1. New President and Dean

Following the retirement of President Emeritus Betty Drees, M.D., the Stowers Graduate School announced former Dean and Stowers Investigator Matt Gibson, Ph.D. as its new President. Gibson is dedicated to continuing the excellence in education and the learning experience for predoctoral researchers. Investigator Jennifer Gerton, Ph.D., succeeds Gibson as the new Dean and is enthusiastic about further shaping the Graduate School’s robust life sciences curriculum.

2. Predocs publish research

Eight predoctoral researchers published first-author scientific papers this year, with two publications featured as press releases. Recent graduate Augusto Ortega Granillo, Ph.D., from the lab of Stowers Institute President and Chief Scientific Officer Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado, Ph.D., discovered a critical timing factor helping African killifish tail fin regeneration. The findings are a step toward closing the gap on how we could one day deploy regenerative medicine in humans. Current Predoctoral Researcher Luciana Castellano from the lab of Associate Investigator Ariel Bazzini, Ph.D., uncovered surprising strategies for how viruses like dengue and SARS-CoV-2 infect their hosts, namely by using a different subset of genetic “words.” A greater understanding of the rules viruses follow may potentially aid in developing novel treatments and vaccines. Read more about our other publications here.

3. 2024 Incoming Ph.D. Program Class

Ten talented early-career scientists joined the Stowers Graduate School as the newest class of predoctoral researchers. Mentored by renowned Principal Investigator scientists and Technology Center experts, predocs receive exceptional research training and experience to guide their development into the next generation of scientific leaders. Each member of the class will identify a novel biological question to answer in pursuit of a doctoral degree.

4, Graduation ceremony

The Stowers Graduate School celebrated four predoctoral researchers’ successful completion of their Ph.D. program requirements in a ceremony held in May. Sharien Fitriasari, Ph.D., Emma Moore, Ph.D., Júlia Peloggia de Castro, Ph.D., and Kai Zhang, Ph.D., are the newest graduates, joining the school’s 29 alumni.

5. The unique origins and nature of the Graduate School

A new series features the distinct nature of the Stowers Graduate School, a school founded on immersive research and collaboration, an innovative curriculum, and a willingness to take chances. Learn more about the school’s origins and distinct nature from former and founding Dean and Investigator Scott Hawley, Ph.D., and Graduate School President Emeritus Betty Drees, M.D.

6. Inaugural Computational Biology Scholars

Two early-career scientists joined as inaugural Computational Biology Scholars, a one-year fellowship geared toward performing cutting-edge, collaborative, and multidisciplinary computational science in the Midwest. The scholars are gaining mentored, hands-on training from computational scientists in the Technology Centers while answering key biological questions within an Investigator lab. Learn more about Scholars Ojong Besong and Alejandro Diaz de la Vega Gonzalez and their experiences thus far.

7. Stowers Summer Scholars

Twenty undergraduates spent the summer immersed in graduate level scientific research at the Stowers Institute. The program is a rigorous internship that provides Summer Scholars with valuable hands-on research experience and scientific knowledge that will enable them to be competitive candidates when applying to graduate school.