MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School

How do chromosomes find their matching partners and exchange genetic information during reproduction? Recent Genetics and Epigenetics graduate Melissa Frasca, PhD, helped answer that question by uncovering that the protein MutSgamma acts earlier in the meiotic chromosomal segregation pathway than previously expected.

Her research, conducted in the lab of Francesca Cole, PhD, provides new insight into the mechanisms that ensure accurate chromosome segregation and could help inform future infertility research.

📖 Read our June Paper of the Month highlighting Frasca's recent article in Genetics: https://loom.ly/oFZzP8k

Eight trainees from the T32 Clinical and Translational Training Program recently took center stage at the UTHealth Houston Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS) fourth annual T1-T4 in 3 (Minutes) Translational Challenge.

The competition challenged trainees to communicate their research in three minutes or less, translating complex scientific concepts accessible to a broader audience.

🎉 Congratulations to this year's winners, including Graduate School trainees Ritu Bohat, PhD; Natalie West; and Emma Wheeler, PhD, who earned first, second, and third place honors, respectively.

🔗 Read more about the competition and this year's winners: https://loom.ly/lNwvHos

The Graduate School administrative offices will be closed Friday, June 19, 2026, in observance of Juneteenth. Offices will reopen Monday, June 22. For assistance during this time, please contact [email protected].

🧠 Recently, Neuroscience students and faculty gathered at POST Houston for their Spring Retreat — stepping away from the lab to share research, build connections, and explore new ideas.

Highlights included UT MD Anderson neuroscientist Jim Ray, PhD, whose keynote address covered developing therapies for Alzheimer's disease, student-led workshops including Publication-Worthy Figure Making, Dee S. and Patricia Osborne Research Scholarship winner talks with Haoyi Yang and Mya Rodriguez, and networking with alumni during the Beyond the Bench social.

Thank you to the Neuroscience Student Council — Mya Rodriguez, Kiersten Scott-Collyer, Phillip Urancyzyk, Paula Bender, and Julia Langman — and program leadership for organizing another amazing retreat!

As Director of Student Affairs and Admissions, Elvis Parada helps welcome future students while supporting orientation, student organizations, and many of the programs that help build a vibrant Graduate School community.

Learn more about his journey to the UT MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. 🔗gsbs.uth.edu/news/story/meet-the-staff-elvis-parada

🎉 Congratulations to Kristin Eckel-Mahan, PhD, recipient of the 2026 John P. McGovern Award for Outstanding Teaching!

Selected by students at the UT MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Eckel-Mahan was recognized for creating a classroom where curiosity drives discovery and students are challenged to think critically, ask questions, and grow as scientists.

Read more: https://loom.ly/jXCO1qQ