UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

01/15/2025

From coast to campus, our faculty, staff and students have been on the road (and air) this fall, connecting with prospective students and sharing about their journey of discovery at UT Southwestern. ✨💙

At UTSW, we believe in the power of following your spark — and we’re here to help you nurture it into something extraordinary.

Where will your spark take you? Learn more about UT Southwestern's flourishing scientific research and medical community using the resources linked here: https://linktr.ee/utswgradschool

12/13/2024

With pride, we are excited to announce the face of the highly anticipated BRIDGE Curriculum! The graphic, designed by 1st Year Biomedical Engineering student, AP Wang was selected for the highly creative and detailed scientific motif that encapsulates the scientific training and foundational knowledge of the Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars here at UT Southwestern. The hybrid curriculum is slated to launch in Spring 2025 for our Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars.

We extend our congratulations and thanks to the many talented contestants for their incredible art submissions! The ability to blend creativity with science is no simple feat. Thanks to our friends in the Office of Communication, Marketing & Public Affairs for the gifts from institutional partners, F.C. Dallas! (Photo 2 Left to Right: AP Wang, Shu Kang, Ph.D., Leah Banks, Ph.D., Director of Graduate Career Development, Lauren McCormick, Ph.D.)

Swipe to the last slide to learn more about AP's design, and the significance of each element!

12/06/2024

This semester the Future Faculty Friday sessions packed lecture halls with essential insights and practical advice to help aspiring faculty, or those exploring academic careers, to navigate their unique trajectory with confidence and clarity! The Future Faculty Fridays program, a collaboration between the Graduate Career Development Office and Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, offering a monthly workshop series designed to support the early career development of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows aspiring to faculty roles. These workshops covered a range of topics designed to set future faculty up for success. Swipe through to check out the sessions hosted so far, and read below for recap details.

1. In May, trainees learned how to design their unique scientific brand with Supraja Varadarajan, Ph.D., discovering how to authentically market themselves in today’s competitive job market.
2. In June, Deirdre Brekken, Ph.D., and Leah Banks, Ph.D., shared key strategies for preparing for the academic job search, including tips on job postings, application documents, interviews, and negotiating offers.
3. July's session featured Ashley Solmonson, Ph.D., who broke down the academic faculty job cycle, offering invaluable tips on creating successful Faculty Packets and managing the process from start to finish.
4. A standout panel of junior and senior faculty members featuring Supraja Varadarajan, Ph.D., Luke Rice, Ph.D., Julie Pfeiffer, Ph.D., and Daniel Kober, Ph.D., provided personal insights on faculty interviews, including experiences from both sides of the search committee table.
5. Finally, Michael Rosen, Ph.D., packed the room to deliver an engaging workshop on how to deliver an effective chalk talk, breaking down the key components and best practices for this crucial part of the academic interview process.

Thank you to our faculty who lead these invaluable sessions that continuously offers our trainees attendees actionable tools, insider knowledge, and a supportive community to help them thrive on their journey to becoming future faculty members!

11/25/2024

Last week the Alliance of Women Scientists hosted a panel titled “How to Choose a Mentor” for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, featuring Tiffani Brisco (Organic Chemistry PhD Candidate, Tambar Lab), Ben Mauro, PhD, Tagliabracci Lab & Elena Purlyte, PhD, Tagliabracci Lab.

The panelists shared their experiences from the perspective of current graduate student and postdocs of how they found their mentor, even while across the pond! The audience asked inquisitive questions on how to navigate situations of uncertainty, and even guided each other on best practices of cold outreach to potential mentors and their current trainees that rounded out a fantastic session.

Some key takeaways include:
• Find the balance of a mentor who can equally challenge you, but support you through crucial development phases of your training
• When researching potential mentors, look at their trainee’s trajectory too! If you want to break into industry, a mentor who has a record of their trainees successfully placing in this sector will be vital to your opportunities, too.
• Understand your needs. How do you feel supported during challenges? What type of style of leadership will you flourish under?
• Say the quiet things out loud. Discuss vacation from the lab, expectations and ask about how they structured meetings for feedback early on — this will be a huge help to you later!

AWS, like many of our Student Orgs, consistently provide insightful opportunities for our trainees to bite into real-life situations that often aren’t taught in coursework. Panels like these create a sense of community, and remind trainees that no matter your journey to this point, UTSW students and trainees can count on support from their peers, mentors and larger institutional community.

Stay tuned for upcoming AWS sessions in Spring 2025!

11/21/2024

The 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition challenges PhD students to distill years of research into a compelling three-minute presentation that captivates and informs a non-specialist audience. It’s a showcase of innovation, expertise, and communication, highlighting the incredible work being done by students and researchers across diverse disciplines. This research communication competition was developed by The University of Queensland in 2008, and is now held in over 600 universities and institutions across 65 countries worldwide.

This year’s competition brought together talented individuals who demonstrated not only the depth of their research but also their ability to communicate complex ideas with clarity and passion. Congratulations to all participants for their impressive efforts and to the recognized winners who truly stood out with their inspiring and remarkable presentations!

A heartfelt thank you to our Judges and Blackstone LaunchPad for their ongoing support and for providing an inspiring venue at Pegasus Park to host this event. Your commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship continues to make opportunities like this possible.

1st Slide -- 3MT Winners (left to right)
Cody Tuftee, 2nd Place: "Cornea Glue. Don't Just Seal, Heal"
Irvin Garza, Audience Favorite: "Engineering AAV: An Amazing Virus for Gene Delivery"
Aleya Shedd, 3rd Place: "Overstimulated by Socks - Understanding Sensory Hypersensitivity in Fragile X Syndrome"
Collette Lavigne, 1st Place: "An RNA food chain controls body size"

2nd Slide -- 3MT Judges (left to right)
• Dr. Huiming Lu
• Dr. Alex Crofts
• Dr. Wes Burford
• Dr. Joyce Repa (right)
• Dr. Stuart Ravnik (right)

3rd Slide -- 3MT Final Round audience set before the competition

4th Slide -- Videographer's set up to record the competition. Stay tuned for the full video!

10/11/2024

The Graduate Career Development Office is hosting “Meet the GCD Team” on Monday, October 14th! We’d love to see our Graduate Students, Postdocs and Faculty too.

Dr. Leah Banks, Director of the Graduate Career Development Office will be chatting about the BRIDGE Curriculum, how it’ll serve our trainees in developing professionally, and as a competent, confident research scientist.

As we roll out The BRIDGE Curriculum, we are also opening a graphic design contest open to our students and postdocs! Stretch that creative muscle and drop by to learn more about the contest guidelines, and great prize!

Plus, we’ll have snacks + sweet treats to grab for lunch! 🫔🍪

10/10/2024

What an amazing night at Cidercade with our GSO Officers and fellow students! A huge thank you to everyone who came out to the GSO Fall Social—we had a charged turnout!

From epic arcade battles to catching up with peers, the energy in the room was electric⚡. It was great to see so many of our Graduate Students unwinding and making memories.

Did you capture your own photos? Be sure to tag us!

10/09/2024

09/24/2024

Introducing the new Grad Wellness Room! 🌿✨
The Graduate School, in partnership with Student Wellness & Counseling and our Provosts Office are proud to announce this dedicated space. A private oasis for graduate students and postdocs to prioritize their mental and physical health. To reserve the space, head to https://bit.ly/3XTNwOC
Whether you're scheduling telehealth appointments, counseling sessions, or simply taking a moment to recharge, this room is here for YOU. 🧘‍♀️💻 Wellness isn't a luxury—it's essential for success. Take care of yourself today, and let us support your journey.

09/24/2024

📢 Calling all grad students and postdocs!

Don't miss the upcoming NIH Fellowship Application Info Session! 🧬✨ Get the latest updates and best practices to ace your application ahead of the December 2024 submission deadline. Whether you're new to the process or looking to fine-tune your application, this session is packed with valuable insights.

📅 RSVP is required—email Dr. Joyce Repa to secure your spot!

09/13/2024

At UT Southwestern, our graduate trainees are mentored by expert faculty, receive multidisciplinary research training across the biomedical sciences and continue to push the boundaries of scientific progress.

Are you ready to join the innovative research + education of the next generation of scientists?

Request more information at www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/graduate-school/request

The goal of the Graduate School is to provide students with the tools, skills, and support necessary to forge a solid foundation upon which they can build su...