Past Fellows

2024 Summer Fellows

Alyssa Hamann, Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine - T-Cells in Visceral Adipose are not Related to Metabolic Syndrome

Anna Shi, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine - Effects of Psychosocial Stress and Diet on Activity and Mitochondrial Respiration

Jessica Vester, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine - Epigenetic Modifications in Muscle by a Western Diet in Captive Vervet Monkeys

2023 Summer Fellows

Group of 5 students standing in front of Thomas B. Clarkson Campus. Jared Jensen, Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine – The effect of psychosocial stress on urinary sphincter regenerative therapy in female cynomolgus macaques

Jessica Lynch, University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine – Mapping the Male and Female Rhesus Monkey: Sexual Dimorphism and Aging-related Pathology

Taylor Sheridan, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine – Is there a Good Microbiome for Survival?

Isabella Michal, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine – Chronic cocaine and alcohol effects on blood biomarkers in Macaca mulatta as a model for polysubstance abuse

Jasmine Morgan, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine – Transcriptional Profiling of Bone Marrow in a Nonhuman Primate Model of Delayed Radiation Injury

2022 Summer Fellows

Five women standing side-by-side in front of a Wake Forest University School of Medicine sign. Hannah Prutchi Tufts – Development and Assessment of a Stair Ascension Challenge in Nonhuman Primates

Amanda Olivier NCSU – Ubiquilin-1 /PLIC-1 knockdown differentially regulates cardiac and cancer cell growth

Megan Blawas NCSU – The Effects of Senolytic Drugs on the Gastrointestinal Integrity and Microbiome of Cynomolgus Monkeys

Annie Devorak UGA – Use of a superoxide dismutase mimetic to prevent bone and joint degradation from spaceflight

Haley Johnson NCSU – Association between cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive performance in vervets

2021 Summer Fellows

Comparative Medicine Summer Fellows 2021Nicole Gagnon – North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine: Radiation lowers humeral cortical bone density but also osteoarthritis incidence in non-human primates

Kate Sarkan – University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine: Presence and quantity of influenza virus-specific natural IgM antibody in human umbilical cord blood

Alexis Roach – North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine: Nonhuman Primate pregnancies at advanced maternal age show markers of poor metabolic and cardiovascular health

Declan Ryan – University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine: Colorectal cancer in rhesus macaques and the hunt for hypermethylation

Catherine Lopez – University of Alaska Fairbanks/Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine: A porcine gracilis myocutaneous flap model for Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation: technique and tips

2019 Summer Fellows

2019 Comparative Medicine Summer Research Fellows

Cecilia Armstrong – NCSU: Vervet monkey pre- and post-partum iron homeostasis and mitochondrial function

David Bissinger – Colorado State University: Aging and cognitive function: vervets as a translational model of neurodegeneration

Mariah Williams – NCSU: Sub-Acute Left Ventricular Mass Reduction Post-Initiation of Doxorubicin Treatment



2018 Summer Fellows

2018 T35 Group Aleaya Bowie – NCSU Project: Does leaky gut markers in monkeys indicate healthspan or lifespan

Ethan Bloomer – University of Florida: MRI detection of brain lesions in irradiated monkeys

Jayda Bussey-Spratling – NCSU: Sodium and lithium countertransport in vervet monkeys

Jessica Kendziorski – The Ohio State University: Sterility of normal monkey amniotic fluid and relationship to infant outcome

Rachel Amato – University of Georgia: Development of referent organ weights of cynomologus monkeys

2017 Summer Fellows

Summer Research Fellowship Team 2017
Clarisa Hernandez (NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine) – Associations between birth outcomes and variation in pelvic anatomy assessed via CT imaging in nonhuman primates

Adam Jesionowski (St. George's University School of Veterinary Medicine) – Diabetic and hypertensive nephtopathy in nonhuman primates

Rebecca P. Marcus (UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine) – Effects of western versus Mediterranean diet

Catherine Si (NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine) – Aging and muscle structure and function

Jordyn Whitfield (University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine) – Heart failure in geriatric monkeys

2016 Summer Fellows

Abigail Beitel (NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine) – Diet effects on primate behavior2016 Summer Research Fellows in Comparative Medicine

Brendan Johnson (University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine) – Radiation-induced loss of stature in rhesus macaques

Katherine Turnbull (Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine) – Dietary iron and risk of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Magan Wells (University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine) – Changes in intestinal function with age in monkeys

Samantha Williams (St. George's University School of Veterinary Medicine) – Food consumption in nonhuman primates

2015 Summer Fellows

Summer Research Fellowship in Comparative Medicine 2015 FellowsKate Allen (University College Dublin Ireland MVB Veterinary Medicine) – CSF biomarkers for evaluating age and metabolism in aging female vervet monkeys (project)

Andrea Aghaian (UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine) – Lymphocrypto virus reactivation in radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rhesus macaques

Yari Torres-Mendoza (University of Georgia – College of Veterinary Medicine) - Iron kinetics in the pathogenesis of endometriosis 

Bianca Pfisterer (Tufts University, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine) – The effects of ionizing radiation on muscle perfusion and properties

Elizabeth Rose (University of Georgia - College of Veterinary Medicine) – Relationships between cardiovascular risk factors and histologic markers in Alzheimer's disease in female cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis)