Posts about graduate education in the United States, globally, and at the UVM Larner College of Medicine by graduate students, postdocs, staff, faculty, and alumni at UVM Larner Med. Topics frequently covered include the graduate school journey, advice for incoming and current graduate students, and more.
Alicia A. Finney is a Ph.D. student in the Cellular, Molecular and Biomedical Sciences Program at the University of Vermont.
In the following blog post, Finney writes about her experiences as a first-generation student.
While pandemic safety protocols and guidelines continued to play a role in Larner life, a familiar, reassuring rhythm and return to in-person activities marked 2022. We welcomed new students, said goodbye to those who graduated, witnessed groundbreaking research, and celebrated the opening and dedication of a new state-of-the-art medical research building – 2022 was indeed a year to remember.
Revisit some moments from this year with us…
Two years ago, University of Vermont Cellular, Molecular, & Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. student Hannah Despres was working in the Botten Lab and primary focused on research of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV)—a largely understudied tropical virus that causes meningitis/encephalitis. Then, SARS-CoV-2 began its first deadly journey around the globe and, like many researchers, Despres’s research shifted quickly.
Now, Despres works in the lab of Assistant Professor of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Emily Bruce, Ph.D. Alpha, Delta, Omicron—Despres’s research in the Bruce Lab has followed the trajectory of the virus, from one variant-of-concern to the next.
