Thesis Defense

Mildred Unti successfully defended her thesis on March 25, 2024. Her thesis advisor is Dr. Samie Jaffrey.  Here are some pictures from the thesis defense research talk!
unti thesis defense
unti thesis defense
unti thesis defense

George Liao successfully defended his PhD research on October 12, 2021. The title of his project is : The Role of Gamma-Glutamyltransferase 1 in the Regulation of Gamma-Secretase Activity in the Healthy and Diseased Kidney, and his thesis advisor is Dr. Yueming Li.  Here is a picture of the defense, which was a hybrid-virtual plus in-person.

Weill Cornell George Liao


Jaclyn Kubala co-mentored by Drs. Daniel Heller, Lorraine Gudas, and David Nanus, defended her thesis research on September 17, 2021. Pictured at the defense are Drs. David Nanus, John Blenis, Dan Heller, Jackie Kubala, Lonny Levin, Steve Gross, & Lorraine Gudas.  A reception was held on the Belfer Terrace after the defense. Jackie is pictured with her family at the reception. 

JACLYN KUBALA THESIS DEFENSE

JACLYN KUBALA THESIS DEFENSE

JACLYN KUBALA THESIS DEFENSE

JACLYN KUBALA THESIS DEFENSE


Cynthia Quintero co-mentored by Drs. Lorraine Gudas and Minkui Luo, successfully defended her PhD on April 27, 2018. Here are some pictures from her defense, and with her thesis examining committee. Pictured at the defense are Drs. Kathy Hajjar, Michael Kharas, Minkui Luo, Cynthia Quintero, Lorraine Gudas, Yael David, & Lonny Levin.

Cynthia Quintero thesis defense.

Students and faculty in auditorium for Cynthia Quintero thesis defense.

Students and faculty in auditorium for Cynthia Quintero thesis defense.

Students and faculty in auditorium for Cynthia Quintero thesis defense.


Emily Mercer successfully defended her thesis research in the middle of a blizzard on March 14, 2017. Her thesis is titled: Discovery of a Cardioprotective Mechanism Regulated by HSPB7.

Students in auditorium for Mercer thesis defense.

Students in classroom celebrating Mercer thesis defense.


Abby Horstmann successfully defended her thesis on February 10, 2017. Here she is with her thesis examining committee from left to right, Drs. Lonny Levin, Heidi Stuhlmann, Lorraine Gudas (Abby’s thesis advisor), Evi Giannakakou, and Yueming Li.

Group photo at Abby's thesis defense.


Alissa Brandes successfully defended her thesis on April 22, 2016. Here are pictures of Dr. Li, her advisor, introducing her, and of Alissa with her thesis committee, Lorraine Gudas, Jochen Buck, Alissa Brandes, Michael Kharas, Todd Evans, and Yueming Li.

Group photo at Alissa Brandes' thesis defense.

Group listening to a speaker in a classroom.


Danica Chiu, a student in the lab of Dr. Yueming Li, successfully defended her thesis on April 5, 2016. Here are some pictures from the event.

Thesis committee members Drs. Pengbo Zhou, Jochen Buck, David Scheinberg, Danica, Lorraine Gudas, and Yueming Li.

Thesis committee members Drs. Pengbo Zhou, Jochen Buck, David Scheinberg, Danica, Lorraine Gudas, and Yueming Li.

Yueming Li, Danica's sister and father, Danica, and Danica's fiance after her thesis defense.

Yueming Li, Danica's sister and father, Danica, and Danica's fiance after her thesis defense.

Danica and Yueming with Steve Gross right after her thesis presentation.

Danica and Yueming with Steve Gross right after her thesis presentation.

The audience before Danica's presentation.

The audience before Danica's presentation.

Dr. Gudas with Danica.


Denise Minton, a graduate student in the lab of Dr. Gudas, successfully defended her thesis on May 1, 2015. Her co-mentor was Dr. David Nanus. Pictured are back: Drs. Li, Milner, Levin, & Nanus, front: Drs. Gudas, Minton, & Giannakakou.

Students at Minton thesis defense.


Tharu Fernando, a graduate student in Dr. Melnick's lab, presented her thesis research titled: The Role of Heat Shock Factor 1 in Germinal Center B Cells and Lymphoma on April 8, 2015. Here she is presenting her research and at the party after her thesis defense.

Tharu Fernando thesis defense celebration.

Tharu Fernando thesis defense in classroom.


Kasia Marcinkiewicz successfully defended her thesis research on October 18, 2013. Her mentor is Dr. Gudas. Here Kasia speaks to friends and relatives in Poland to give them the good news after the defense. The chair of her thesis committee, Dr. Roberto Levi, looks on.

Kasia holding flowers at her defense.


Matthew Sung defended his thesis successfully on July 25, 2013. Here, after the defense, are Drs. Evi Giannakakou, Matt's advisor; Matt; Tim McGraw; and Fred Maxfield, committee members.

Group in front of projector at Matthew's defense.


Rui Wang defended her thesis research on April 16, 2013. Her thesis is titled: Profiling Substrates of Protein Methyltransferase with SAM Analogs and Engineered Enzymes. She is the first PhD student of Dr. Minkui Luo. Here Rui's Thesis Defense Committee members Drs. Steve Gross, Minkui Luo, Luca Cartegni, Rui Wang, Lorraine Gudas, and Yueming Li gather for a picture after Rui's defense. Dr. Wang will join Novartis as a Research Investigator in the Biophysics and Bioassay Division, Boston, MA, in June, 2013.

Group in hall at Rui Wang's defense.

Group in hall at Rui Wang's defense.


Dou Yeon Youn successfully defended her thesis in the Pharmacology PhD Program on December 10, 2012 . Dou is a graduate student in Dr. Anthony Sauve's lab. Here Dou presents her research, and in the second picture, former graduate students in the Sauve lab, Eleanor and Jessica, and other friends and colleagues listen as Dou presents her research.

Dou Youn speaking at her defense.

Group sitting around table at Dou Youn defense.


Pam Wille successfully defended her thesis research on October 31, 2012. Pam carried out her research in the lab of Dr. Steve Gross. Here are some pictures from her talk and after the defense, with friends and colleagues!

Group photo at Pam thesis defense.

Pam speaking at podium during her defense.


Anna Federman (Zaydman) (Hemmings' lab) successfully defended her thesis research on October 9, 2012. Here are some pictures from her talk and after the defense, with friends!

Anna at her thesis defense.

Anna pointing to projector.

Group at Anna's thesis defense.


On August 31, 2012, Alessia Deglincerti (Jaffrey Lab, Neuroscience Program) presented her doctoral dissertation lecture titled: " Coupled Local Translation and Degradation Regulate Growth Cone Signaling." Here she answers a question after her talk.

Alessia at her thesis defense.


Tal Nuriel (lab of Dr. Steve Gross) successfully defended his thesis research on August 24, 2012. Here are some pictures at the celebration after the defense.

Group photo at Tal thesis defense.

Group photo at Tal's defense.


Megan Ricard-Place defended her thesis on July 20, 2012. Here she is with her committee members Dr. Roberto Levi, Dr. Anthony Sauve, her thesis mentor Dr. Lorraine Gudas, and Dr. Lonny Levin after the defense, and at the celebration after the defense.

Dr. Gudas and group at Megan Ricard's defense.

Group dining at Megan's thesis defense.


Ms. Aikaterini Chatzi defended her thesis on June 28, 2012. Her thesis advisor is Dr. Ari Melnick. The title of her talk was "Mechanisms of BCL6 Transcriptional Repression in Germinal Center B cells and Lymphoma." Here are some pictures from the defense.

Faculty member with Dr. Chatzi at her defense.

Audience at Chatzi's defense.

Chatzi at podium during her defense.


Congratulations to Ken Hess (Levin and Buck lab), who defended his thesis on May 4, 2012.

Ken Hess presenting in front of projector.


Mark Lundquist, a Ph.D. student with Dr. Samie Jaffrey, gave his thesis presentation titled: "MICAL-2 Regulates Nuclear Actin" on April 20, 2012.

Lundquist presenting at podium during his defense.

Audience listening at Lundquist's defense.


Noel Yan-Ki Chan successfully defended her thesis research, titled "An Unsuspected Property of Natriuretic Peptides: Promotion of Ca2+-dependent Catecholamine Release via PKG-mediated PDE3 Inhibition" on December 15, 2011. Pictured at the post-exam celebration are: Noel and her thesis mentor, Dr. Roberto Levi, surrounded by Noel's family (first). Noel and Dr. Levi surrounded by Levi lab members (second). Dr. Chan will start a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard in June, 2012.

Chan with flowers and family at her defense.

Chan holds certificate at her defense.


Vikram Kanda successfully defended his thesis, titled: "KCNE Ancillary Subunits Dictate the Surface Composition and Density of Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels" on June 28, 2011. Here Dr. Kanda celebrates after the defense with family members.

Kanda with family after defending his thesis.


Vasundhra Kashyap defended her thesis research on Friday, April 22, 2011. Pictured here after her successful exam are Vasundhra in the middle surrounded by (l to r) her thesis committee members Dr. Steve Nimer; Dr. Lorraine Gudas, Vasundhra's thesis advisor; Dr. Steve Gross; and Dr. Geoff Abbott.

Vasundhra in the middle surrounded by (l to r) her thesis committee members Dr. Steve Nimer; Dr. Lorraine Gudas, Vasundhra's thesis advisor; Dr. Steve Gross; and Dr. Geoff Abbott.

Other students, lab members, and friends listen to Vasundhra's research talk.

Other students, lab members, and friends listen to Vasundhra's research talk.


Marisa Carbonaro defended her thesis research on Monday, April 18, 2011. The title of her research talk was: "The Microtubule-dependent Regulation of the Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1α (HIF-1α)". Pictured here are Dr. Geri Kreitzer; Dr. Evi Giannakakou, Marisa's thesis advisor; Marisa Carbonaro; and Dr. Scott Blanchard. Marisa is Dr. Giannakakou's first Ph.D. student!

Dr. Geri Kreitzer; Dr. Evi Giannakakou, Marisa's thesis advisor; Marisa Carbonaro; and Dr. Scott Blanchard.


Eric Salazar, a MD/Ph.D. student from Drs. Levin and Buck's laboratory, successfully defended his thesis on July 21, 2010. Lab members and PIs are pictured at the afterparty.

Salazar thesis defense afterparty.

Salazar thesis defense afterparty.

Salazar thesis defense afterparty.


Branka Stancevic successfully defended her thesis research on December 9, 2009. Her thesis was titled: "Ceramide-Rich Platforms Regulate Ionizing Radiation Sensitivity in Endothelium".

Branka takes questions from the audience:

Branka takes questions from the audience.

Branka takes questions from the audience.

Branka with graduate student friends

Branka with graduate student friends.

Branka with her thesis committee (l to r: Dr. David Lyden, Dr. Lorraine Gudas, Dr. Richard Kolesnick and Dr. David Scheinberg)

Branka with her thesis committee (l to r: Dr. David Lyden, Dr. Lorraine Gudas, Dr. Richard Kolesnick and Dr. David Scheinberg)

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