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News & Achievements for the Soleimanpour Lab
News & Achievements
Catch up with what's happening in the Soleimanpour Lab.
Awards & Distinctions
- Congratulations to Dr. Jin Li and the whole team on their publication in Nature Metabolism!
- Congratulations to Elena Levi-D’Ancona on successfully completing her dissertation defense and earning her PhD!
- Welcome to our newest graduate student, Carlos Escoto-Diaz!
- Welcome back to Biaoxin Chai who rejoined the Soleimanpour Lab as a research specialist!
- Welcome to our newest postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Muhammad Shamoon!
- Congratulations to Dr. Emily Walker, Dr. Gemma Pearson and the whole team for their publication in Science.
- Congratulations to Dr. Jin Li for being awarded an ADA Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant.
- Congratulations to Ava Stendahl for her acceptance to the CMB PhD program at University of Michigan.
- Congratulations to Dr. Becca Davidson for winning a poster award at the 2024 Caswell Diabetes Institute Metabolism, Obesity, Nutrition, & Diabetes Symposium.
- Congratulations to Ava Stendahl whose abstract was selected for oral presentation at the 2024 Midwest Islet Club.
- Congratulations to Dr. Becca Davidson for their acceptance into the inaugural Brehm-Concordia Coalition.
- Congratulations to Elena Levi-D’Ancona for receiving the Rackham Predoctoral Award.
- Elena was selected to participate in the Washington Fellows Program through ASPET.
- Congratulations to Elena Levi-D’Ancona and Dr. Vaibhav Sidarala for their publication in JoVE.
- Congratulations to Dr. Courtney Campbell for being awarded the T32 training grant in Developmental Origins of Metabolic Diseases.
- Congratulations to Dr. Becca Davidson for being awarded the F32 Ruth Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award!
- Congratulations to Belle Henry-Kanarek for her publication in Molecular Metabolism.
- Congratulations to Dr. Jin Li whose abstract was designated as an ADA Presidents’ Select Abstract, and will have an oral presentation at the 2024 ADA Scientific Sessions (2024).
- Congratulations to Dr. Vaibhav Sidarala who was awarded a MiRcore Microgrant for Autoimmune Disease Research related to type 1 diabetes (2024).
- Mabelle Pasmooij presented a poster at the Spring Celebration & Research Poster Session at U-M through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (2024).
- Welcome to our newest postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Courtney Campbell (2024)!
- Congratulations to Elena Levi-D’Ancona whose abstract was selected for oral presentation at the 2024 ADA Scientific Sessions (2024).
- Belle Henry was awarded and began her NIH NIDDK F31 Predoctoral Fellowship (2024).
- Elena Levi-D’Ancona received the U-M Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship (2024).
- Welcome to Elena Sung, a current medical student doing research with us (2024)!
- Congratulations to Dr. Emily Walker for her promotion to Research Assistant Professor (2023).
- Dr. Becca Davidson joined our group as a postdoctoral researcher and was awarded a position on the T32 training grant in Basic Diabetes Research (2023).
- Belle Henry received a perfect score on her F31 application from the NIDDK!
- Sheridan Mikhail joined our group as a graduate student and was awarded a position on the T32 training grant in Experimental Immunology (2023).
- Belle Henry was chosen to intern in In Vivo Pharmacology, Department of Translational Oncology at Genentech Inc., San Francisco, CA (summer 2023).
- Elena Levi-D’Ancona won an Oral Presentation Award at the 2023 Midwest Islet Club meeting, and Drs. Jin Li and Emily Walker won poster awards.
- Belle Henry won a poster presentation award at the Caswell Diabetes Institute-Metabolism, Obesity & Diabetes (CDI-MOD) symposium (2023).
- Abstract by Anne Lietzke was selected for an oral presentation at the JDRF Centers of Excellence Meeting (2023).
- K01 Research Scientist Development grant from the NIDDK was awarded to Dr. Emily Walker (2023).
- Abstract by Dr. Emily Walker was selected for an oral presentation at the Human Islet Research Network (HIRN) meeting (2022).
- Congratulations to Dr. Vaibhav Sidarala who was promoted to Research Investigator in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Sidarala is excited to be able to continue his work on mitochondrial dynamics and regulation of β-cell secretion in this new position (2022).
- Congratulations to Morgan, now Dr. Gingerich, as she successfully defended her thesis in June (2022).
- Belle Henry was selected to participate in the Cellular Biotechnology Training Program.
- Dr. Emily Walker chaired the “Beta Cell Development and Postnatal Growth” session at the ADA (2022).
- Elena Levi-D’Acona was selected to be a part of the Career Training in the Biology of Aging T32.
- Dr. Emily Walker was selected to give a plenary talk at the ADA meeting (2021).
- Dr. Scott Soleimanpour is a new member of the ADA and EASD Precision Medicine in Diabetes Initiative (PMDI) to develop the next Consensus Report of the PMDI in 2022, focused on Precision Prognostics in T1D (2020).
- Systems and Integrative Biology T32 Training Grant awarded to Anne Lietzke (2020).
- Research Training in Experimental Immunology T32 Training Grant awarded to Elena Levi-D'Ancona (2020).
- Congratulations to Dr. Gemma Pearson who was promoted to Research Investigator in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Pearson is excited to be able to continue her work on mitochondrial regulation of β-cell identity in this new position (2020).
- Congratulations to Dr. Vaibhav Sidarala for the successful publication of his work entitled Mitophagy Protects Beta Cells from Inflammatory Damage in Diabetes(2020).
- The Soleimanpour Lab has been invited to join the NIH Human Islet Research Network (HIRN) Consortium. As part of the HIRN Consortium on Beta Cell Death and Survival, the Soleimanpour lab will investigate the integrated roles of beta cell proinsulin misfolding, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction in the development of T1D, together with collaborators at Michigan Medicine (2020).
- Dr. Scott Soleimanpour selected to serve a two-year term on the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions Planning Committee. He will be Co-Chair of the Islet Biology/Insulin Secretion Program (2020).
- Abstract by Dr. Vaibhav Sidarala selected for oral presentation at the ADA Scientific Sessions (2020).
- National Institutes of Health F31 Predoctoral Fellowship awarded to Morgan Gingerich (2020).
- Dr. Scott Soleimanpour named Associate Director, Director of T1D Basic Research, and Director of Enrichment Programs for the Elizabeth Weiser Caswell Diabetes Institute (2020).
- American Diabetes Association Postdoctoral Fellowship awarded to Dr. Gemma Pearson (2019).
Dr. Scott Soleimanpour interviewed by WDIV’s medical expert, Dr. Frank McGeorge.
Dr. Jin Li receiving the ADA Presidents’ Select Abstract Award.
news
Health Lab
Misfolded proteins accumulate in the mitochondria of patients with type 2 diabetes
Aging-related diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disorders and type 2 diabetes, are associated with defects in protein synthesis and folding. In a new study, researchers at the University of Michigan found that mitochondria also accumulate misfolded proteins, which kills insulin-producing β-cells of patients with type 2 diabetes.
Department News
Dr. Scott Soleimanpour's Interview with Quanta Magazine
Dr. Scott Soleimanpour found that in mice with defective mitochondria, beta cells were de-differentiating — losing their identity as beta cells and reverting to a more immature state.
Community Outreach
Emily Walker
- Leads hands-on lessons on human physiology at Ypsilanti’s Estabrook Elementary School to 5th graders who lack a designated science curriculum with SEEK: Science Education & Engagement for Kids.
