Previous Recipients

This year I attended the 2024 U.S. Human Proteomics Organization (USHUPO)  Conference in Portland, Oregon. There, I was fortunate enough to present my first ever oral presentation at a national conference. Additionally, I had the amazing opportunity to meet pioneers in the field, network with incredible people and learn about cutting-edge technology and research in proteomics. I had an amazing experience, and I am grateful for the support from the TAPS award to bring this opportunity to reality.

 

Julia Ekiert, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

Thank you for the travel award (TAPS) that helped my attendance of Gordon Research Conference (GRC) Marine Natural Products (MNP) from 11th March to 15th March in Ventura, California. As a fifth-year graduate student in Eustaquio Lab, my project is to investigate the biosynthesis, and functions of a marine natural product isolated from marine sponge associated bacteria. I shared our latest results in two 2-hour long poster sessions with diverse researchers at all career stages from academia, government, and industry. I received advice and suggestions from multiple perspectives on my project, which was immensely beneficial for fostering multi-disciplinary collaborations in the study of chemically and biologically complex natural products like ours. It provided an excellent opportunity to network in person. I had conversations with many outstanding peers and professors, establishing valuable connections that are pivotal for my future career goals. In addition, there were numerous inspiring talks with new ideas and advanced methodologies. Overall, GRC MNP 2024 was an unforgettable experience with numerous unexpected benefits. It was a great honor to receive the TAPS award, which significantly enhanced the significance of this memory. Thank you once again for your trust and generosity!

Yitao Dai, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

The Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and Seminar (GRS) were a unique experience. During the GRS, I gave my first oral presentation, which was a very enriching experience and brought a lot of attention to my work. Being a smaller and more niche conference, I talked one-on-one with several great researchers about my poster and presentation, cultivating a great network and getting helpful and creative suggestions for my work. Additionally, the talks were diverse, innovative, and directly correlated to my work and my future goals. It was a great experience in general.

Vitor Lourenzon, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

I attended the 2024 American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) conference in San Diego this April. AACR is one of the biggest annual meetings in the field of cancer research. Thanks to the generous support of TAPS, I was able to participate in this significant event. I attended keynote presentations on cutting-edge topics in spatial omics analysis methods and artificial intelligence (AI) approaches. I learned about the latest breakthroughs of these advancements in cancer research and took in the knowledge to evaluate my own research. In the poster session, I presented current research achievements in our lab and received inspiring feedback from experts in relevant research fields. Besides, I had incredible conversations with peers, professors, and industry professionals. This opportunity expanded my knowledge and fostered my professional development beyond academia. I am deeply grateful to my advisor, Dr. Lee, and the patrons of the TAPS award for affording me this invaluable opportunity.

Yi-Chien Wu, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

I was excited to use this generous TAPS travel award to attend MIKIW, where I would present my new research project for the first time. I also had a great time learning about the research being done by my peers and networking with local professors with whom I may find employment after my defense.

Carolyn Straub, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

The EFMC-ACSMEDI medicinal chemistry frontiers 2024 conference provided an excellent opportunity to learn about the latest advancements in medicinal chemistry, network with scientists from all over the world, and inspire future research and collaborations. I am confident my participation in the conference will significantly contribute to my further development as a medicinal chemist.

John Sloan, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

Attending the AACR Ovarian Cancer Conference was an incredible experience where I was not only exposed to inspiring cutting-edge research in the field, but also was able to present to, and directly interface with, researchers from across the globe. The opportunity to discuss my work with experts was beneficial in both my training as a presenter and in generating new ideas for my research. Participating in the AACR Ovarian Cancer Conference was an enlightening experience, and I am thankful for the TAPS award that provided support for my participation in the conference.

 

Monica Haughan, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

I am truly grateful for the travel award that sponsors me to attend American Association of Cancer Research’s Ovarian Cancer Workshops in Boston. I enjoyed interacting with patient advocates and researchers to talk about exciting new discoveries in ovarian cancer research. This conference presents me a platform to better understand therapeutic opportunities that hopefully one day will lead to novel treatment strategies in ovarian cancer. This experience allowed me to build meaningful connections and advance my career as a cancer biology researcher

Didi Zha, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

In 2023 October, I had an opportunity to attend the PharmSci 360 conference organized by the American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences (AAPS) in Orlando, Florida. This conference is one of the largest international gatherings focused on pharmaceutical sciences. I am grateful to have been supported by the TAPS award to present my research, which is about antibody-based cancer vaccine delivery. I was honored to have been selected for the Best Abstract Award for my poster abstract at this conference. This event provided me with a wonderful opportunity to connect with UIC alumni and other scientists as well. I truly appreciate the support provided by UIC Alumni and Friends, which has been an important contributor to our research trajectory.

Dahee Jung, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

My participation in the ACS Spring 2023 Conference, Crossroads of Chemistry, best addressed my long-term goal which is to search and initiate strong collaborations with fellow scientists who share similar scientific interests for our current projects and most importantly for my future career in Academia. In ACS Spring 2023 I attended inspiring presentations from leaders in the field of Chemistry and Nobel Laureates. I was able to amass feedback on my work and participate in constructive conversations in the fields of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry. Last but not least, among all these remarkable scientists I met with Prof. Huw M. L. Davies from Emory University who provided valuable comments on my work. I am grateful to my advisors, Prof. Karol S. Bruzik and Prof. Keith W. Miller, for getting me onboard on this exciting journey, all my colleagues, the UIC Alumnus and Friends for their continuous support to our ever-expanding mission and I am vehement about an even more exhilarating future.

 

Dimos Koinas, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

I am very glad to have attended the ACS Spring 2023 as for five days I connected with new people, attended top quality seminars in medicinal chemistry and now leave with new ideas for my own research. The conference was a hot pot of the many fields in chemistry which gave me the chance to interact with people outside my specialty as a medicinal chemist. I attended many wonderful lectures, a workshop on grant writing and another on preparing for an interview, as well as a python class on data analysis in chemistry. In particular, one lecture sparked a new idea for a future direction in my own research on designing new small molecule anthelmintics for schistosomiasis. I thoroughly enjoyed every single day inside the conference and outside exploring the city of Indianapolis for the first time.

Luke Harding, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

Attending the Kappa Therapeutics Conference gave me the unique opportunity to interact with professors and graduate students at the forefront of research on the kappa opioid receptor. These are highly respected scientists whose research I read and reference regularly. Getting to talk to them, listen to their presentations, and present my research to them has been one of the best experiences of my graduate school career.

Simon Creed, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

To be able to present your work not only to your peers but to the experts in the field is not only rewarding but a great learning experience. I had the opportunity to attend the inaugural American Physiology Summit-2023 and present my work on gut microbiota dysbiosis and sickle cell pain. It gave me an excellent platform to share my research and invite more discussion surrounding gut microbiota’s role in pain conditions. I received insightful feedback on my research as well as ideas on future approaches. The conference had several informative workshops which were very beneficial for young scientists like me. At the same time, I got to interact with experts in the field and develop connections, with the highlight of meeting Dr. David Julius, 2021 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, discussing my research with him and getting his feedback. Overall, it was an incredibly valuable experience, and I want to express my gratitude to my advisor Dr. Wang, the sponsors of the TAPS award, UIC Alumni and friends for their continuous support.

Yavnika Kashyap, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

Participating in this year’s ASMS annual conference was an incredibly enlightening journey where I had the chance to interact with leading minds and professionals in single cell proteomics, most of whom I knew only from their published work. As the first large conference that I’ve attended, with more than 3000 participants, it also provided me with the opportunity to explore other Mass Spectrometry disciplines and make meaningful discussions with fellow researchers, opening new potential collaborations and applications for my research. My gratitude goes out to Dr. Gao and the patrons of the TAPS award for making this experience possible.

Cory Matsumoto, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

The chance to attend the 2023 American Peptide Symposium was truly an enriching experience. This conference not only allowed me to present my own research, but also served as a platform for making numerous meaningful connections with scientists from diverse backgrounds, encompassing both industry and academia, spanning various stages of their careers. The talks delivered by esteemed speakers represented the forefront of peptide science and drug discovery and provided me with many new insights. As an aspiring scientist about to begin my career in these areas, I greatly appreciated the insights and connections this conference provided and look forward to attending again in the future.

Changfeng Cheng, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

It was very much inspiring to see all the innovative and new advances happening in the field of natural products as well as network with other scientists who are making major contributions to the industry.

Manead Khin, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

As a third-year graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in Eustaquio Lab, my project is to investigate the export, regulation, biosynthesis, and functions of a marine natural product isolated from marine sponge associated bacteria. I shared our latest results in three 2-hour long poster sessions with diverse researchers at all career stages from academia, government and industry. My oral presentation ability was enhanced. I also received advice and suggestions from multiple perspectives on my project, which is crucial for interpreting results, modifying experiments, and deciding next steps. In addition, I met two potential collaborators, one from Israel, and one from Germany, whom I would not have met without attending the conference. This experience is beneficial for multi-disciplinary collaborations to study chemically and biologically complex natural products like ours. In addition, as a novice, it was a perfect chance to network in person. I have talked with many excellent peers and professors, and built connections with many of them. This is an important step toward my future career goal. Finally, it has to be mentioned that the conference started at 9am and ended at 9:30pm every day. There were countless inspiring talks with new ideas and advanced methodologies. The questions asked and dynamic discussions after each talk in a range of formal and informal settings trained my critical thinking.

All in all, GRC 2022 was an unforgettable experience with so many unexpected benefits. It was my honor to receive TAPS, which made this memory even more significant. Thank you again for your trust and generosity!

 

Yitao Dai, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

A waterfall of information that amounted to a meaningful, fun and educational experience! I presented a poster of my work in the Riley Lab and got great attendance and many of congratulations on what we have completed. The experience was my first large conference and I utilized it to the fullest and learned an immense amount in just the 5 days that I was present. Some may make the analogy of that the amount of learning at a conference as such is like “drinking water out of a fire hose”! I am very excited to take what I learned and further foster the relationships I established at the conference to better the work being done in the Riley Lab and UIC Pharmaceutical Sciences Department. The trip was extremely memorable, and I am very grateful for the generous donation that helps students like myself take advantage of experiences to better ourselves, laboratories, department, school and UIC.

Kyle Kremiller, MD/PhD Candidate  |  PSci MSTP Student

Attending the Experimental Biology (EB) meeting 2022 was incredibly beneficial for me, as it provided the opportunity to present and discuss my research work with others, get in touch with faculty and peers in my field, and learn from other researchers’ work. During the meeting, I listened to several wonderful lectures given by frontline scientists in gut microbiota and read numerous posters on every category of drug metabolism. I believe I’ve got some inspiration from those research stories and techniques. This EB meeting is my first in-person international conference, and immensely exposing my brain to scholarly communications over the three days was such a fantastic experience. I want to express my appreciation for the generous support of the Travel Award.

Xiaotong Yang, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

With the support of the TAPS award, I attended the 2022 American Association for Cancer Research meeting in New Orleans. This conference offered a great opportunity for me to discuss my research with top researchers and scientists and received valuable feedback from them. During the conference, I was also able to attend workshops, keynotes, and poster presentations to learn about the latest advances in cancer science and medicine. Thank the donors who provide alumni support to make this travel award possible for students.

Yi-Chien Wu, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

This is my first time EVER being in a scientific conference outside my home country, Egypt. I was really amazed how huge AACR was. Also, it was my first time to present my research to a wide range of audience. I enjoyed the interactions with cancer researchers and scholars coming from difference disciplines, countries, and experiences. Being in AACR allowed me to be exposed to a lot of research areas in utilizing genomic data in epidemiological research to better characterize patterns of cancer therapeutics.

As a PhD student majoring in health outcomes research, I am grateful for having the opportunity to meet and communicate with researchers who have research interests similar to mine and initiating collaborations for future research projects.

Abdullah Abdelaziz, PhD Candidate  |  PSOP Graduate Student

Attending the ISPOR 2022 Annual Conference was a great opportunity to not only see how the research principles we learned in class are applied in real-world research but also to interact with researchers from other organizations doing exciting work. Given that this was one of the first in-person conferences since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and my first conference as a student in the Department of Pharmacy Systems Outcomes and Policy at University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), I am so thankful for the opportunity to attend the conference, meet other professionals, and share my research.

Kanya Shah, PhD Candidate  |  PSOP Graduate Student

The TAPS award allowed me to attend and present my research at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research annual conference of 2022. Throughout the conference I got the chance to attend presentation sessions and workshops and interact with health economics and outcomes researchers from industry and academia.

I am grateful for the generous support that made this travel award possible for the students.

Jyotirmoy Sarker, PhD Candidate  |  PSOP Graduate Student

The student travel award allowed me to present my research at the 70^th ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics. Due to the covid-19 situation in the past two years, ASMS was my first opportunity to share my research with other proteomics field researchers in person. The conference had multiple sessions, which broadened my view and knowledge. With hundreds of oral presentations and thousands of posters discussed during the meeting, I had a chance to know the cutting-edge technologies and theories. During my poster presentation, I had many valuable suggestions from peers on my project and was inspired by their recognition. The ASMS conference also helped me build valuable connections in the field and explore more career options. I am appreciative of the generous support by Dr. William Beck and Doreine Carson Beck. Their award helps students to build connections for future collaborations and job opportunities.

Ziwei Zhang, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

The ASMS 2022 conference is a place where sparks from brilliant mass-spectrometry minds collide together and ignite a completely scientific firestorm.

Xinhao Shao, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

Attending ASM Microbe allowed me to present my research and get feedback, build so many connections, and learn from the experts in my field.

Kasra Alizadeh, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

Attending the annual meeting of the American Society of Pharmacognosy was an incredibly enriching experience. There, I learned about cutting-edge techniques and connected with future employment opportunities. However, my favorite part of the meeting was collaborating with researchers of every age. The ASP meeting is a fantastic place to connect with and bolster fellow researchers. Not only did I receive invaluable feedback on my own research, but I was able to help younger scientists address some of their own research dilemmas

Lydia David, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

Attending the annual conference of the American Society of Pharmacognosy was very beneficial to my career as a scientist. Attending this conference allowed me to keep a pulse on where the state of the field is and attending allowed me to appropriately network as I am nearing the back end of my PhD and looking towards the next step forward.

Antonio Hernandez, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

I had the great opportunity to present our research work at the Controlled Release Society 2022 Annual Meeting in Montreal. The conference, which offers a breadth of scientific knowledge in the drug delivery field, was my first conference as a student in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and one of the first conferences I was able to attend in person since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am very grateful for the opportunity to give a short oral presentation on our research work on glutathione-conjugated hydrogels for delivery of antibiotics against skin infections. This allowed me to get very helpful feedback on our work and future approaches, interact with other researchers in the field, and make valuable connections both from academia and industry. I also attended workshops, keynotes, and poster presentations on cutting-edge research and innovation across a variety of disciplines in the field of drug delivery. I want to express my sincere gratitude to the sponsors of the TAPS award for giving students like me the resources and support to advance academically and professionally.

Angeliki Andrianopoulou, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

Thanks to the generous support I received through the TAPS award, I was able to attend the Gordon Research Seminar on Medicinal Chemistry 2021. The conference was a fantastic opportunity to communicate my research to my peers, receive feedback on my project, and learn about medicinal chemistry principles. I left the experience feeling motivated by the engaging interactions I had with both peers and faculty.

Carolyn Straub, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

With the generous support of TAPS, I was able to attend two conferences which broadened my horizon and depth of knowledge.

The Glia biology conference was such a great experience where I could have opportunities to get in touch with the most frontline research and technologies in the field of glia biology. Attending several lectures given by pioneers in the field inspired me and gave me some clues on how to deepen my current research.

In another neuroscience conference Society of neuroscience 2021, I had chances to discuss with peers on more than hundreds of poster presentations and lectures and such intense meeting does provide me with many ideas, from experimental designing, technologies in fashion and the most updated research hot spots.

Xiao Guo, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

The ability to attend the Annual Society for the Study of Reproduction Conference was greatly beneficial. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, attending SSR presented my first opportunity to share my work with other scientists in the field for the first time in person. This allowed for useful dialogue with peers on my project and helped me frame my work in a new way to ensure it is as understandable as possible for my upcoming thesis defense.

Tova Bergsten, MD/PhD Candidate  |  MSTP Student

The ISPOR meeting definitively enabled me to build upon my robust skillset so that I may master the development and implementation of new clinical decision support tools for utilization in a clinical practice setting. The ISPOR meeting provided tremendous support during this critical time while I transition from mentored research toward opportunities for research leadership positions as a faculty member.

Jifang Zhou, MD, MOH, PhD Candidate  |  PSOP Graduate Student

Attending the 2019 ISPOR Conference helped me immensely by providing an opportunity to present and discuss my research, attend presentations and workshops, and interact with leaders in the field of health economics and outcomes research.Ihavearenewedunderstandingofhowmyresearchcontributestothisfieldandastronger grasp on where I see myself in the future as I continue to pursue a PhD in Pharmacy. I would like to thank the donors who provide alumni support for this I would like to thank the donors who provide alumni support for this wonderful opportunity to travel, attend the ISPOR conference, and present my research

Nadia Nabulsi, PhD Candidate  |  PSOP Graduate Student

Attending the ISPOR 2019 conference has helped me in terms of showcasing my research and my work in the student organization. It helped me to build stronger relationships with industry leaders, officials from several different organizations, as well as faculty and student researchers from other universities. During the conference, I was able to attend multiple sessions that covered current issues and future directions in the field of outcomes research. I want to express my appreciation for alumni support that enabled me to take I want to express my appreciation for alumni support that enabled me to take part in this conference by way of a Travel Award for PhD Students. These awards help students to engage in experiences that have the ability to shape their future studies and careers.

Alem Asfaw, PhD Candidate  |  PSOP Graduate Student

The TAPS Travel award allowed me to attend the 2019 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research Conference. This award provided me with the opportunity to present my work and learn from thought leaders in the filed on the new trends in pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research. I am overwhelmingly appreciative of the opportunity afforded to me by this award.

Christopher Saffore, PharmD, PhD Candidate  |  PSOP Graduate Student

Attending the 2019 national meeting for the Society for the Study of Reproduction allowed me to present my research to a collection of the world’s leading ovarian cancer researchers and foster future collaboration. This opportunity allowed me to showcase our current and future work to experts who will review our publications and grants. Furthermore, this experience allowed me to network with future employers for academic post-doctoral positions.

Thank you to all the donors that made the 2019 “Travel Award for PhD Students” possible.

Jose Colina, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

My experience at AAIC this year was very positive as it showed me many career options, introduced me to valuable contacts in the field, and allowed me to expose the greater Alzheimer’s field to my novel research.

Jesse Gordon-Blake, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student

Attending ISPOR conference provided a great opportunity to present my research and learn up-to-date issues from the current professionals. Since I am close to graduating, it has also been a valuable way to network with professionals in the field and meet friends from my past experiences. I want to express my gratitude for your kind action that supported my travel to ISPOR I want to express my gratitude for your kind action that supported my travel to ISPOR conference this year. Attending the conference has been a great way to present my research and network with current professionals in the field. Thank you for making this experience possible!”

Inyoung Lee, PhD Candidate  |  PSOP Graduate Student, UIC-AbbVie PPS Research Fellow

When the Burdette Lab does preclinical drug development to find new chemotherapeutics for ovarian cancer from natural product sources, we look for the most potent compounds we can find and focus on target discovery later in our most promising hits. Discovering new targets is exciting, but can lead us into unfamiliar fields, and that’s why being able to learn and network at the joint European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), National Cancer Institute (NCI), and American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Symposium on Molecular Targets & Cancer Therapeutics was so helpful to our explorations into these new target spaces. Thanks so much for enabling my attendance at the conference to happen!

Alexandria Young, PhD, MD candidate  |  MSTP Graduate Student

Attending the Ribosome Structure and Function 2019 meeting in Mérida, Mexico was a great experience that will enhance my current work as a scientist and career outlook. I received very valuable feedback during the presentation of my research study in the form of a poster, and I enjoyed the exchange of ideas with experts in the field. In addition, my participation in the meeting was instrumental in my future career as a scientist because it allowed me to interact personally with potential employers and even resulted in a job offer.

Tanja Florin, PhD  |  PSci Graduate Student

Receiving the TAPS travel award allowed me to attend the 2019 National Comprehensive Cancer Network Conference. Having the chance to present my work while also discussing the recent advancements in cancer treatment guidelines, the same ones I used in pharmacy didactics, was an enlightening and surreal experience. I am grateful for the extraordinary opportunity to partake in front lines of clinical care on a national level.

Karol Sokolowshi, PharmD/PhD Candidate  |  PharmD and PSci Graduate Student

This conference brought together a unique consortium of experts from diverse backgrounds that have significantly impacted the field of natural products research. A challenging but rewarding experience – most of the participants were either academic or industrial professionals while the students who attended were very advanced in their doctorate career. This excellent opportunity allowed me to network with top researchers and scientists from a wide range of institutions, which could provide a clearer insight to decide which path to pursue. Furthermore, the venue of the conference was in Puerto Vallarta, which was a more relaxing and friendly environment to exchange and share scientific ideas.

Sylvia Kunakom, PhD Candidate  |  PSci Graduate Student