UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Three graduate students in the Huck Institutes' Integrative and Biomedical Physiology program have recently been awarded fellowships by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support their continued research.

Emily Van Syoc, a trainee under Erika Ganda, and Alanna Staffin, who studies in Kevin Harvatine's lab, will be funded as they continue their doctoral research. Cesar Matamoros, another Harvatine protegee, will receive support as he transitions into a postdoctoral role this autumn.

The Ganda lab is interested in the relationship of food safety and the microbiome, and Van Syoc's highlighted research investigates the benefits of probiotic yogurt when used alongside Metformin, a widely-used treatment for type 2 diabetes.

The Harvatine lab works with dairy cows, and that specialization is reflected in the grants given to its members. Staffin proposed applying a well-understood technique to a previously under-researched area to better understand milk fat synthesis in dairy cows, while Matamoros hopes to better better understand the role of the nutrient choline in the mammary gland in the context of milk fat production.

"It is very exciting to see our physiology students achieve success as independent investigators," said Professor of physiology and kinesiology Donna Korzick, who serves as both chair of the physiology program and the Huck's director of training grant initiatives. "Research fellowships are the logical ‘next step’ in the career development of a scientist, and it’s great to see our students taking risks and proposing such amazing lines of inquiry."

More information on the Physiology program at University Park may be found at the Huck Institutes.