Beckman Scholars
2014-2015
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VU Beckman Scholar: Zachary Carter
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VU Beckman Scholar Mentor: Jeff Johnston, Stevenson Professor of Chemistry |
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VU Beckman Scholar: Ravi Chintapalli Ravi Chintapalli is a rising senior at Vanderbilt University, studying Molecular and Cellular Biology. Hailing from Omaha, NE, Ravi actually began to act on his interests in the world of biological research during high school. At the University of Nebraska Medical Center, he was involved in research to design anticancer small molecular inhibitors. Upon completing early coursework at Vanderbilt, he developed a particular interest in basic anatomy and physiology of living organisms, ultimately leading to the Hillyer lab at Vanderbilt University, which specializes in the analysis of mosquito physiology and their role in transmitted infectious diseases. It is here that he became involved in characterization of mosquito wing APOs, an organ that the scientific community has largely ignored in the past. Upon completing his undergraduate work at Vanderbilt, he plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. dual degree, and continue work in the world of anatomy. |
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VU Beckman Scholar Mentor: Julián F. Hillyer, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Dr. Hillyer received his B.A. in Biology from the University of Chicago in 1996. He moved to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where in 1999 he earned an M.S. in Veterinary Science under the guidance of Dr. Ralph Albrecht, and in 2004 a Ph.D in Comparative Biomedical Sciences under the mentorship of Dr. Bruce Christensen. From 2004 to 2007 Dr. Hillyer was a post-doctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Kenneth Vernick (now at Institut Pasteur) at the University of Minnesota, and in 2007 he joined Vanderbilt University as an Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences. Dr. Hillyer's long-term interests lie in the biology of pathogens in the mosquito hemocoel (body cavity), focusing on aspects of immunology and circulatory physiology that limit systemic infections. In this quest, the Hillyer lab employs imaging and molecular approaches to expand our understanding of the biology of mosquito hemocytes (immune blood cells), and the propulsion of hemolymph (insect blood) throughout the hemocoel. |
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