
Jump to: Current Year Making Memories

VBC has done well at the annual Graduate Research Day. Congratulations to all of our winners – well done and well deserved!
Yoichi Ono, MD, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Belin de Chantemele’s laboratory - Award for Excellence
in Research by a Postdoctoral Fellow for Oral Presentation, 2nd place
Mitch Shivers, PhD Candidate in Dr. David Fulton’s laboratory - Award for Excellence in Vascular Biology Research
or Poster Presentation
Xiaochun Long, PhD, Distinguished Research Award
Sandy Ferguson, Grant Officer, Outstanding Staff Member Award
Tamasy Roy, PhD Student in Dr. Gabor Csanyi's laboratory - Tapan Chatterjee Award for Excellence in Vascular
Biology Research
Beryl Khakina, PhD Candidate in Dr. Belin de Chantemele’s laboratory - Fisher Scientific & Phi Kappa Phi Award
for Excellence in Biomedical Research.
Maryam Rezaei Gazik, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Jie Li's laboratory - Award for Excellence in Research by a Postdoctoral Fellow
for Poster Presentation, 3rd place (Not photographed)

The recipient of the Dr. Tapan Chatterjee Memorial Award is Tamasi Roy in recognition
of research excellence at the 41st Annual Graduate Research Day.
(photo) Tamasi Roy
Tamasi Roy, PhD Student in Dr. Gabor Csanyi’s lab, received the Tapan Chatterjee Memorial Award for research excellence in Vascular Biology by a graduate student for project “Mechanisms of Portal Vein Remodeling In Liver Diseases.”

Thank you, Cindy, for 40 years of dedication to MCG, including 25 years at the VBC!
Cindy Tuttle and Kimberly Mims (right) .

Dr. Tzung Hsiai, Professor, UCLA School of Engineering, with 2nd year PhD student Stephen Addo.


Beryl Khakina, PhD
PhD student in Dr. Eric Belin de Chantemele’s lab, received the Best Oral Presentation for a Graduate Student at the breakout Conference for Black Physiologists.

Ishara Menik, PhD
PhD student in Dr. Eric Belin de Chantemele’s lab received the Research Recognition Award.

Yoichi Ono, MD, PhD
A postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Eric Belin de Chantemele’s lab was a finalist in the Cardiovascular Section for Out Standing Postdoctoral Trainee competition.

Varsha Tandra, PhD
A postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Jie Li’s lab, received the Research Recognition Award for her project: “Deciphering the cardioprotective role of UFM1 modification in cardiac physiopathological remodeling”.

Josue Zambrano-Carrasco, PhD
A PhD student in Dr. Huabo Su’s lab, he was a finalist in the Cardiovascular Section for Outstanding Graduate Trainee competition.





Dhruvi Paladiya, a 3rd year medical student, and Mai Yamamoto, a post-doc, from Dr. Ruth Caldwell lab, were awarded for presenting the best posters at the "4th annual Culver Vision Discovery Institute Savannah River Eye Meeting" carried out in Summerville Campus Ballroom, March 26, 2025.
Dhruvi Paladiya’s project title “Differential effects of inhibiting ACAT1 on VEGF expression in diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity.”
Mai Yamamoto’s project title “Novel Role of Acyl-CoA: Cholesterol Acyltransferase 1/Sterol O-acyltransferase 1 (ACAT1/SOAT1) in Ischemic Retinopathies”
Left to right: Dr. Steven Brooks (Department Chair of Ophthalmology and Co-Director of Vision Discovery Institute). Harry Henry-Ojo (graduate student). Budkin, Stepan (Graduate Research Assistant). Mai Yamamoto (Postdoctoral Fellow). Dhruvi Paladiya, (third-year medical student). Yutao Liu, PhD, Professor, Cellular Biology & Anatomy.
Dr. Syed Adeel Zaidi
We are very happy to share the exciting news with Dr. Syed Adeel Zaidi’s Career Development Award from the American Heart Association. The title of the project is Role of Ornithine Decarboxylase in Retina Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury. The Award will be for three years from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2028. His mentor for this CDA award is Dr. Ruth Caldwell. Congratulations to Dr. Zaidi and his mentor Dr. Caldwell! We look forward to your progress in research and career development.
Yusra Zaidi, PhD, postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Brian Stansfield’s lab, was selected to be a Fellow of the 2025 ARVO Science Communication Training Fellowship. ARVO Members-in-Training are recognized for their passion for the role of science in the world and their desire to learn how to improve their science communication and science advocacy skills.
Congratulations!
Gather here, there & everywhere.

29th Krakow Conference on Endothelium | Krakow, Poland 2024
29th Krakow Conference on Endothelium | Krakow, Poland 2024Enhance the research taking place at Augusta University.
Your philanthropic gift towards support for the Vascular Biology Center at Augusta University allows our outstanding researchers, scientists and clinicians the resources needed in their tireless quests to find treatments, cures, and the next scientific breakthroughs.