Sara Gaiser
Ph.D. Student
Research Topic
Sara's research focuses on the major human fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. While transcriptional mechanisms controlling C. albicans virulence properties have been well studied, considerably less is known about the role of translational mechanisms. Her project aims to identify the interactions of proteins involved in translational control of C. albicans virulence properties.
Education
B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies - University of Pittsburgh, 2021
Current Program - Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) Ph.D. Program
Awards
2026 - GSBS Outstanding Community Service & Engagement Award - She received the Outstanding Community Service and Engagement Award for founding and leading Lab RATS, a new student organization centered around student volunteering and engagement.
2026 - 2nd place award for student oral presentation at the 44th Annual School of Dentistry Research and Clinical Symposium
2025 - GSBS Heather Menzie Junior Student of the Year Award
2025 - GSBS $1,500 Travel Award to attend to attend the UK Microbiology Society Conference on Candida and Candidiasis in Berlin on October 6-9.
2024 - 2nd place student oral presentation at the 21st Annual South Central Medical Mycology meeting, Nov. 21-22, 2024, New Orleans, LA ($100 prize)
2024 - 2nd place student oral presentation at the Vaccine Development Center of San Antonio Conference, Nov. 8, 2024 ($100)
2024 - NIH R13 travel award to attend and give an oral presentation at the 21st Annual South Central Medical Mycology Meeting, Nov. 21-22, 2024, New Orleans, LA ($500)
2023 - Present Predoctoral Fellow, Craniofacial Oral-Biology Student Training in Academic Research (COSTAR) Program (NIDCR T32), UTHSCSA
2023 - Medical Mycology Society of the Americas Travel Award
- One of two students in North and South America awarded a $500 travel award to attend a fall 2023 Mycology Conference.