Pharmacology and Toxicology PhD Students
Pharmacology and Toxicology PhD Students
The Pharmacology and Toxicology Department has a vibrant community of trainees consisting of PhD and MS graduate students, post-baccalaureate students, and postdoctoral fellows from across the country (and the world). Our student organization, the Association for Pharmacology and Toxicology Students welcomes all trainees, in addition to staff who are thinking about pursuing a graduate degree, to their events.
We are pleased to welcome three new PhD students to the department this summer, including Sannidhi Poojary (DePaula-Silva Lab), Stephen Crawford (Peterson Lab), and Augie Wheeler (Hong Lab).
The Pharmacology and Toxicology Department typically hosts a Trainee Research in Progress (RIP) Seminar twice a month. PHTX PhD students and Post Docs present during this hour-long seminar, and snacks are provided. All are invited to attend. RIPS are from 12pm-1pm. Please contact Julie Callahan to be added to the RIP calendar.
2026 Trainee News
Pharmacology and Toxicology PhD Students
Research: Dual TCR CD8 T cell and their role in Multiple Sclerosis
I am studying the viral aspect of multiple sclerosis development, specifically how viral induced CD8 T cells become self reactive against myelin and cause axon damage. To do this, I will be using the mouse model of TMEV-induced demyelinating disease.
Previous Education: Brigham Young University, BS Microbiology
Faculty Mentor: Bia DePaula-Silva, PhD
Fellowships: 2026 Donald R. Gehlert Fellowship
Dissertation: Determining the role of E3 ligase-substrate interation networks during early development
We have developed a microfluidics-based, high-throughput in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 genetic screening platform (MIC-Drop) that can be coupled to multiple downstream phenotypic readouts to examine gene function at a large scale in a vertebrate system. There are 634 human E3s, many of which have not been thoroughly characterized because of the complexity of the ubiquitin system and a lack of high-throughput technologies to study it have hindered the elucidation of the functions of the majority of E3s in early development. We propose to advance the understanding of the functional roles of E3s during early development by using MIC-Drop to mutagenize all E3 ligase orthologs in the zebrafish, perform morphometric evaluations of the mutagenized larvae to pinpoint E3-induced developmental changes and investigate the mechanisms of E3/E3-substrate pair function in development using both proteomics and classical biochemical approaches.
Previous Education: University of Utah, BS Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology
Faculty Mentor: Randall Peterson, PhD
Traineeships: T32 Developmental Biology Recipient 2023-2025
Previous Education: Arizona State University, BS Health Sciences; University of Utah, MBA Business Administration
Faculty Mentor: Martin Golkowski, PhD
Previous Education: Brigham Young University, BS Biochemistry
Faculty Mentor: Randall Peterson, PhD
Research: Exploration and characterization of bacteriophage isolated from Great Salt Lake
Previous Education: University of Idaho, BA Chemistry
Faculty Mentor: Jaclyn Winter, PhD
Neuroscience PhD Student
Dissertation: Changes in structure and function of NG2-Glia during viral encephalitis
Theiler’s Murine Encephalomyelitis Virus (TMEV) is used to model virally induced seizures and epilepsy in mice. NG2-glia, also known as oligodendrocyte precursor cells, may contribute to the clearance of virus from the brain and may also contribute to seizure burden during acute infection. I am studying the synapses formed between NG2-glia and neurons, as well as the phagocytic activity of NG2-glia, in response to TMEV infection.
Previous Education: SUNY New Paltz
Faculty Mentor: Karen Wilcox, PhD
Traineeships: CTSI T32 Recipient, 2024-2026
Dissertation: Gut microbiota modulation of neuroinflammation and seizure susceptibility in viral encephalitis.
The gut microbiota plays a critical role in regulating immune responses and brain function. My research investigates how factors that alter the gut microbiota, including diet, influence seizure susceptibility and neuroimmune responses in a mouse model of viral encephalitis. By examining gut microbe-host interactions, this work seeks to understand how the microbiota regulates neuroimmune responses and seizure susceptibility during viral infection.
Previous Education: Oklahoma State University, BS Microbiology/Cell and Molecular Biology; MS Cell and Molecular Biology
Faculty Mentor: Bia DePaula-Silva, PhD
Fellowships: 2026 Wheeler Foundation Fellowship, 2026 University of Utah Graduate Research Fellow
Dissertation: Discovery of novel metallophores from great salt microorganisms
I am studying microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi from Great Salt Lake to identify novel metallophores. These are small molecules with the ability to chelate metals. I am specifically focusing on those with the ability to bind arsenic, mercury, lead, and selenium for use in bioremediation.
Undergraduate School: California State University, Los Angeles (BS Biochemistry)
Faculty Mentor: Jaclyn Winter, PhD
Fellowships and Awards: 2023 Donald R. Gehlert Fellowship, 2025 Doyle W. Stephens Award (Friends of the Great Salt Lake)
Dissertation: Extracellular Vesicle Physiology in the Conventional Outflow Pathway in Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a significant contributor to vision impairment and vision loss across the world, and lowering intraocular pressure is the current mainstay of treatment. The conventional outflow pathway is the major generator of resistance to aqueous humor outflow in the eye, and dysregulation of extracellular matrix homeostasis in glaucoma has been found to contribute to pressure buildup. Our lab is interested in understanding the role of extracellular vesicles in the pathological remodeling that occurs throughout the conventional outflow pathway in glaucoma.
Previous Education: University of North Carolina at Greensboro, BS Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies
Faculty Mentor: Fiona McDonnell, PhD
Fellowships: Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD Student)
Previous Education: University of Arizona, BS in Biology, Emphasis Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Martin Golkowski, Ph.D.
Research: Improving the efficiency of delivery of cardiac bridging integrator 1 (cBIN1) to cardiomyocytes
cBIN1 is pivotal in transverse tubule organization and calcium handling of cardiomyocytes. In heart failure, there is reduced cBIN1 levels, resulting in impaired calcium handling and heart muscle contraction. The Hong lab earlier reported that restoring cBIN1 levels in cardiomyocytes improves myocardial function in mice and minipigs heart failure models. My research focuses on efficiently targeting cBIN1 gene to cardiomyocytes using viral vectors. The aim is to reduce sequestration of cBIN1 in other organs and reduce the effective dose neede
Previous Education: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (Ghana), PharmD and MPhil
Faculty Mentor: TingTing Hong, PhD
Fellowships: 2026 Donald R. Franz Fellowship
Previous Education: Bombay College of Pharmacy, B.Pharm (India); Creighton University, MS Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Bia DePaula-Silva, PhD
Fellowships: Curci Fellowship 2025-2027
Dissertation: Mechanisms Underlying the Histone Modifier Kdm6b's Contribution to the Development of autism
My research focuses on understanding the mechanisms underlying the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by investigating the role of the histone modifier Kdm6b. Specifically, I aim to determine how Kdm6b influences social behavior by promoting GABAergic neuron development and enhancing the transcription of ASD risk genes through interactions with other chromatin remodelers. By elucidating these pathways, my work seeks to contribute to the development of more effective treatment for ASD, addressing the current gap in linking genetic variants to neuronal mechanisms.
Previous Education: Kharazmi University, BS Cell and Molecular Biology (Iran); Shahid Behesti University of Medical Sciences, MS Human Genetics (Iran)
Faculty Mentor: Randall Peterson, PhD
Fellowships: Fall 2024 and Fall 2025 Donald R. Gehlert Fellowship
Dissertation: Regulation of mitophagy by t-tubule microdomains in cardiomyocytes
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is marked by mitochondrial dysfunction and increased oxidative stress. To better understand the molecular basis for this dysfunction, I study the regulation of mitochondrial quality control by cardiomyocyte transverse-tubule microdomains. Restoration of t-tubule microdomains offers a potential therapeutic approach to restoring mitochondrial function.
Undergraduate School: Brigham Young University (BS in Molecular Biology)
Faculty Mentor: TingTing Hong, MD, PhD
Fellowships: F31 Recipient, 2025-2026 Skaggs Graduate Research Fellowship, 2025 Donald R. Franz Travel Scholarship Recipient
Dissertation: Discovery of Novel Antibiotic Peptides and Their Biosynthesis from Great Salt Lake Actinomycetota
From a combination of genomic, metabolomic, and activity-guided screening techniques, our preliminary data show that actinomycetota isolated from Great Salt Lake sediment represent unique evolutionary lineages with a wealth of undescribed biosynthetic potential and many have demonstrated activity against multidrug resistant ESKAPE pathogens. Their genomes contain several novel RiPP biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), including many lasso peptide and linaridin BGCs with previously unreported post-translational modification enzymes (PTMEs). My goals are to isolate these RiPPs in order characterize their structures and activities to describe their biosynthesis and characterize these potentially novel PTMEs.
Undergraduate School: Westminster College
Faculty Mentor: Jackie Winter, PhD
Fellowships: 2022-2023 Skaggs Graduate Research Fellowship
Previous Education: The College of Saint Scholastica, BA Biology
Faculty Mentor: Randall Peterson, PhD
Previous Education: Yeshiva University, BA in Biology
Faculty Mentor: Martin Golkowski, PhD
Research: Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying therapy resistance in hepatocellular and cholangiocarcinoma
My research focuses on uncovering how hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) cells adapt to evade chemotherapy and targeted therapies. Specifically, I study dynamic changes in the kinome that drive resistance, with an emphasis on temporal patterns of cell reprogramming. In parallel, I am developing an automated kinobead affinity purification-mass spectrometry (AP-MS) platform for high-throughput kinome profiling. This technology enables the discovery of kinases and signaling pathways that are rewired to promote resistance.
Previous Education: Towson University, BS Chemistry
Faculty Mentor: Martin Golkowski, PhD
Fellowships: Donald R. Franz Fellowship
Research: GLUT4 colocalization to the cBIN1 membrane
I am interested in understanding the mechanism behind cBIN1 gene therapy's ability to increase GLUT4 to the plasma membrane and how this can be leverage therapeutically.
Previous Education: University of Utah, BS Biology
Faculty Mentor: TingTing Hong, MD, PhD
PHTX Trainee News
