Congratulations to the 2020 McKnight Brain Institute Education & Outreach award recipients.
MBI Career Enhancement Award
Enables junior faculty and trainees to extend their research capabilities under their current extramural funding by providing supplemental funding.
Maryam Rahman, M.D., M.S.
Assistant professor of neurosurgery
UF College of Medicine
Project: Vaccines to reverse immunosuppression in malignant brain tumors
MBI Career Accelerator Award
Recipients earn funds to assist with preliminary data acquisition and subsequent R01 application.
Erica Dale, Ph.D.
Assistant professor of physiology and functional genomics
UF College of Medicine
Project: Induced neuroplasticity for enabling independent breathing efforts after upper cervical spinal cord injury
Leah Reznikov, Ph.D.
Assistant professor of physiological sciences
UF College of Medicine
Project: Central nervous system in plasticity in airway disease
Vinata Vedam-Mai, Ph.D.
Assistant professor of neurology
UF College of Medicine
Project: Metabolic response of glia to electrical stimulation using novel, real time, in situ microextraction mass spectrometry.
MBI Leadership Award
Awarded to postdoctoral fellows and assistant professors who demonstrate leadership in neuroscience research, education or outreach.
Cara Croft, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral associate in Dr. Todd Golde’s lab
Department of neuroscience
College of Medicine
Toffler Leadership Award
Recognize excellence in neuroscience research, outreach, and education by doctoral students.
Adithya Gopinath
Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Habibeh Khoshbouei’s lab
Department of neuroscience
UF College of Medicine
Kathleen Hupfeld
Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Rachael Seidler’s lab
Department of applied physiology and kinesiology
UF College of Health and Human Performance
Zachary Sorrentino
M.D., Ph.D. student
Department of neuroscience
Former member of Dr. Benoit Giasson’s lab
UF College of Medicine
Toffler Research Award
Helps young researchers at a pivotal point in their careers by creating a financial and networking support bridge to a phase where large research grants are more available.
Adithya Gopinath
Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Habibeh Khoshbouei’s lab
Department of neuroscience
UF College of Medicine
Project: CNS-to-periphery neuroimmune communication in the context of Parkinson’s disease
Binh Nguyen
M.D., Ph.D. student in Dr. Carol Mathews’ lab
Department of psychiatry
UF College of Medicine
Project: Examining neural correlates of reasoning performance in hoarding disorder
Yuxing Xia
M.D., Ph.D. student in Dr. Benoit Giasson’s lab
Department of neuroscience
UF College of Medicine
Project: Develop new antibodies that can be used as diagnostic tools and/or tau-targeting immunotherapy
MBI Fellowships
Funding is provided to graduate students seeking a doctoral degree or postdoctoral or clinical fellows who are pursing neuroscience research. This year, we partnered with several programs to provide additional research or career development funds.
MBI/Center for Neurogenetics Graduate Fellowship
Benjamin Kidd
Doctoral candidate in Dr. Maurice Swanson’s lab
Department of molecular genetics & microbiology
UF College of Medicine
Project: RNA dysfunction leading to progressive cerebral atrophy in myotonic dystrophy
MBI Graduate Fellowship in Neuromuscular Plasticity
Michele Singer
Doctoral candidate in Dr. David Fuller’s lab
Department of physical therapy
UF College of Public Health and Health Professions
Project: Gene therapy using adeno-associated virus for lingual motor dysfunction in Pompe disease
MBI/Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases Clinical Fellowship
Matthew Burns, M.D., Ph.D.
Senior movement disorders fellow in Dr. Barry Setlow’s lab
Department of neurology
UF College of Medicine
Project: Cognitive and affective network dysfunction and neuromodulation in aging and synucleinopathy
MBI/Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy Postdoctoral Fellowship
Christina von Roemeling, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral associate in Dr. Duane Mitchell’s lab
Department of neurosurgery
UF College of Medicine
Project: AAV gene therapy to promote effector immune cell trafficking in Glioblastoma
Trainee Enhancement Opportunity Award
Designed to provide training opportunities that are outside of the trainee’s program and which will position them to pursue a neuroscience career. Most applications focus on development of teaching, outreach, industry or research opportunities, but we also encourage creative ideas that fall outside of these categories.
Franjo Ivankovic-MacGibbon
Ph.D. student in Dr. Carol Mathews’ lab
Department of psychiatry
UF College of Medicine
Use: Attended the University of Washington Summer Institutes in Statistical Genetics program