Postdoctoral Awards for Research Excellence

Each year, the Postdoctoral Awards for Research Excellence (PARE) are given in recognition of the research promise demonstrated by individual postdoctoral scholars. The awards are open to postdoctoral scholars in all disciplines. Each recipient receives a monetary award of $1,200.

2023 PARE Award Recipients

Jessica Hoffman is a postdoctoral trainee in the behavior and molecular pharmacology lab of Clyde Hodge. Her work is based on the scientific premise that addiction to alcohol and other drugs is a form of maladaptive neuroplasticity. She is evaluating a novel protein as a fundamental mechanism that drives the rewarding effects of alcohol and is using molecular genetics and pharmacological strategies to evaluate therapeutic strategies that may help alleviate behavioral problems associated with addiction.

Hoffman’s publications have major significance for understanding how alcohol and drugs alter the brain to produce behavioral pathologies across the lifespan and may lead to new therapeutic approaches for treating alcohol use disorder.

Joji Tanaka is a postdoctoral researcher studying polymer chemistry and materials in the lab of Wei You. He led the creation of a new research field called Reversible-Addition Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT) step-growth polymerization that will help scientists achieve previously unattainable polymeric materials with unique chemical composition and architectures.

Tanaka has helped You’s lab make unique discoveries in other novel polymerization methodologies, such as orthogonal polymerization platforms. His collective works have clear implications for technological development and impact on industry and biotechnology.

Aleksandra Skrajna is an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow in Robert McGinty’s lab. Her research focuses on understanding universal principles that govern interactions with the nucleosome, the repeating unit of chromatin, which stores the genetic information of cells. She identified nucleosome binding hot-spots and described amino acid resolution nucleosome footprints for hundreds of proteins representing diverse nuclear functions. Her work has settled long-standing debates in her field and opened new avenues of epigenetic research.

In addition to conducting research, Skrajna has been active in the postdoc community at Carolina, leading a series of monthly meetings and serving on the first postdoc advisory Committee at Eshelman. She will transition to an assistant professor position in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California Santa Cruz in January 2024.

Ying Zhou is a postdoctoral research associate in the lab of Jinsong Huang. He conducts research with the goal of developing perovskite photodetectors to replace commercial silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) for photon counting . This promising research area can bring a revolutionary cost-effective approach to count photons and the success of this approach will benefit science and everyday applications including medical imaging, unmanned automatic driving, cameras, and more.

Zhou is the first author on more than 10 publications in prestigious journals like Nature, Nature Photonics, and Science Advances. In addition to his research, Zhou participates in interdisciplinary activities like seminars and recruiting events and actively works with graduate students to develop their skills and knowledge.

Woosuk Steve Hur is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Matthew Flick in the UNC Blood Research Center. He focuses on uncovering the molecular and cellular mechanisms that link the development of thrombosis, obesity, and associated metabolic pathologies. Hur co-led research that demonstrated how selectively reducing circulating fibrinogen levels is protective against occlusive venous thrombosis while preserving significant hemostatic potential. The results have paved the way for better understanding novel mechanisms of hypofibrinogenemia as well as investigating the potential translational benefits of lowering circulating fibrinogen as an antithrombotic therapy.

Hur is currently investigating the role of fibrinolytic proteins in experimental obesity and metabolic abnormalities and is in the process of developing independent projects. He will combine his training in basic mechanisms in hemostasis, fibrinolysis and thrombosis with the pathogenesis of obesity and metabolic syndrome to investigate the impact of hypofibrinolysis in obesity-driventhrombosis and other metabolic pathologies, particularly nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, for which there are no FDA-approved drugs.

Past Recipients

2022

Aobo Li, Physics and Astronomy
Sophie Maiocchi, Cell Biology and Physiology, Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery
Laura Ornelas, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies
Nipun Saini, Nutrition Research Institute
Wei Shi, Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences

2021

Li Ke, School of Education
Rebecca Krupenevich, Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering
Zhenyi Ni, Applied Physical Sciences
Kai Wang, Department of Ophthalmology
Jessica C. Young, Sheps Center for Health Services Research

2020

Kathryn Gunn, Biochemistry and Biophysics
Kerrel Murray, School of Law
Liujiang Song, Gene Therapy Center & Ophthalmology
Deshira Wallace, Health Behavior
Margeaux Wetendorf, Cell Biology and Physiology

2019

Karen Boschen, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies
Tao Che, Pharmacology
Lauren Hill, Sheps Center for Health Services Research
Chantel Martin, Epidemiology
Yu Mi, Pharmacy
Lisa Spees, LCCC
Aaron Teator, Chemistry
Yanyan Yang, Biochemistry and Biophysics
Xiao Yang, Geological Sciences
Yue Zhang, Environmental Sciences & Engineering

2018

Hongwei Du, LCCC
Kathryn Harper, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies
Laura Raffield, Genetics
Wentao Li, Biochemistry and Biophysics
Michael Sidorov, Cell Biology and Physiology
Cassandra Spracklen, Genetics
Marie Stoner, Carolina Population Center
Ludovic Troian-Gautier, Chemistry
Song Zhang, LCCC
Yang Zhou, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

2017

Lauren Gaydosh, Sociology
Zhe Ma, LCCC
Rajendra Mitra, Ophthalmogoly
Ciara O’Flanagan, Nutrition
Renato Sampaio, UNC Energy Frontier Research Center

2016

Aadra Bhatt, Chemistry
Sarah Davies, Marine Sciences
Dan Dickenson, Biology
Tory Eiselohr-Moul, Psychiatry
Lori Hoggard, Center for Health Equity Research
Gabriel Lazaro, Center for Genomics and Society
Catherine Marcinkiewcz, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies
Saray Shai, Mathematics
Aussie Suzuki, Biology
Amanda Van Swearingen, LCCC

2015

Kemi Doll, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Byron Farnum, Chemistry
Adam Gracz, Gastroenterology and Hematology
Jinchuan Hu, Biochemistry and Biophysics
Amy Johnson, Nutrition
Lavar Munroe, Art
Anya Prince, Social Medicine
Jeremy Rotty, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Dane Taylor, Mathematics
Jason Yi, Pharmacology

2014

Yosuf Aachoui, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Yacine Boulaftali, McAllister Heart Institute
Marci Cottingham, Department of Social Medicine
Shannon Crowley, Department of Psychiatry
Anne Justice, Department of Epidemiology
Peng Kang, Department of Chemistry
Anthony Lau, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Vineet Menachery, Department of Epidemiology
Mika Mustonen, Department of Physics and Astronomy
William Sturkey, Department of History

2013

J. Mauro Calabrese, Department of Genetics
Shobhan Gaddameedhi, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Matteo Giletta, Department of Psychology
Jennifer Kane, Carolina Population Center
Portia Kunz McCoy, Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology
Jennifer Prairie, Departments of Mathematics and Marine Sciences
Scott Rothbart, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Sara Trace, Department of Psychiatry/Eating Disorders Program
Daisuke Urano, Department of Biology
Aaron Vannucci, Department of Chemistry

2012

Sandra Albrecht, Carolina Population Center
Jessica Baker, Department of Psychiatry/Eating Disorders Program
Vivian Gama, Department of Neuroscience Center
Hsien-Sung Huang, Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology
Mosi Ifatunji, Department of Sociology/Carolina Population Center (Carolina Postdoc for Faculty Diversity)
Kathryn Muessig, School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease
Tadashi Nakagawa, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Dileep Varma, Department of Biology
Haitao Wen, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Jason Wolff, Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities

2011

Karla Ausderau, Allied Health Sciences
Silvia Bezer, Department of Chemistry
Karl D. Castillo, Department of Marine Sciences
Zuofeng Chen, Department of Chemistry
Tae-Yeon Eom, Neuroscience Center
Nuri Ozturk, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Kimberly Powers, Departments of Epidemiology and Medicine
Laura Widman, HIV/STD Infectious Disease Center
Nathalie Williams, Carolina Population Center
Pengcheng Xun, Department of Nutrition

2010

Cendra Agulhon, Department of Pharmacology
Christy Avery, Department of Epidemiology
Janne Boone-Heinonen, Interdisciplinary Obesity Training/Carolina Population Center
Jacquelyn Bower, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Charles Davis, Department of Art History (Carolina Postdoc for Faculty Diversity)
Jun Li, Molecular Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy
Paul Reiter, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Courtney Thaxton, Department of Cell & Molecular Physiology
Yang Wang, Department of Pharmacology
Angela Wendel, Department of Nutrition

2009

Irving Coy Allen, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Sergio Chavez, Carolina Population Center
Joyee Ghosh, Department of Biostatistics
Tae-Hong Kang, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Conggang Li, Department of Chemistry
Liqing Ma, Department of Chemistry
Aaron Neumann, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
Nasser Rusan, Biology Department
Mindy Steiniger, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Kai Ziervogel, Department of Marine Sciences

2008

Guohua Cao, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Javier Concepcion, Department of Chemistry
Molly De Marco, Sheps Center for Health Services Research
Paul Hoertz, Department of Chemistry
Xiaoyang Hua, Pulmonary Division of the Department of Medicine & Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma and Lung Biology
Ajit Joglekar, Department of Biology
Alexey Savelyev, Department of Chemistry
Naomi Spence, Carolina Population Center
Jill Weimer, Neuroscience Research Center
Shuangye Yin, Department of Biochemistry

2007

James Patrick Cronin, Department of Biological Sciences
Mathew Dupre, Carolina Population Center
Matthew Frieman, Hooker Research Center, School of Public Health
Hegui Gong, Department of Chemistry
Laura Halperin, Department of English and Comparative Literature
Heidi M. Mansour, Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy
Dan Marston, Department of Biology
Joanna Poblete-Cross, Department of History
Rachael Rigby, Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology
Leslie Sombers, Department of Chemistry

2006

Zhongying Chen, Department of Biology
Shannon Davis, Carolina Population Center
Nora Franceschini, Department of Epidemiology
Andrea (Nackley) Neely, School of Dentistry’s Center for Neurosensory Disorders
Thomas Parsons, Department of Neurology
David Singleton, Department of ESE
Anthony Yannarell, Institute of Marine Sciences

2005

Melanie Bishop, Institue of Marine Sciences
Jennifer DeLuca, Department of Biology
Feng Ding, Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics
Jay Garcia, Carolina Postdoc for Faculty Diversity
Steven Hitlin, Carolina Population Center
Karen Kim, Department of Health Behavior & Health Education
Craig Lee, Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics
Kristopher Preacher, Department of Psychology
Eric Wagner, Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics

2004

J. Scott Brown, Carolina Population Center
David Carr, Carolina Population Center
Daniela Cimini, Department of Biology
Raymond Coakley, Cystic Fibrosis/Pulmonary Research and Treatment Center
Timothy Donaldson, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Heidi Gazelle, Center for Developmental Science
Aiguo Hu, Department of Chemistry
Robert Maile, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Hengbin Wang, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Francis Willard, Department of Pharmacology