Trainee News

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. 

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.

Read the Duke Graduate School Alumni Profiles Series with PCB alumna Julie Neubauer.

Nana Acheampong, a Pharmacology PhD student in the lab of Laura Wingler, PhD, and Patrick Prochazka, a Molecular and Cancer Biology PhD student in the lab of Christopher Counter, PhD, have been awarded Graduate Diversity Enrichment Program Awards by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. These competitive two-year, $5,000 awards provide "opportunities for greater science and research enrichment experiences."

Meet the newest cohort of students in the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology’s PhD programs. Each student brings a unique background and a passion for research. From neurodegenerative disease to nuclear medicine, their journeys reflect the depth and variety of scientific curiosity driving the next generation of scholars.Molecular Cancer Biology PhD ProgramDevin Lin

Ten trainees from across the Graduate School were selected to present at the 3-Minute Thesis finals competition on Monday, August 4th, and two PCB-affiliated students won big!

Bryony Hawgood, a Cell and Molecular Biology PhD student in the lab of Trudy Oliver, PhD, and Andrew Wang, a graduate Cell and Molecular Biology PhD student in the lab of Zhao Zhang, PhD, were selected as 2025-2026 School of Medicine 2nd year Dean’s Scholarship recipients. This award, which covers their stipend, tuition remission, and fees for the upcoming academic school year, recognizes their academic progress, scientific potential, and steadfast commitment to both professional development and PhD training. Additionally, it recognizes the invaluable accomplishments of their PIs, both PCB primary faculty, as esteemed mentors, scientists, and significant contributors to graduate education.

Congratulations to the six trainees who have been awarded fellowships: Michael Aiduk, Margaret Weber Barbier, Michael Caminear, Archan Chakraborty, Luke Izzo, and Hannah Thrash.

Congratulations to Victoria J. Parker Radosova, an incoming Pharmacology PhD student, who has been named Director of Events of the Duke Biomedical Graduate Student Council for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology is excited to introduce the Class of 2025. Molecular Cancer Biology (MCB)