Second Year Graduate Students
Rupa Biswas return to top
rupa.biswas@umontana.edu
PhD Graduate Student, Toxicology
Research Advisor - Andrij Holian
I grew up in Kolkata, in eastern India, with a city of more than 15 million people. However, I went to college in Wardha, a small city in Central India surrounded by mountains. After completing my BS in Pharmacy from Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Education (Nagpur University), I applied for my PhD here at The University of Montana. Missoula remind me of Wardha everyday. It is a charming place surrounded by wonderful people and beautiful mountains. The department has excellent and world class research, yet the atmosphere is very relaxed and friendly. I am now working on my lab rotations and fascinated by all the different types of research done here. I am really enjoying my work.
Sarah Lacher return to top
sarah.lacher@umontana.edu
PhD Graduate Student, Toxicology
Research Advisor - Andrij Holian
I grew up in Bismarck, North Dakota. I received my B.S. in Biology with an emphasis in secondary education and a minor in Chemistry in May of 2006 from the University of Northern Colorado. I taught middle school science in the northern Colorado area for two years, and decided teaching science inspires me, but I needed to get back into the frontier end of scientific inquiry. I am currently completing my initial laboratory rotations so as to choose the appropriate lab group and project for the duration of my degree.
Marcy McNamara return to top
marcy1.mcnamara@umontana.edu
PhD Graduate Student, Toxicology
Research Advisor -
I grew up in Naples, New York, a small town upstate in the Finger Lakes region. I received my B.S. in Neuroscience with a minor in Spanish from Allegheny College in Meadville, PA. I was drawn to Montana after spending the summer of 2007 as an intern at Flathead Lake Biological Station, and knew that the research being done here paired with the natural beauty of this area were a perfect fit for me. I love being outdoors and truly appreciate everything Missoula has to offer. The interdisciplinary approach to Toxicology is what initially sparked my interest in the subject, and the program here certainly epitomizes my varied interests. Currently I am doing laboratory rotations so as to decide where I would like to spend the rest of my time pursuing my degree.
Vaishali Satpute return to top
vaishali.satpute@umontana.edu
PhD Graduate Student, Neuroscience
Research Advisor - Josh Lawrence
I am from the festive place Indore located in central India from where I did my B.Sc. Biotechnology. I then moved to the beautiful state Goa for my M.Sc. in Marine Biotechnology where I was fascinated by Neuroscience and so decided to pursue further my education in it. Being in Missoula has been a very pleasant experience with very nice and polite people, beautiful surroundings around, and great Professors. I am enjoying my rotations and doing electrophysiology is fun.
Weinan Sun return to top
weinan.sun@umontana.edu
PhD Graduate Student, Neuroscience
Research Advisor - Michael Kavanaugh
I am originally from Chifeng, a small city in northern China. During 4 years of undergraduate study (major in biotechnology) at China Pharmaceutical University, I became fascinated by the complicated function of the brain, and set my life goal to know how the brain works. I am currently working in Dr. Kavanaugh’s Lab where I am doing electrophysiology and study the synapse transmission at a molecular level. Working in such a great lab and in such a beautiful environment is really a pleasure for me. In my spare time I love to swim, go hiking, and play the piano.
Alana White return to top
alana.white@umontana.edu
PhD Graduate Student, Biomedical Sciences
Research Advisor - Erica Woodahl
I am originally from Stagecoach, Nevada, a town with about five paved roads. I was one of two people from my high school to go to college and got my B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Nevada, Reno. During my time in Reno I studied intracellular calcium release channels called Ryanodine Receptors. I decided to move to Montana because I love mountains and cool weather. The city, campus and research facilities here are amazing. I have never met a nicer group of people than those in Missoula. I am fascinated by neurodegenerative diseases and my current research lies in Parkinson's Disease.