March 29, 2023
2022-2023 Magnuson Scholar Winter Updates
On behalf of the University of Washington six Health Sciences Schools and the Magnuson Scholar Program, here are updates on our scholars since their announcement one year ago. The scholars and the Magnuson Family will be recognized on Friday, March 31.
We appreciate your support of these scholars and our efforts to fully recognize their achievements while acknowledging Warren G. Magnuson’s extraordinary public service career.
The 2022-2023 Magnuson Scholars are:
Philip A. Wasczak
School of Dentistry
Jocelyn Cervantes
School of Medicine
Sanithia Parker and Kimberly Brinker
School of Nursing
Yilin Chen
School of Pharmacy
Ammarah Mahmud
School of Public Health
Jessica Lapham
School of Social Work
Scholar Profiles
Philip A. Walczak
School of Dentistry
I am honored to have been selected a Magnuson Scholar. I am grateful for the generous contributions of the late Senator Magnuson and his family in supporting the Scholars as we strive to improve understanding of disease and implement interventions.
This award has rekindled my motivation for my PhD studies. I am personally motivated as I have seen mineralization-related disorders in my family and am proud to contribute to the field. I presented my work at the American Society for Bone and Mineralization Research Annual Conference and at the School of Dentistry Research Day, where I won the graduate poster competition.
Additionally, I recently had my first formal thesis committee meeting. My current work utilizes new spatial transcriptomic methods to understand what effect loss of phosphate transporter gene Slc20a2 has on genetic pathways in different hard tissue cell types in different regions of development or disease. This will increase understanding of phenotypic changes observed by our lab in bone and tooth development and vascular calcification.
Furthermore, these experiments will serve as the foundation for added verification of affected pathways in both mouse models as well as a CRISPR knockout cell line I am developing. I am excited in the potential of this project to illuminate the role of phosphate transport in hard tissue development and repair, and uncovering candidate therapeutic targets for regulating mineralization. I look forward to continuing this work while maintaining my clinical connection to ultimately translate this work into patient care.
Jocelyn Cervantes
School of Medicine
I am honored to have been selected as one of the 2022-2023 Magnuson Scholars and to be able to contribute to U.S. Senator Warren G. Magnuson’s legacy. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the Magnuson family and the selection committee for this opportunity. This scholarship has greatly supplemented my personal growth as a first-generation PhD graduate student and biomedical researcher.
Currently, I am in my third year of my doctoral studies at the UW Medicine Diabetes Institute, under the mentorship of Dr. Jenny Kanter. My PhD research is centered on understanding how monocytes become lipid-loaded during diabetes and if their accelerated recruitment into the kidney is the casual pathway of diabetic kidney disease. This award has greatly smoothened the transition into my third year PhD studies, allowing me the opportunity to focus on passing my general exam and launch my thesis research. Thus far, I have found exciting new data on how monocytes become lipid-loaded in different mouse models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
This scholarship has also given me access to unique professional development opportunities. This includes attending the 2022 Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) National Diversity in STEM conference where I was able to network with scientists of similar backgrounds and explore career opportunities post-graduation. More recently, I was able to use this award to apply to present my research at the 2023 American Diabetes Association conference. I am confident that these experiences will continue catalyzing my growth as a biomedical researcher. I’m excited to be entering the next phase of my PhD studies and I hope that my research contributions will aid the development of more effective drugs for treating diabetic complications such as diabetic kidney disease.
Sanithia Parker
School of Nursing
I am grateful to have been selected as one of the 2022-2023 Magnuson Scholars. Being recognized as a recipient of this prestigious award has been a tremendous honor and highlight among my many academic achievements. This award has served as an inspiration to me both personally and professionally.
Personally, I have faced significant financial hardship, in my pursuit of higher education. This generous scholarship has eased some of these financial burdens and provided space for me to protect my time and energy, so that I can focus on the completion of my dissertation.
Professionally, I have been inspired by the legacy of Senator Magnuson. It is my hope that my research has great impact, advancing health equity for the African American community here in King County. My research focuses on engaging the African American community as partners in developing sustainable strategies and solutions to promote and protect health. I consider it a great privilege to use my positionality as a researcher to uplift the voices of those most marginalized and illuminate what these communities imagine for health and well-being.
Kimberly Brinker
School of Nursing
I am so grateful for the support provided by the Magnuson scholarship. As a first-generational Latina graduate student within my family, I have seen first-hand how cultural factors influence health conditions such as diabetes.
These factors, in addition to social determinants of health, are important considerations in nursing research endeavors. My objective is to tailor effective nursing interventions specifically for LatinX and other vulnerable populations by evaluating these issues.
The Magnuson Scholarship will allow me to devote time over the next several months to my dissertation proposal. Offering evidence-based recommendations will improve diabetes chronic disease management programs, ultimately allowing for the growth of population health initiatives. My long-term goal is to share research findings with organizations so the concepts can be applied more broadly and these health care services expanded. I would not be able to pursue this opportunity without the support of the Magnuson Scholarship.
Yilin Chen
School of Pharmacy
Being selected as a Magnuson Scholar for the 2022-2023 academic year is an extraordinary privilege for me, and I would like to express my appreciation to the generous donors, friends, and family of Senator Warren G. Magnuson, as well as the selection committee, for this prestigious award.
Undertaking research can be a challenging task, and this award has not only provided me with a remarkable funding opportunity but has also motivated and supported me in my pursuit of completing my PhD dissertation and professional development.
Currently in my fourth and final year of the PhD program, I have been occupied with multiple health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) projects. I recently finished my proposed project on designing and modeling outcomes of a value-based formulary for anti-diabetic medications in partnership with Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute.
My presentation on this topic at the 2022 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) conference was recognized as the Best Student Podium Presentation, and my first-authored paper on this topic was accepted for publication in the Value in Health journal. Furthermore, I have devoted additional time to my dissertation project, which intends to develop innovative methods for evaluating comparative effectiveness utilizing external controls for tumor-agnostic therapies. In the first aim, I applied Bayesian hierarchical models to discuss how to account for heterogeneity in treatment outcomes of pan-tumor drugs using evidence from a basket trial. In the second and third aims, I aim to address the scarcity of evidence-based data on comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness for this new treatment approach. Additionally, I have completed all the required and additional coursework for my PhD HEOR Program and plan to take my final exam in Spring 2023, with an expected graduation date of Summer 2023. I am eager to continue my PhD journey and make meaningful contributions to enhance patient outcomes. In summary, each of these opportunities has fostered my academic, professional, and personal growth, which was made possible with the support of the Magnuson Scholarship.
Ammarah Mahmud
School of Public Health
I am extremely grateful to have been selected as a Magnuson Scholar and am honored to receive support for my research and professional development during my PhD program. I am currently a 4th year doctoral candidate in the Health Services program and this scholarship has allowed me to prioritize my dissertation research which recognizes the importance of social factors on individuals’ health. Specifically, my dissertation focuses on evaluating a community resource specialist intervention on patient (e.g., markers of diabetes) and health system-level (e.g., cost) outcomes, relative to a national call center. I am currently analyzing patient-level data and hope to finish this step this Spring, before moving on to health system-level data.
My dissertation reflects my broader interests of how integrated health care systems can use innovative methods to address whole person care. This aligns with my professional goals to generate knowledge that advances population health and health equity through health care integration efforts. Since receiving the Magnuson scholarship, I have also been able to identify and prioritize professional development opportunities to reach my ultimate goals.
For example, I attended a workshop to learn more about appropriate methodologies for health equity research, co-authored papers related to social health factors, served as a first author for a recently accepted manuscript discussing the prevalence of social risk factors during COVID-19, and presented these findings at a national conference. These experiences have motivated me as I continue working on my dissertation research, expanded my professional network, as well as advance my personal and professional growth. I am honored to receive support from the Magnuson Award and look forward to continuing my research.
Jessica Lapham
School of Social Work
Thank you to the Magnuson Family for the critical support this scholarship has provided over the course of the 2022-23 academic year. With this funding, I have been able to focus on my dissertation work and complete the final requirements toward obtaining my PhD in the School of Social Work.
My dissertation examines whether variations in US state labor preemption laws (i.e., minimum wage, paid leave, fair scheduling, and prevailing wage preemption) are getting ‘under the skin’ of workers at young adulthood and early mid-life using biomarkers of cardiovascular health. Work from this project has been accepted for presentation at a national conference and at this time the first two papers of my dissertation have been reviewed by all committee members. My third dissertation paper is under revision.
I plan to defend my dissertation and graduate in spring quarter 2023. I believe this work is poised to make a substantial contribution to the field of social work, public health, and social policy. I remain extremely grateful to the Magnuson Family for providing this support as it allows me to continue working towards completion of my dissertation and PhD in the coming months.