The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is proud to announce the 2021 recipients of the Dr. John J. and Charlene Kopchick Fellowships. 

These fellowships are funded through a generous $10.5 million endowment established by alumnus John J. Kopchick, PhD, and his wife, Charlene. 

The Dr. John J. Kopchick Fellowships are awarded to students who demonstrate exceptional character, extracurricular leadership, research excellence, and scholarly merit. Each fellowship provides $7,500 directly to the student and an additional $7,500 to support their research and training. These fellowships may be renewed for a total award period of up to two years. 

The Charlene Kopchick Fellowship is awarded to a graduate school student who demonstrates unique characteristics beyond merit and financial need. Such characteristics may include but are not limited to first generation college graduates entering graduate research, MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences: 2021 Kopchick Fellows students who exhibit exemplary personal character, uniqueness of background and culture, strong work ethic, perceived leadership qualities, and an enthusiastic scientific curiosity. 

These fellowships provide $8,250 of direct aid to the student and an additional $8,250 to support the student’s research and training. This is a one-time award to the student and is not renewable. 

On Nov. 8, 2021, the fellows, along with support from MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School, hosted the second Kopchick Symposium. For more information about this biennial event, please visit https://gsbs.uth.edu/.

2021 Dr. John J. Kopchick Fellows
Each fellowship provides $7,500 directly to the student; $7,500 for research and training; and the awards may be renewed for a total of two years

• Brian Anderson
  Advisor: Kristy K. Brock, PhD

• Yasaman Barekatain
  Advisor: Raghu Kalluri, MD, PhD

• Nathaniel Berg
  Advisor: Holger K. Eltzschig, MD, PhD

• Medina Colic
  Advisor: Traver Hart, PhD

• Carolina Garcia Garcia
  Advisor: Cullen M. Taniguchi, MD, PhD

• Jovanka Gencel-Augusto
  Advisor: Guillermina Lozano, PhD

• Archit Ghosh
  Advisor: Kunal Rai, PhD

• Jennifer Hurtig
  Advisor: Ambro van Hoof, PhD

• Walaa Kattan
  Advisor: John Hancock, BChir, PhD, ScD

• Yiyun Lin
  Advisor: Nicholas E. Navin, PhD

• Elia Lopez
  Advisor: Edgar T. Walters, PhD

• Brigid McDonald
  Advisor: C. David Fuller, MD, PhD

• Nabina Paudyal
  Advisor: Vasanthi Jayaraman, PhD

• Deborah Silverman
  Advisors: Patrick Hwu, MD; Moran Amit, PhD

2021 Charlene Kopchick Fellow
Each fellowship provides $8,250 directly to the student and $8,250 for research and training.

• Soleil Hernandez
  Advisor: Laurence E. Court, PhD