Two Department of Pathology PhD candidates have been awarded the prestigious the Paul and Lauren Ghaffari Fellowship. The $5,000 stipend to support research is given annually to just four to outstanding graduate students across Duke pursuing studies related to oncology.
Recipient Alexandra “Xanne” Miggelbrink is a fifth-year Pathology PhD candidate. She also works in Dr. Peter Edward Fecci’s lab focusing on the role of CD4 T cells in anti-tumor immunity. After she graduates, she would like to continue pursuing a career in translational medicine and immunology.
Amelia Schirmer is a doctoral candidate in her third year of pursuing her PhD in the Pathology Department. She works in the laboratory of Everardo Macias, PhD, to elucidate the roles of novel kinase targets and molecular pathways in prostate cancer. After graduating, Schirmer plans to continue to conduct research in the field of oncology to uncover molecular mechanisms of cancer pathology by pursuing a post-doctoral position at a top-tier research institution.
Schirmer also serves as an Office of Biomedical Graduate Education (OBGE) Administrative Assistant fellow, and shared her perspectives about her role in OBGE this semester with Erika Crosby, the RCR Curriculum Manger. Click here to read their Q&A.