Training Highlights showcases research and mentoring experiences within the NINDS Division of Intramural Research (DIR) training programs. Visitors will have access to first-hand information about the range of opportunities that our DIR training program provides. Browse the articles below to learn more.
Meet Pathway to Independence Award Winner Dr. Weizhen (Zane) Xie
April 2023
Weizhen (Zane) Xie, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in the NINDS Division of Intramural Research, recently received the NIH Pathway to Independence Award. Learn about Dr. Xie’s research interests and his mentorship philosophy as he transitions into the independent investigator phase of his award early next year.
Serving on a Planning Committee as an NINDS Trainee
March 2023
Did you know that NINDS trainees can help plan a symposium at NIH? Graduate student Poorva Jain recently served on the planning committee for the 19th Annual NIH Graduate Student Research Symposium. Check out our interview with Ms. Jain to learn more about this unique opportunity.
Becoming a Clinical Trial Results Analyst After NINDS Training
February 2023
Ryan Shepard, Ph.D., had finished his first year of postdoctoral training at NINDS, but the COVID-19 shutdown rendered him curious about scientific careers away from the bench. Wanting to make a broad impact in science, he became a clinical trial results analyst. Read more about Dr. Shepard’s decision to enter the regulatory field.
Dr. Mark Hallett Imparts His Mentorship Wisdom
January 2023
Mark Hallett, M.D., Distinguished Investigator in the Human Motor Control Section, has mentored at least 150 trainees over the course of a long and successful career in neuroscience research. In honor of Dr. Hallett’s retirement at the end of 2022, we asked him a few questions to capture and share his fine-tuned mentorship philosophy.
Dr. Katherine Roche Highlights the NIH-Brown GPP Partnership
November 2022
Katherine Roche, Ph.D., Senior Investigator in the Receptor Biology Section, served as the NIH-Brown Graduate Partnership Program (GPP) Director from 2005 to 2022, retiring from the position this past fall. In those 17 years, Dr. Roche welcomed neuroscience students into eight different NIH institutes to partner with NIH faculty on their predoctoral research. Read on to learn about the NIH-Brown GPP partnership from a person who was there from the start.
Becoming a Health Science Policy Analyst After NINDS Training
October 2022
Niteace Whittington, Ph.D., former NINDS postdoctoral fellow, became a health science policy analyst after realizing that she could use her science communication skills to translate scientific research for policy decision makers. Read about Dr. Whittington’s career journey and her advice to NINDS trainees who are interested in science policy work.
NCFA-Recipient Dr. Stephanie Sarbanes Shares her NINDS Experience
September 2022
In honor of Postdoc Appreciation Week, we highlight Stephanie Sarbanes, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Antonina Roll-Mecak. With her wealth of experiences at the NIH so far, we asked Dr. Sarbanes to answer a few questions about her NINDS research journey.
Keeping His Promise: Award Winning Research from OxCam Scholar Mario Shammas
September 2022
NIH Oxford-Cambridge (OxCam) Scholar and M.D.-Ph.D. student Mario Shammas received the honor of best oral presentation at this summer’s 2022 OxCam Colloquium. Mario uses a mouse model of a patient mutation that causes myopathy (a muscle disease) to study how mitochondria respond to stress. His work has implications for several neurodegenerative diseases—an area of research meaningful to Mario.
Meet the NINDS TmT Competition Winner: Postbac Price Withers
August 2022
Price Withers, postbaccalaureate (postbac) fellow in the NINDS Division of Intramural Research, received a first-place score during the internal NINDS Three-minute Talk (TmT) competition on June 2, 2022. This achievement allowed Withers to compete with trainees from 11 other NIH institutes and centers in the NIH-wide TmT competition later that month on June 30, 2022.
A Conversation with NINDS Postbacs Entering Professional Schools This Fall
July 2022
NINDS postbaccalaureate (postbac) fellows have been selected to attend more than 18 professional programs in the Fall of 2022. In honor of this year’s postbac achievements, we asked Alexis Brake, Duc Nguyen, and Naiya Osiyemi, postbac fellows who will enter M.D./Ph.D., M.D. and Ph.D. programs, respectively, about their training experiences in NINDS laboratories.
