Daya Perkins Awarded Krown Fellowship
Photo/Kukla Vera
To win the award, Perkins presented her research on receptors in the brain that may be used as targets in the development of new treatments for alcoholism.
Perkins, who also has a fellowship from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, works in the laboratories of professors Ronald Alkana and Daryl Davies. She is concurrently pursuing a master’s degree in regulatory science at the USC School of Pharmacy.
“I am indebted to my mentors, Dr. Alkana and Dr. Davies, without whom I could not imagine achieving so much,” Perkins said. “My time in the lab has shaped me as a scientist, and my experience has given me critical insights into the professional lives of scientists in the industry.”
Anna Scott, awarded an honorable mention, is also a doctoral student in molecular pharmacology and toxicology. Scott works in the lab of professor Jean Shih and is also in the regulatory science master’s program.
Scott’s research looks at how genes in the brain, when mutated, can lead to abnormal development. Part of her work centers on enzymes that regulate the levels of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, which influence mood and behavior. Scott has found that neural stem cells lacking these enzymes have slower cell growth.
The Krown Fellowship, an annual competition for graduate students at the USC School of Pharmacy, honors Charles Krown, a successful leader in both retail and manufacturing pharmacy.
The Krown evaluation panel, which consists of faculty members, assesses the publications, research and academic merit of students vying for the award. The two finalists, Perkins and Scott, were chosen from the application pool to present a 20-minute overview of their work to fellow students, faculty and the panel.
Krown applicants must be fulltime Ph.D. students in the USC School of Pharmacy, have been the first author on at least one published peer-reviewed paper, have advanced to candidacy and maintain a 3.5 GPA.
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USC in the News
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The Chronicle of Higher Education mentioned USC’s $6 billion fundraising campaign. The story noted that USC had already raised $1 billion in a “quiet phase,” including the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College.
The Guardian (U.K.) highlighted two major gifts to USC in a list of the 10 biggest philanthropic benefactors in America. The list included the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College, and the $110 million gift from USC Trustee and USC Viterbi School alumnus John Mork and wife Julie to create the USC Mork Family Scholars Program.
The New York Times featured the USC U.S.-China Institute documentary “Assignment: China — The Week that Changed the World.” The documentary, part of a series, examines media coverage of the 1972 Nixon trip that reshaped U.S.-China relations after a quarter century of isolation and hostility. “People look back now and take it for granted that the outcome was preordained,” said the institute’s Mike Chinoy, who produced the documentary. Voice of America also featured the story.
Los Angeles Times featured the Oscar Senti-meter, a tool developed by the USC Annenberg School, Los Angeles Times and IBM that analyzes thousands of tweets about the Academy Awards nominees. The story noted that Mexican actor Demian Bechir received an enormous boost on Twitter the day of the nominations, with a total of 6,893 tweets mentioning him, a 47-fold increase from the day before. The story noted the tool uses language-recognition technology developed in collaboration with USC Viterbi School’s Signal Analysis and Interpretation Lab.
The Times of India (India) featured a three-day medical emergency training workshop organized in association with USC. At the workshop, held at GCS Medical College in India, 50 doctors and more than 100 paramedics learned how to improve emergency support systems. William Mallon of the Keck School of USC said that discussion topics included the use of portable ultrasonic devices to scan patients. “The ultrasound applications help physicians make accurate and timely decisions,” he noted. Daily News & Analysis (India) also featured the workshop.
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