Michael R. Green, MD, PhD, Award in Graduate Research

The Michael R. Green, MD, PhD, Award in Graduate Research was established in 2024 to celebrate Dr. Green's legacy as a scientific researcher in diverse fields—including gene regulation, epigenetics and cancer—and as a mentor to young scientists. This annual award recognizes outstanding graduate students at UMass Chan whose accomplishments, perseverance and commitment to research excellence have distinguished them from their peers.

2024 Recipients

Award in Cancer Biology: Kensei Kishimoto

Kensei Kishimoto is a 4th year student in the MD/PhD Program / Medical Scientist Training Program, training in the Flavahan laboratory.

Kensei is testing the hypothesis that the histone acetylation reservoir provides acetyl-CoA to upregulate critical survival genes for glioblastoma cell survival. To this end, he has developed a novel CRISPR-Cas9-based sensor to determine the local concentrations of the metabolite acetyl-CoA in glioblastoma cells during energy stress conditions. These studies may define histone acetylation reservoir as a therapeutic vulnerability for glioblastoma multiforme, potentially stripping these tumors of their strategy for thriving in the harsh tumor microenvironments.

Award in Molecular Biology: Lucas Restrepo

Lucas Restrepo is a 5th year graduate student in the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, training in the Baehrecke laboratory.

Lucas is interested in elucidating the molecular mechanisms that regulate clearance of mitochondria, or mitophagy, using Drosophila as a model. Organelle-selective autophagy, the process of recycling parts of the cell, is essential for cell homeostasis, particularly for dynamic organelles like mitochondria. Defective mitophagy has a profound impact on neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinsons’ Disease.  Lucas identified the mitochondrial gene Mtch as a critical regulator of mitophagy.  He has used genetic, imaging and biochemical approaches to define its function during mitochondrial clearance and dissected its physical and genetic association with other regulators of mitophagy, such as PINK1 and Parkin.  Lucas’ thesis research hopes to elucidate the mysteries and complexities of selective autophagy during development.

The recipients presented their research at the MCCB In House Seminar Series on September 5, 2024.