medicine
Lifetime Mentoring Award
Gary R. Morrow, PhD, ’88 (MS)
Professor of Surgery and Radiation Oncology, Dean’s Professor
Newly Named Professorships
Haggerty-Friedman Professor in Developmental/Behavioral Pediatric Research
- Suzannah J. Iadarola, PhD
- Ralph W. Prince Professor in Medicine Stephen R. Judge, MD ’06M (Res)
- Denham S. Ward, MD, PhD Professor Michael J. Scott, MB, ChB
- E. Philip Saunders Distinguished Professor Michael D. Maloney, MD, ’97M (Res)
- Pluta Professor in Breast Care
Anna C. Weiss, MD
Dean's Professors
Dean’s Professor, Public Health Sciences
- Elaine L. Hill, PhD
- Dean’s Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Biophysics
- Mitchell R. O’Connell, PhD
Dean's Teaching Fellow Awards
- Annabel S. Fu, MD, ’11M (MD), ’15M (Res) (Psychiatry)
- Karlo J. Lizarraga Mendoza, MD, MS (Neurology, Neuroscience)
- Sarah E. McConnell, PhD, ’10M (MS), ’13M (PhD) (Neuroscience)
- Erica O. Miller, MD, ’18M (Flw) (Medicine, Pediatrics)
#URochesterResearch