Program Student Highlights
Donte M. Nesbit, DDS Candidate
Donte's research focuses on examining personal characteristics in dental students that predispose them towards altruism. His cross-sectional survey found higher levels of personal responsibility for providing dental care to the needy in female dental students. Other findings include greater feelings of personal and professional responsibility in serving underserved populations in students from urban areas as opposed to their rural peers. Donte's research aims to improve recruitment of dental students interested in serving vulnerable populations.
Mo Payne, PhD Candidate -Chemistry
Mo’s thesis project is to develop and identify materials that have chemical selectivity for water. The current water treatment paradigm involves removing contaminants, and each type of contaminant requires a different treatment process. This is time-consuming, complicated, and often expensive. Identifying materials that select for water, rather than selecting for the contaminants, promise to revolutionize water treatment by making it simpler, more cost-effective, and much faster. Mo has presented his research at three ACS spring meetings, at the Jacobson Conference, and at a symposium here on campus.
Alex Keyes, PhD student - Pharmacology
I chose the University of Iowa because it’s a phenomenal program, in a good town, with nice people.
What type of research are you performing?
My research is determining the role of neuro-immune interaction within the spinal cord in pain sensitization.
What is something that surprised you about the University of Iowa or your graduate program?
What really surprised me was the collaborative environment, and how supportive people here are of each other.
Joe & Mitch
Pictured are Joe (Hawkeye Football) and Mitch (Hawkeye Dance/Cheer Team) working in their respective clinic experiences. The MSAT program is an intense two-year program of concentrated didactic coursework, including summers, that incorporates four semesters of clinical experiences. These experience opportunities include: high school, community college, Division III, and Iowa Hawkeye Division I athletic programs; UI Orthopedics and Sports Medicine; Industrial settings; Work injury recovery clinic; Prosthetics clinic; Urgent car clinics and Emergency departments; Student health clinic; Community free clinic; and more.
Yujia Liu, PhD Candidate -Pharmacology
Why did you choose the University of Iowa to pursue your graduate degree?
When I came over to interview, I felt like the graduate programs were well organized and the course work sounded flexible and personalizable. But more importantly, the environment within the Carver College of Medicine and even other biomedical science departments is very collaborative, which in my opinion is what scientific research should be.
What type of research are you performing?
My project looks into how changes in mitochondrial based signaling and its form play a role in neurodegeneration in diabetic peripheral neuropathy, intellectual disability as well as learning and memory.
Riley Coyle, Child Life
My 560 hour Therapeutic Recreation internship was at Four Oaks, a Psychiatric Medical Institute for Children in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where my main role was facilitating therapy groups using recreation as a medium to help children reach their goals. My 640 hour Child Life internship was at Seattle Children’s Hospital, a 400 bed children’s hospital in Seattle, Washington where I learned to support, prepare, and education children through hospitalization. I was recently hired as a child life specialist at Seattle Children’s Hospital. My incredible experience at The University of Iowa is entirely indebted to the amazing professors I was lucky enough to learn from and the wonderful opportunities I was able to take advantage of. I am forever thankful for the University of Iowa!”