Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows
2022-2024 Nor Arabatlan (MS graduate student)
2020-2022 Jade Fachin (MS graduate student)
2017-2022 Jackie McCourt (postdoctoral fellow)
NIH T32 UPLIFT Training Fellow
2018-2020 Kara Shin (MS graduate student)
2015-2020 Cynthia Shu (PhD graduate student)
NIH T32 Virology and Gene Therapy Training Fellow
NIH T32 Muscle Cell Biology Training Fellow
2015-2017 Jesse Chin (MS graduate student)
2014-2020 Kristen Stearns-Reider, Ph.D., P.T. (postdoctoral fellow)
NIH T32 Muscle Cell Biology Training Fellow
2013-2020 Elizabeth Gibbs, Ph.D. (postdoctoral fellow)
NIH T32 Regenerative Musculoskeletal Postdoctoral Training Fellow
NIH NRSA F32 Award
2013-2017 Michelle Parvatiyar, Ph.D. (Assistant Project Scientist)
CureDuchenne Fellow
AHA Scientist Development Grant
2013-15 Vanitra Richardson, M.S. (PhD graduate student)
2012-13 Xiao Song, B.S. (MS graduate student)
2011-13 Jenny Kwok, B.S. (Veterinary School, University of Pennsylvania)
Departmental Teaching Fellowship
Excellence in Teaching Instruction Award
2008-12 Jamie L. Marshall, Ph.D. (Project Manager, Broad Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University)
Eureka Fellowship
NIH T32 Genetic Mechanisms Predoctoral Training Grant
Cure Congenital Muscular Dystrophy Travel Award
Edith Hyde Fellowship
Award for Best Poster Presentation, Myomatrix Conference, 2012
NIH T32 Regenerative Musculoskeletal Postdoctoral Training Grant
2009-10 Alhondra Solares, Ph.D. (Postdoctoral Fellow, INSERM, France)
CONACYT Fellowship from University of Mexico for Visiting Scholars
2008-10 Michelle Kim, M.S. (Medical Student, University of Florida School of Medicine)
Departmental Teaching Fellowship
2008-11 Johan Holmberg, M.S., Ph.D. (Junior Faculty, University of Lund, Sweden)
Swedish-American Research and Education Foundation, declined
Tegger Foundation Fellowship
Swedish Research Council Fellowship
Royal Physiographic Society of Lund Research Award
2007-09 Aditi Iyengar, M.S. (Research Scientist, Peregrine Pharmaceuticals)
Departmental Teaching Fellowship
2006-08 Christopher Ko, M.S. (Postdoctoral Fellow with James Weiss, M.D., Ph.D. UCLA)
Interdepartmental Training Grant in MCIP
2005-07 Swapan Metha, M.S., MBA (Manager, PharmaVoxx)
NIH T32 Interdepartmental Training Grant in MCIP
2003-07 Angela K. Peter, Ph.D. (Postdoctoral Fellow in Cardiomyopathy with Leslie Leinwand, Ph.D, HHMI Professor, Univ. Colorado, Boulder)
American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship
Best Oral Presentation at MCIP Retreat
NIH T32 Interdepartmental Training Grant in MCIP
Ursula-Mandel Fellowship
Edith Hyde Fellowship
2002-08 Gaynor Miller, Ph.D. (Lecturer in Mammalian Genetics of Disease, University of Sheffield)
Research Development Grant from the Muscular Dystrophy Association
Award for Poster Presentation, New Directions in Skeletal Muscle Biology & Disease
2002-03 James E. Hansen, M.S., M.D. (Assistant Professor of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University)
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellowship for Medical Students
Josiah Brown Award for Poster Presentation
Award for Best Oral Presentation, American Federation for Medical Research
2001-03 Christopher E. Yi, M.D. (Resident in Surgery, University of Southern California)
Departmental Teaching Fellowship
2001-06 Janine M. Bekker, Ph.D. (Senior Scientist, FivePrime San Francisco)
NIH T32 Interdepartmental Training Grant in Molecular and Cellular Biology
Excellence in Teaching Instruction Award
2000-01 Rasha S. Germain, M.S., M.D. (Chief Resident in Neurosurgery, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Phoenix)
Departmental Teaching Fellowship
Undergraduate Research Trainees
2022-2023 Christina Deng (Amgen summer scholar)
2022 Cynthia Dharmawan (Amgen summer scholar)
2018-2021 Angel Ni
2017-2020 Rachelle Stark
2017-2018 Grace Lee
2017 Nadia Siddiqah
2017-2018 Tanya Tharani
2016-2019 Ariana Rupp
2015-2018 Judd Collado*
2015-2017 Jay Gopal
2015-2017 Ramiro Diaz-Lara*
2016-17 Young Song
2015-16 Jessica Lam
2015 Ashley Tarchione, B.S. (MD/PhD Medical School, University of Nevada)
Amgen Scholar (University of Nevada, Reno)
2015 Rebecca Pharon
Summer UC Scholar, University of California, Berkeley
2014-16 Abel Ferrel, B.S. (PhD graduate student, Stanford University)
Minority Access to Research (MARC) Scholar
NIH Bridges Summer Undergraduate Research Program
HHMI Exceptional Research Opportunities Program (EXROP)
2013-15 Eva Ma, B.S. (Medical School)
Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Research
MCDB Honors Student of the Year
2013-15 Tim Nguyen, B.S. (Medical School)
2013-15 Regi Nguyen, B.S. (Medical Transcript Correspondent)
Biomedical Research Minor Award, Whitcome Fellow
2010-13 Jennifer Oh, B.S. (Pharmacy School)
CARE Undergraduate Summer Scholarship
2010-13 Joy Lee, B.S. (Medical School)
2011-13 Allan Kwok, B.S. (Physical Therapy School)
Biomedical Research Minor Award
2010-12 Madeleine Cross, B.S. (Research Assistant, UCSD)
Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Research
2010-11 Renuka Rudra, B.S. (MS Student in Biology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine)
2009-11 Eric Chou, B.S. (Research Assistant, UCSF)
Undergraduate Research Scholars Award
2009-11 Amber Ocampo, B.S. (PhD Graduate Student at UC San Diego)
Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Research
2009-10 Omar Bakr, B.S. (PhD Student in Bioengineering, UC Berkeley)
CARE Undergraduate Scholars Program
Homer Stone Prize for Excellence in General Chemistry
2008 Jenna Wilson, B.S. (PhD Student in Bioengineering, Emory University)
Amgen Scholars Summer Internship Program
2008-10 Brittany Burton, B.S. (PhD Student in Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University)
CARE Undergraduate Scholars Program
2008-9 Elizabeth Canales, B.S. (Medical School, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA)
CARE Undergraduate Summer Scholarship
2008-10 Nigel Hsu, B.S. (Teach for America)
Physiological Science Departmental “Best Student Award”
Departmental Award for Best Poster
Undergraduate Research Scholars Award
Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Research
2008-10 Danielle Kay, M.D. (Surgery Resident, Tulane University School of Medicine)
Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate Research Scholars Award
2007-09 Suhn Rhie, B.S., Ph.D. (Postdoctoral Fellow in Genetics, University of Southern California)
Woman for Change Award, UCLA
2005-08 W. Thomas Clarke, M.S., Ph.D. (Medical Student, Yale University School of Medicine)
Marshall Scholar Award
Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Fellow
UCLA-endorsed candidate for Rhodes Scholar
UCLA Charles E. and Sue K. Young Award
Undergraduate Research Scholars Award
Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Honored Graduate Award
Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Research
2006-08 Catherine Chu, B.S. (Administrator Kingston Technology, Taiwan)
2004-05 Erica Espinoza-Trezza, B.S., R.N., P.A.C. (Physician’s Assistant, UCLA)
Short-listed, Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Research
2003-05 Kari M. Morrissey, B.S., Ph.D. (Scientist, Genentech)
Beckman Undergraduate Scholars Research Training Grant
Undergraduate Research Scholar Award
Wasserman Scholar Award
Vice Provost’s Recognition for Outstanding Undergraduate Research
2002-04 Emily Wang, MBA, M.D. (Resident in Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital)
Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Training Grant
Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Research
Vice Provost’s Recognition for Outstanding Undergraduate Research
2002 Shanil Lara-Rivera, M.D. (Private Practice in Internal Medicine, Florida)
Miss Puerto Rico-World
Internship for Puerto Rican students to conduct research abroad
CARE Undergraduate Summer Scholarship
2001-03 Dijanna Figueroa, Ph.D. (Postdoctoral Fellow in Marine Biology, UCSB)
Co-star of the documentary film on marine life “Aliens of the Deep” by James Cameron, Director
CARE Undergraduate Research Scholarship
Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Research