Chancellor Collins to UMass Chan PhD candidates: ‘We need your science’

Amid the uncertainty of federal funding for research, UMass Chan Medical School Chancellor Michael F. Collins assured the 74 PhD candidates and MD/PhD students in the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences gathered Wednesday, Sept. 10, for an awards ceremony that their work is paramount. 

“You have not made the wrong decision. Science needs you,” Chancellor Collins said. “We need your science. We need your commitment. We need you in our labs.” 

The students were gathered to celebrate the fact that they had passed their qualifying exam needed to begin thesis work and transition from students to candidates for doctoral degrees.  

“The discoveries that you and your cohort of scientists will make are the Nobel Prize discoveries that will be recognized 20 or 30 years from now. That’s just fact,” Collins said. 

Collins made these remarks minutes after a news conference with Gov. Maura Healey at UMass Memorial Medical Center about the governor’s $400 million DRIVE initiative, which would support research at universities and hospitals and help fill gaps in federal support. 

Following the chancellor’s remarks, students each received a bag containing a laser pointer and business cards. 

Working in the lab of Amy Walker, PhD, associate professor of molecular medicine, PhD candidate Rachel Walker (no relation), a student in the Interdisciplinary Program from Lancaster, is addressing fundamental questions about metabolism, fertility and epigenetic inheritance, factors closely linked to health and lifespan.  

“I’m so grateful for the support of my friends, family and especially my lab through this process,” said Rachel Walker. “Research is challenging because we’re always venturing into uncharted territory, but having a great team and support system makes it easier to keep pushing forward. In the long-term, I hope that my findings lead to the development of interventions that promote healthier aging.” 

“Reaching this milestone represents a significant step forward in my scientific journey,” said Chijioke Onyeani, a PhD candidate from Nigeria in the Interdisciplinary Program and lab of Samuel Behar, MD, PhD, professor of microbiology. “It validates years of dedication, perseverance and curiosity, and motivates me to continue pursuing impactful research that can improve human health.” 

Onyeani’s research focuses on uncovering how hypoxia contributes to T-cell dysfunction during tuberculosis infection.

“This work is important because it could reveal novel mechanisms that enhance host defense and inform new therapeutic strategies against tuberculosis and other infectious diseases,” he said. 

PhD candidate Emily Norman, a student in the lab of Michael Francis, professor of neurobiology, received the Zelda Haidak Award in Cell Biology. The late Gerald Haidak, MD, established the scholarship to honor his wife, Zelda Haidak, and to enhance training for women launching research careers in cell biology. 

The following students became PhD candidates in the 2024-2025 academic year: