Two undergraduate students working in labs in the Duke Neurology Department were joint recipients of Duke’s 2020 “Outstanding Senior Thesis in Neuroscience” award. Kunal Shroff worked for three years in the lab of Nicole Calakos, MD, PhD, where he studied the molecular mechanisms underlying DYT1 dystonia. Vivian Chen worked in the lab of Ornit Chiba-Falek, MD, PhD, where she helped examine the genetic processes underpinning Alzheimer’s and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
“We are so proud of the exciting science that you each achieved and we are so looking forward to the bright futures that await you both!,” wrote Leonard White, PhD, who gave the award to two recipients for the first time.
Both Shroff and Chen graduated last week along with the class of 2020. Chen is currently an intern with Bayer AG in Germany, while Shroff is a MD/PhD candidate at the University of California-San Francisco.
Read about the other student honors and laurels for the graduating Duke class of 2020 here.