Dept of OBGYN Graduate Student Asumi Hoshino Receives Dual Honors for Pioneering Research

The University of Minnesota proudly announces that Asumi Hoshino, a third-year PhD student in the Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics (MPaT) Graduate Program, has been awarded both the prestigious Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (DDF) and the esteemed Schmit-Steer Award.

The DDF is a university-wide fellowship administered by the Graduate School, providing stipend, tuition support, and subsidized health insurance for up to one calendar year. It enables outstanding Ph.D. candidates to devote full-time effort to completing their dissertations. Hoshino was selected from a competitive pool of 198 applicants across various disciplines, highlighting her exceptional scholarly achievements.

Complementing this honor, Hoshino also received the Schmit-Steer Award, which recognizes outstanding basic scientific research in biochemistry by a PhD candidate. This award was established by Randolph C. Steer and his brother, Clifford J. Steer, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Cell Biology at the University of Minnesota, to honor Mrs. Erain B. Schmit, an esteemed educator and humanitarian whose contributions have inspired countless students in chemistry, biological sciences, and the humanities.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Martina Bazzaro, who holds dual appointments at the University of Minnesota and Linköping University in Sweden, Hoshino's research focuses on identifying novel therapeutic vulnerabilities in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Specifically, she investigates how the regulation of microtubule stability plays a role in these chronic human conditions.

The support from both the DDF and the Schmit-Steer Award will enable Hoshino to complete her dissertation research and disseminate findings that could significantly impact clinical treatment strategies for human diseases. Looking ahead, she aims to continue her education and training within the academic environment, further contributing to the field of biomedical research.

Hoshino's dual recognition underscores the strength of the University of Minnesota’s training in cancer research and highlights the important collaborative work being conducted between international institutions to advance women's health.