The Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health (BIPH) is proud to support world-class summer programs that help undergraduate and graduate students grow as researchers.

BIPH recently welcomed its cohort of eight fellows for the summer of 2024. Selected students will train alongside leading Notre Dame faculty conducting interdisciplinary biomedical research.

BIPH acting director Matthew Webber said, “We are delighted to welcome our new cohort of summer fellows. For many of these fellows, this summer could be the first step in a research journey leading to discoveries that enhance and extend human life. We welcome these students to the Institute and look forward to their contributions to our work, our culture, and our community this summer.”

Webber, who is the Keating-Crawford Collegiate Professor of Engineering, added “I also want to thank all of the students who submitted applications this year. The quality of the proposals is an indication of the bright future that lies ahead for precision health research at the University of Notre Dame.”

The 2024 BIPH summer fellowship recipients are:

• Gena Dominique, a doctoral student in Chemistry and Biochemistry (Advisor: Sharon Stack, the Kleiderer-Pezold Professor of Biochemistry and Ann F. Dunne & Elizabeth Riley Director of the Harper Cancer Research Institute)

• Kurt Kohler, a doctoral student in Biological Science (Advisor: Ana Flores-Mireles, Janet C. and Jeffrey A. Hawk Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences)

• Julius Reitemeier, a doctoral student in Analytical Chemistry (Advisor: Paul Bohn, Arthur J. Schmitt Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry)

• Maksym Zarodniuk, a doctoral student in Bioengineering (Advisor: Meenal Datta, assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering)

The O’Brien Family Endowment for Excellence Fellowship

The O’Brien Family Endowment for Excellence Fellowship awards summer funding to one Notre Dame graduate student researching the development of biomedical tools and techniques, with a preference for research that addresses Parkinson’s disease or other neurodegenerative diseases.

This year’s O’Brien Fellow is Katalin Schäffer, a doctoral student in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (Advisor: Margaret Coad, assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering)

The Leiva Graduate Fellowship in Precision Medicine

The Leiva Graduate Fellowship in Precision Medicine awards summer funding to one outstanding Notre Dame student showing promise in the area of precision medicine research, acknowledging academic achievement, character, and qualities of leadership.

This year’s Leiva Graduate Fellow in Precision Medicine is Hyunsu Jeon, a doctoral student in Chemical Engineering (Advisor: Yichun Wang, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering).

The Berry Family Foundation Graduate Fellowships

This summer the Institute also welcomes two students who were selected to receive Berry Family Foundation Graduate Fellowships for 2024-25. This year’s fellows are:

• Thanh Khoa Nguyen, a doctoral student in Biomedical Sciences (Advisor: Rebecca Wingert, the Elizabeth and Michael Gallagher Associate Professor of Biological Sciences)

• Marlee Shaffer, a doctoral student in Environmental Engineering (Advisor: Kyle Bibby, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences)

For more information on the fellowships and other BIPH research opportunities, please visit precisionhealth.nd.edu/opportunities/.

About the Berthiaume Institute

The Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health at Notre Dame seeks to prevent and treat disease, promote wellness, and reduce health disparities by developing new tools to understand human variability at the molecular and cellular levels. Institute members conduct research into the molecular, cellular, and environmental factors underlying each person’s health, particularly those in underserved populations, and work to ensure new discoveries, data, and technologies benefit all populations.

Contact: Brett Beasley / Writer and Editorial Program Manager

Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame

bbeasle1@nd.edu / 574.631.8183

research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch

About Notre Dame Research

The University of Notre Dame is a private research and teaching university inspired by its Catholic mission. Located in South Bend, Indiana, its researchers are advancing human understanding through research, scholarship, education, and creative endeavor in order to be a repository for knowledge and a powerful means for doing good in the world. For more information, please see research.nd.edu or @UNDResearch.

Originally published by Brett Beasley at precisionhealth.nd.edu on June 06, 2024.