Trainee News

Hawgood and Prochazka awarded Lung Cancer Initiative fellowships

Bryony Hawgood, a Cell and Molecular Biology PhD student in the lab of Trudy Oliver, PhD, and Patrick Prochazka, a Molecular Cancer Biology PhD student in the lab of Christopher Counter, PhD, have Lung Cancer Initiative fellowships effective July 1, 2026. These one-year fellowships provide stipends to students across North and South Carolina "who wish to pursue a career in lung cancer research, diagnosis, treatment and/or care."

Office of Biomedical Graduate Education expands graduate research honors

Duke University School of Medicine celebrated excellence in graduate student education and discovery science at its 2026 Office of Biomedical Graduate Education (OBGE) Graduate Student Awards ceremony, an event that was expanded this year to recognize trainees at multiple stages of their research careers.

Barrington-Ham Awarded Hope Funds for Cancer Research Postdoctoral Fellowship

Chloe Barrington-Ham, PhD,, a postdoctoral associate in the lab of Alicia Darnell, PhD, has been awarded a three-year Hope Funds for Cancer Research Postdoctoral Fellowship, which provides an annual stipend and travel award to postdocs pursuing "highly innovative projects that challenge the traditional paradigms of understanding the causes, mechanisms, progression, disease markers or risk factors of the most difficult-to-treat cancers."

Weber Barbier Awarded Jo Rae Wright Fellowship for Outstanding Women in Science

Margaret Weber Barbier, a graduate student in the lab of Trudy Oliver, PhD, received the Jo Rae Wright Fellowship for Outstanding Women in Science. Created in memory of Jo Rae Wright, former dean of the Duke University Graduate School and professor of cell biology, medicine, and pediatrics, this fellowship recognizes one Ph.D. student in the biomedical sciences "whose research shows particular creativity and promise."

Nora Madaras Awarded AHA Predoctoral Fellowship

Nora Madaras, a PhD student in the lab of Laura Wingler, PhD in the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, has been awarded a 2026 American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship. This fellowship provide funding for stipend and project support for two years. 

PCB Retreat Showcases Research and Honors Trainees

The Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology held its annual retreat in October 2025 in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, bringing together faculty, trainees, and staff for two days of scientific exchange and recognition. Five faculty members and eleven trainees presented their work during three scientific sessions, and nearly 60 trainees showcased their projects in a judged poster session.