{"id":478,"date":"2018-06-28T17:10:48","date_gmt":"2018-06-28T17:10:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.uthscsa.edu\/pharmacology\/?page_id=478"},"modified":"2026-01-29T09:33:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T15:33:51","slug":"recent-graduates","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lsom.uthscsa.edu\/pharmacology\/recent-graduates\/","title":{"rendered":"Recent Graduates"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

KATE TUITE, Ph.D.<\/em><\/h3>\n

Defense Date: <\/strong>June 2025
\nUT Health San Antonio Mentor:\u00a0<\/strong>David Morilak, Ph.D.
\nDissertation:\u00a0<\/strong>‘Role of thalamic afferents to the orbitofrontal cortex in the effects of chronic stress on reversal learning’
\nCurrent Position:\u00a0<\/strong>NIH\/NIDA T32 Training in Drug Abuse Research: Behavior and Neurobiology (Drs. Charles France and David Morilak)<\/p>\n

JACOB ESSIF, Ph.D.<\/em><\/h3>\n

Defense Date:\u00a0<\/strong>May 2025
\nUT Health San Antonio Mentor:\u00a0<\/strong>April Risinger, Ph.D.
\nDissertation: ‘<\/strong>Septin 9 isoform expression and response to taxane treatment in breast cancer patients ”
\nCurrent Position:\u00a0<\/strong>Postdoctoral Fellow
\nFrontiers in Therapeutic Research Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (Dr. H. Michael Shepard)<\/p>\n

CAITLYN FASTENAU, Ph.D.<\/em><\/h3>\n

Defense Date:\u00a0<\/strong>April 2025
\nUT Health San Antonio Mentor:\u00a0<\/strong>Sarah Hopp, Ph.D.
\nDissertation:\u00a0<\/strong>‘The dynamic role of sialylation on microglia activity in Alzheimer’s disease clinical trial’
\nCurrent Position:\u00a0<\/strong>Postdoctoral Fellow
\nBuck Institute for Research on Aging<\/p>\n

SHAWN FLYNN, Ph.D.<\/em><\/h3>\n

Defense Date:<\/strong> November 2024
\nUT Health San Antonio Mentor:<\/strong> Charles France, Ph.D.
\nDissertation: ‘<\/strong>Effects of mu opioid receptor agonist mixtures and reversal of opioid-induced ventilatory depression’
\nCurrent Position:\u00a0<\/strong>Postdoctoral Fellow
\nDepartment of Pharmacology, University of Michigan (Drs. John Traynor and Erica Levitt)<\/p>\n

KRISTIAN FALKON, Ph.D.<\/em><\/h3>\n

Defense Date:<\/strong> October 2024
\nUT Health San Antonio Mentor:<\/strong> Sarah Hopp, Ph.D.
\nDissertation:<\/strong> ‘Endo\/lysosomal uptake and degradation of protein aggregates in Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia pathology’
\nCurrent Position:\u00a0<\/strong>Postdoctoral Fellow
\nInnovative Medicine, Johnson & Johnson<\/p>\n

LEILA TAKAHASHI-RUIZ, Ph.D.<\/em><\/h3>\n

Defense Date:<\/strong> October 2024
\nUT Health San Antonio Mentor:<\/strong> April Risinger, Ph.D.
\nDissertation:<\/strong> ”Innovations in microtubule-targeting agents: immunological effects and new drug candidates for overcoming drug resistance’
\nCurrent Position:\u00a0<\/strong>Unknown<\/p>\n

NICOLE EASSA, Ph.D.<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n

Defense Date:<\/strong> April 2024
\nUT Health San Antonio Mentor: <\/strong>Dan Lodge, Ph.D.
\nDissertation:<\/strong> ‘Targeting hippocampal hyperactivity as a novel therapeutic approach for comorbid psychosis in Alzheimer’s disease’<\/em>
\nCurrent Position: <\/strong>Medical Student
\nUT Health San Antonio – UT San Antonio<\/p>\n

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