External Fellowships

University of Minnesota MSTP students have a strong track record of obtaining external fellowship support for their thesis research. The MSTP facilitates the submission of successful grant applications by providing resources for preparing an application and holding workshops on the grant submission process. Our partner graduate programs also provide didactic coursework on grant writing and submission of fellowship applications.

Current external predoctoral fellowships:

Sara Bolivar Wagers 
2021-2024
(NIH/NHLBI F30 HL156312) 
Enhancing Treg Therapeutic Efficacy in GVHD with CARs  

Dieter Brandner   
2020-2024
(NIH/NIDA F30 DA052109)
Molecular basis for structural and behavioral effects of chronic opiod exposure

Natalie David  
2021-2024 
(NIH/NIAID F31 AI157166)   
Corepressors in regulatory T cell development and function  

Mahima Devarajan  
2022-2025
(NIH/NIA F30 AG076322) 
Investigating the Role of PLIN2 in Senescence    

Minna Ding 
2021-2025
(NIH/NIAID F30 AI155292)
The adaptive host response to latent cryptococcosis 

Bayardo Garay 
2020-2024 
(NIH/NHLBI F30 HL151138)
Understanding the transcriptional networks and physiologic adaptations governing the clinical manifestations of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy 

Noah Gavil  
2020-2024
(NIH/NCI F30 CA253992)
Investigating mechanisms of peptide alarm therapy    

Adrina Kocharian 
2021-2025 
(NIH/NIMH F30 MH124404) 
Dopaminergic modulation of nucleus accumbens during prospective and retrospective neuroeconomic decision making

Robin Lee 
2018-2023
(NIH/NCI F30 CA232399) 
Stat 5 in B cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia 

Kevin Lin 
2021-2024
(NIH/NCI F30 CA257227) 
Targeted Chemical-Genetic Screen Platform for Identifying Novel AML Therapeutics  

Elizabeth Okafor   
2022-2026
(NIH/NIAID F31 AI1622330) 
NK Cell Cytotoxicity Against Cryptococcus neoformans in Persons with Advanced HIV and Cryptococcal Meningitis

Javier Sierra-Pagán 
2020-2023
(NIH/NHLBI F30 HL152561)  
Mechanisms that govern vasculogenesis 

Anja Touma 
2019-2023
(NIH/NHLBI F30 HL146089)
Elucidating molecular mechanisms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy using nano-engineered synthetic myosin thick filaments

Brian Trieu 
2020-2023
(NIH/NIDA F30 DA049476) 
Exploiting endogenous opiods to selectively modulate accumbal synaptic transmission 

Kelsey Wanhainen 
2020-2024
(NIH/NCI F30 CA250321)
Role of P2RX7 in making CD8+ T cells  for tumor immunotherapy

Previous external predoctoral fellowships:

John Albin
2009-2013 
(NIH/NIDA F30 DA0263010)
Determining the role of APOBEC3 proteins in HIV-1 drug resistance

Brian Andersen
2013-2016 
(NIH/NCI F30 CA167912)
Annexin A2 as a novel enhancer of tumor-associated antigen processing

Mathew Angelos
2015-2018 
(NIH/NIDDK F30 DK107017)
Deciphering mechanisms of early human hematoendothelial development

Amanda Barks   
2017-2021
(NIH/NICHD F30 HD093285)  
The effect of developmental iron deficiency on TET proteins and DNA hydrocymethlyation

Joan Beckman
2007-2010
(NIH/NIA F30 AG030909)
Oxidative stress & inflammation in aging: insights from sickle cell disease 

Elise Breed   
2017-2021
(NIH/NIAID F30 AI131483) 
Contribution of antigen presenting cells to thymic negative selection

Erik Carlson
2005-2006
(NIH/NINDS F31 NS047876)
A genetic model of perinatal iron deficiency 

Adam Cheng
2015-2020 
(NIH/NCI F30 CA200432)
HIV-1 VIF in AIDS-related malignancies 

Emily Chiu 
2019-2022
(NIH/NCI F30 CA232481)
Exploiting NKG2C on adaptive NK cells for immunotherapy

Caitlin Conboy
2012-2015 
(NIH/NCI F30 CA171547)
Functional characterization of WAC, a candidate tumor suppressor gene in colorectal cancer

Michelle Corkrum
2016-2019
(NIH/NIDA F30 DA042510)
Effects of cocaine on astrocyte-neuron signaling in the nucleus accumbens

Sam Cramer 
2012-2014 
(NIH/NINDS F31 NS080338)
Optogenetic modulation of episodic dystonia in the tottering mouse

Clifford Csizmar
2016-2020
(NIH/NCI F30 CA210345)
Engineering reversible cell-cell interactions with chemically self-assembled CARS

Christopher DeNucci 
2008-2010
(NIH/NIDDK F30 DK082139)
The role of beta1 integrin in modulating gut-homing alpha4beta7 on T cells

Melvin Donaldson
2016-2021
(NIH/NCCIH F30 AT009162)
Yoga for chronic pain in veterans 

Erik Faber 
2019-2022
(NIH/NCI F30 CA232303)
Development of allosteric inhibitors against cylcin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2)

Kristin Gehrking
2006-2010
(NIH/NINDS NS055409)
The interaction of ataxin-1 with the roralpha complex in SCA1 

Matthew Hagen
2000-2002
(NIH/NIMH MH012575)
PET studies of somatosensory processing

Michelle Hamline
2009-2012 
(NIH/NHLBI F30 HL083996)
BCOR in cardiovascular development  

Lauren Harasymiw (Jelenchick) 
2017-2019  
(NIH/NCI F30 CA223591)  
Characterizing the mechanical maturation of the centromere in human cells in the context of aneuploidy and cancer

Angela Hewitt
2010-2012 
(NIH/NINDS F30 ND071686)
Does cerebellar cortex function as a forward internal model for motor control?

Marcos Kuroki
2012-2013 
(American Heart Association)
Neural control of the splanchnic circulation in AngII-salt hypertension

Michael Lane 
2012-2015
(American Heart Association)
Directed evolution of a protease to neutralize superantigens associated with Kawasaki Disease

Ava Lin
2009-2013 
(NIH/NIA AG034033)
Spectroscopic probes of protein-protein interactions in muscle degeneration

Shawn Mahmud 
2012-2015 
(NIH/NIDDK F30 DK096844)
The role of IL2 and costimulation in Treg development, homeostasis, and function

Cameron McDonald-Hyman 
2014-2018 
(NIH/NHLBI F30 HL121873)
Modifying regulatory T-cell signaling to enhance reprevention of GVHD 

Minelva Nanton
2010-2013 
(NIH/NIAID F31 AI091298)
Defining the protective CD4+ T cell responses to Salmonella typhimurium

Ryan Nelson 
2011-2015 
(NIH/NIDDK F30 DK093242)
CD4+ T cell-based immunity to gastrointestinal infection

Oludare Odumade
2009-2011 
(NIH/NIAID F31 AI084524)
The role of CD8+ T cells in response to EBV-induced infectious mononucleosis

Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez
2002-2005
(NIH/NINDS F30 NS043121)
Minority predoctoral fellowship program

Judit Perez Ortiz 
2014-2016 
(NIH/NIHDS F31 NS084540)
Praja2 and the regulation of ataxin-1 clearance in vivo

Carlos Pérez Kerkvliet
2019-2022
(NIH/NCI F30 CA228261) 
PhosphoSer134 GR, TGF-β and 14-3-3-zeta cooperate to promote progression of Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Lien Phung  
2017-2022 
(NIH/NIA F30 AG057108)  
Structural dynamics of the myosin super relaxed state in aging muscle and metabolic disease

Morayma Reyes
1999-2002
(NIH/NIGMS F31 GM020069)
Minority predoctoral fellowship

Jared Rowe
2009-2014 
(NIH/NIDDK DK084674)
Acute infection overrides PDL-1 mediated T cell suppression in autoimmune DM

Jason Schenkel 
2013-2016 
(NIH/NIDDK F30 DK100159)
Trafficking & role of effector memory CD8 T cell subsets in small intestine

Brian Sweis  
2017-2021
(NIH/NIDA F30 DA043326) 
Optogenetic modulation of decision-making circuitry in mouse models of addiction

Anja Srienc 
2013-2015 
(American Heart Association)
Functional consequences of glial calcium signaling in ischemia 

Mayank Verma 
2015-2019 
(NIH/NIAMS F30 AR066454)
Treatment of Muscular Dystrophy by increased angiogenesis 

Nathan Welty 
2013-2018 
(NIH/NIDDK F30 DK097856)
In vivo functions of distinct CD103+ intestinal dendritic cell subsets

Sathi Wijeyesinghe 
2018-2022
(NIH/NIDDK)
Longevity and functionality of CD8+ tissue-resident memory T cells in the intestinal tract

Jennifer Zick
2016-2019
(NIH/NIMH F30 MH108205)
Disordered cellular interactions in prefrontal local circuits: a new mechanistic theory of schizophrenia with convergent evidence across animal models

Jeannette Zinggeler Berg
2006-2010
(NIH/NIDA F30 DA020968)
P450-mediated nicotine metabolism