Graduate School honors outstanding alumni, research

Published on Monday, October 28, 2024

By: Danny Barrett Jr., dlbarrett@umc.edu

Photos By: Melanie Thortis and Jay Ferchaud/ UMMC Communications

Leaders in drug discovery and prenatal research were honored with alumni awards by the School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences at its annual combined Distinguished Alumni Ceremony and Research Day.

Dr. Christine Schnackenberg, executive director and head of complex models of the respiratory and immunology biology unit at GlaxoSmithKline, received the Distinguished Alumna Award.

Dr. Jessica L. Faulkner, an assistant professor in the Department of Physiology and Department of obstetrics and gynecology at the Medical College of Georgia, received the Early Career Achievement Award.

“This institution has trained so many distinguished scientists, so thank you, UMMC!” Schnackenberg said, as she also extended thanks to her PhD mentor, former SGSHS dean, Dr. Joey Granger, who introduced her at the event. “[He] encouraged me, challenged me, kept me laughing, introduced me to some delicious dishes, mentored me even after graduation and has been my role model for what an outstanding scientific leader truly is.”

Schnackenberg earned a PhD in physiology and biophysics from UMMC after receiving her undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University.

Faulkner earned a PhD in medical pharmacology at UMMC, then completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Vascular Biology Center in Augusta, Georgia. In 2021, she began her research program focusing on mechanisms whereby pregnant women develop endothelial dysfunction, hypertension, fetal growth restriction and other adverse events.

“I really found a supportive environment in my lab and other supportive colleagues in other departments that propelled me toward my PhD,” Faulkner told graduate students in attendance of her time in Dr. Babette LaMarca’s pharmacology lab at UMMC. “So, my take-home message to the graduate students in the room is when you encounter struggles, don’t keep it to yourself. Lean on your networks, the people you know in scientific societies, your graduate school and your program directors. They’re here to move your career forward. They want you to succeed.”

It’s the second year for the early achievement award, created to recognize the accolades of young graduates. To qualify, alumni must be no more than five years beyond graduation or post-doctoral fellowship training.

Schnackenberg has led several global initiatives during her 24 years in her current role at GSK, including drug discovery programs in cardiovascular, metabolic, renal and neurodegenerative conditions. She has also led research teams in human stem cells, complex in vitro models, in vivo model development and application to preclinical drug discovery.

She credited her career success to those who she said nudged her toward a career in medical research – specifically, “a painter, a professor, a polio victim, a Cajun and an officer in training in the Hungarian army during World War II.” The professor and polio victim, respectively, were her professor at Vanderbilt University and Dr. Arthur Guyton, author of the Textbook of Medical Physiology, which she used during her undergraduate work. The Cajun was Granger, she said.

“All but the painter became scientific leaders in their fields,” she said. “My path toward a career in research began when my mom’s painter told her about a problem he’d been having with his memory during his long career painting houses. I used my ninth grade science project to find out why.”

She was approached by a former military officer after giving a presentation in 1998 at Georgetown University and was pitched the idea of pursuing a research job in the pharmaceutical industry.

“At first, I wasn’t interested,” she said. “But the following year, he approached me again after a talk. Those serendipitous meetings with the former officer in training with the Hungarian army who later became in integrated physiologist changed my career path.”

Working 24 years for GSK has brought “frequent changes in my research direction and management, which brings with it new opportunities for growth, new teams to work with, new scientists to learn from, new challenges to address and new questions to ask,” she said.  

She challenged the room of white-coated students and post-doctoral fellows to find their “north star” as she did, one that can strengthen their curiosities and build resilience when efforts don’t succeed initially. 

“To my fellow trainees at UMMC, I ask you what is your north star? What motivates you to persevere after your paper or grant is rejected? Or if your first job offer is slow in coming? How will you remain resilient and passionate about what brought you to UMMC?”

Dr. Lee Bidwell, associate vice chancellor for research, touted the success of the research mission at the Medical Center, one that in fiscal 2024 produced 369 funded projects garnering $117.9 million, produced the second-highest level of grant awards in the center’s history.

“We had a really great year in 2024,” Bidwell said. “If you exclude some supplementary CARES Act funding we had in 2021, then this year was our best year on record. We also published over 1,000 papers as an institution last year. Just know it’s not lost on me a large portion of the work that goes into all that science funded by all those dollars is done by our grad students and postdoctoral fellows. I encourage you to keep it going and keep doing great work.”

He also encouraged students to persevere and use the time they have left as students to find their research passion.

“Grad school can be difficult and you can be overwhelmed at times,” he said. “But, I encourage you to take a 30,000-foot view of this point in your career stage. It’s the time in your scientific career where you have the most opportunity to focus in on a research problem and generate new knowledge about the world we live in.”

A special thanks went out to administrative staff and individual program directors at SGSHS for routinely guiding graduate students to successful careers.

“I promise you, your students and the faculty appreciate all of your hard work, as well as graduate staff,” Dr. Sydney Murphy, SGSHS dean.

The SGSHS presented 15 students and fellows with awards for their presentations.

Oral Winners
Komal Beeton, Microbiology and Immunology
Andrew Milner, Experimental Therapeutics and Pharmacology
Dr. Nathan Campbell, Experimental Therapeutics and Pharmacology 

Poster Winners
Dr. Xing Fang, Pharmacology and Toxicology
Jordan Hart, Physiology and Biophysics
Ahmed Abdelhameed, Cell and Molecular Biology
Jelina Basnet, Cell and Molecular Biology
John Crawford, Microbiology and Immunology
Breland Crudup, Physiology and Biophysics
Ashley Johnson, Experimental Therapeutics and Pharmacology
A’Kaychia Lowery, Neuroscience
Juliana Sitta, Biomedical Sciences-Biomedical Imaging
Youness Touissi, Neuroscience
Dr. John Agbo, Pharmacology and Toxicology 
Dr. Eliseu Moreira, Neurology and Human Behavior/Psychiatry