mim_c Trainee Program

The mim_c Trainee Program was established to build community and intellectual support amongst trainees working in the microbiome field in the Puget Sound region. Each month, participants in the program meet to share research presentations and discuss each others' projects in a rigorous, but constructive environment of peers and guest faculty. In addition to the monthly meeting, the mim_c Trainee Program offers a competitive award program each year that provides one-time $10,000 awards to defray research or salary costs associated with a trainee’s project.

Overview

Keep reading below to learn more about our program and this year’s awarded trainees.

Learn more:

  • The mim_c Trainee Program welcomes trainees from any graduate or postdoctoral fellowship program. Examples of relevant research areas include, but are not limited to:

    -Interactions between microorganisms, or between commensal microorganisms and a host

    -Influence of the microbiome on health

    -Methodological developments pertaining to microbiome research

    -Development of microbiome focused therapeutics

  • Our next Trainee Program meeting will be held on March 26th, 4-5pm in the mim_c offices. We will hear research talks from Monica Tschang and Alyssa Easton. Trainees, we hope you will join us for this second round of presentations! Please contact Kyle Asfahl for more information and to RSVP.

  • Applications for the mim_c Trainee Program Awards are accepted each Fall. Applications are reviewed by a committee consisting of faculty at UW and affiliated institutions. Award results are announced in January of the following year. Subscribe to our mailing list below to receive award cycle updates in the Fall quarter.

  • The mim_c Trainee Program has a Slack workspace for all things #traineeprogram. All regional trainees working in the microbiome space are welcome to join our Slack to read general announcements, seek and share expertise, and support each other’s work. Join us! Contact Kyle Asfahl to receive an invite.

2024 mim_c Trainee Program Awardees

  • Lindsey Williams

    UW Pharmaceutics PhD Program, Shijie Cao Lab

    Project: “Delivering microbial metabolites to the distal gut in microbiota-mimicking nanocarriers as therapeutics for multiple sclerosis”

  • Norma Garfias Avila

    Norma Garfias Avila

    UW Nutritional Sciences PhD Program, Marian Neuhouser Lab

    Project: “How much do red and processed meats affect our gut?”

  • Drake Bouzek

    Postdoctoral Fellow, UW Pediatrics and Seattle Children’s Hospital, Luke Hoffman Lab

    Project: “Evaluating the Impact of Elexacaftor-Tezacaftor-Ivacaftor Therapy on Oropharyngeal Microbiome Dynamics and Clinical Implications for Monitoring Pulmonary Infections in Children with Cystic Fibrosis”

  • Shirley Mathur

    UW Statistics PhD Program, Amy Willis Lab

    Project: “Modeling Relationships between Microbial Species Abundances and Covariates”