The Therapeutic Sciences Graduate Program recently hosted its annual Third Year Student Showcase, highlighting the breadth and depth of research conducted by third‑year PhD students within the Brown University Division of Biology and Medicine. Held across two sessions on Monday, March 30 and Thursday, April 2, the showcase provided students with an opportunity to present their ongoing dissertation research to faculty, peers, and members of the broader academic community.

The first session took place on March 30 in the Laboratories for Molecular Medicine (LMM‑107). Featured speakers included Esra Taner (Ma Lab & Larschan Lab), who presented on mechanisms by which dosage compensation regulates Alzheimer’s disease susceptibility; Jean Jerome (Desai Lab), who discussed the development of high‑aspect‑ratio particles for immunomodulatory applications; and Laura Wu (Taylor Lab), who explored the mechanism of LINE‑1 second‑strand synthesis.

The second session, held on April 2, continued the showcase at the same venue and featured presentations by Angelica Salaverria (James Lab), who examined the anti‑tumor effects of an amphiregulin‑neutralizing antibody in high‑grade serous ovarian cancer; Michelle Shub (Lawler Lab), who investigated the role of ALPK1 in glioblastoma progression and immune tumor microenvironment modulation; and Iz Varghese (Lisi Lab & Rubenstein Lab), who characterized the role of symmetry in macrophage migration inhibitory factor.

Together, these talks highlighted the program’s strong emphasis on translational and mechanistic research spanning cancer biology, neurodegeneration, immunology, and molecular genetics. Following the April 2 presentations, students, faculty, and staff gathered at Narragansett Brewery to celebrate the accomplishments of the third‑year cohort and acknowledge this milestone in their graduate training.

The Third Year Student Showcase continues to be a meaningful tradition, celebrating student progress while fostering scientific and community within the program.