MMG Faculty Welcome New Doctoral Students

The event marked an important milestone as students formally joined their dissertation laboratories and began the next phase of their graduate training.

During the ceremony, faculty mentors recognized their new trainees and celebrated the start of their research careers. Assistant Professor Dani Brasino welcomed William Hawkins and Aidan Miller who will work on projects “Investigating the Role of Estrogen Metabolism in Mediating Gut Microbiome-Breast Cancer Relationships” and “Developing Prebiotics to Maximize Response to Immunotherapy for Cancer Treatment” respectively. Professor Sean Diehl welcomed Favour Ajibade whose project will be “New pandemic preparedness tools for dengue”. Professor Steven Roberts, with Alyssa Hurley filling in, welcomed Isabelle Mittelstadt whose project will be “Ultraviolet light-induced mutation signatures in Vermonter's skin.” Associate Professor of Pediatrics (secondary appointment in MMG) Ben Lee welcomed Nadim Sharif whose project will be “Immunity to Adeno Viruses Natural Infections in Children."

The new ceremony was created to recognize the transition from laboratory rotations to a permanent dissertation home. Similar in spirit to the White Coat Ceremonies held for medical students, the event highlights an important and often underrecognized milestone in graduate education.

As part of the celebration, faculty introduced their students and their research projects, presenting them with symbolic items representing their new lab communities. While traditional lab coats are one option, mentors were encouraged to select items that reflect the culture and personality of their laboratories, ranging from lab T-shirts and coffee mugs to safety glasses and other meaningful tokens.

Congratulations to all new students (and mentors) on this beginning of their dissertation research!