April 21, 2026. Graduate student Md. Asaduzzaman Rakib has been featured in the TrendsTalk series of Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, where he discusses his research journey, scientific motivations, and the broader impact of his work.
Mar. 25, 2026. PhD student Md. Aktaruzzaman (Shuvo) has been spotlighted in the TrendsTalk series! In this feature, he talks about the inspiration behind his research, the challenges and breakthroughs he has encountered, and the impact his work will likely have on the scientific community. This recognition underscores his growing contributions to the field and his dedication to pushing the boundaries of pharmacological research.
July 8, 2025. Dr. Jin has received a competitive renewal of his Neuroscience Postdoctoral Award, supported by the UTHSC Neuroscience Institute. This renewal recognizes his continued excellence in research and the strong scientific impact of his work.
Dec. 05, 2024. Congratulations to Dr. Nelufar Yasmen on the successful public defense of her PhD dissertation, “Targeting Multiple Aspects of Neuroinflammation for Epilepsy.” This milestone reflects her rigorous scholarship and meaningful contributions to the field.
Aug. 12, 2024. Nelufar Yasmen has been awarded the Trainee Professional Development Award (TPDA) by the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), a distinction that supports promising early-career researchers. She will receive a $1,000 travel stipend and complimentary registration to participate in Neuroscience 2024.
May 31, 2024. Congratulations to Nelufar Yasmen for earning two top honors at the 2024 UTHSC Graduate Research Day: First Place in the Podium Presentation category and the Outstanding Student Award in Pharmaceutical Sciences. These distinctions recognize her exceptional scholarship and impactful research contributions.
Feb. 6, 2024. Congratulations to Nelufar Yasmen, who has advanced to PhD candidacy after successfully completing her Doctoral Qualifying Exam. This milestone marks a major step on her path as an independent researcher.
Jan. 8, 2024. Dr. Zhen Jin has been awarded a $15,000 Neuroscience Postdoctoral Award and a $500 Travel Award from the UTHSC Neuroscience Institute. This dual recognition highlights the impact of his ongoing research and supports his continued contributions to the neuroscience community.
Dec. 11, 2023. Our R21 grant application for the NIH CounterACT Program received a “perfect” Impact Score: 10.
Nov. 2, 2023. Our research in ischemic stroke is featured by Memphis Medical News.
June 20, 2023. Congratulations to Madison for winning the inaugural Duane D. Miller Graduate Student Award in Drug Discovery, along with a $250 check generously provided by Dr. Miller. A fantastic achievement and a well-deserved recognition of her hard work and excellence.
May 11, 2023. Congratulations to Dr. Madison Sluter for successfully defending her PhD dissertation, “Development of Novel, Brain Permeable, mPGES‑1 Inhibitors for Inflammatory Conditions.” A fantastic achievement and a major step forward in her scientific career.
Mar. 7, 2023. Congratulations to Dr. Ruida Hou on the successful public defense of his PhD dissertation, “Targeting prostaglandin E2 receptor EP2 for the treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma.” This accomplishment reflects his rigorous scholarship and meaningful contributions to targeted anticancer drug development.
Feb. 20, 2023. Ruida has been awarded a $1,200 AACR-Margaret Foti Foundation Scholar-in-Training Award, a distinction given to trainees with high-quality abstracts and strong applications. This competitive honor reflects the impact and rigor of his research contributions.
Feb. 7, 2023. Dr. Yu Chen received the 2023 Postdoctoral/Research Associate Award ($15,000) and a Travel Award ($500) from UTHSC Neuroscience Institute.
Jan. 18, 2023. Dr. Qianqian (Jerry) Li took the 3rd place in the platform presentation competition at UTHSC Annual Postdoc Research Showcase.
Jan. 17, 2023. Dr. Lexiao Li won the inaugural Outstanding Postdoctoral/Research Scholar Award, a new award established in 2022 to honor the scholarly achievements of a postdoctoral/research scholar affiliated with the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy.
Jan. 17, 2023. Ruida received the 2022 University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy Outstanding Graduate Student Award for his exceptional scholarly achievements since he joined the lab in 2019.
Sept. 25, 2022. Nelufar was awarded a travel grant ($350) from American Association of Bangladeshi Pharmaceutical Scientists (AABPS).
June 7, 2022. Graduate student Ruida Hou passed his Doctoral Qualifying Exam and advanced to a formal PhD candidate.
April 21, 2022. A competition team formed by Madison and Lexiao won the first place in Tennessee Scipreneur Challenge 2022. Each received $500 prize money.
Jan. 24, 2022. Lexiao was awarded a Neuroscience Postdoctoral/Research Associate Award ($15,000) and a travel award ($500) by the UTHSC Neuroscience Institute.
Dec. 21, 2021. Madison won the Outstanding PHAST Journal Club Presenter for the second time in a row.
Dec. 14, 2021. Graduate student Madison Sluter passed the Doctoral Qualifying Exam and officially became a PhD candidate.
Dec. 3, 2021. Postdoc fellow Dr. Lexiao Li won the 1st place among 14 presenters at 2021 UTHSC Annual Postdoc Research Showcase ($400 prize money) and secured one of the only three travel awards ($1,000).
Nov. 25, 2021. Research Topic Neuroinflammation in Acquired Epilepsy for Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology is now open for submissions.
May 12, 2021. Experimental status epilepticus, COX-2 and BDNF: Connecting the dots. Epilepsia Open.
April 21, 2021. PhD student Madison Sluter won the Outstanding Presenter Award in the Journal Club of the Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology.
April 28, 2020. PharmD student Davis Nguyen won the 2020 UTHSC College of Pharmacy Excellence in Scholarship and Research Award.
July 1, 2018. Our lab was relocated to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.