Immunology and microbial pathogenesis graduate students awarded Gossling Scholarship

The Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology has announced Sara Druffner and Katie Lee as recipients of the 2023 Gossling Scholarship.

Druffner is a fourth-year doctoral candidate studying gastric inflammation and carcinogenesis in the Busada Lab.

“I am excited about the opportunities and the acknowledgment that the Gossling Scholarship will bring to both myself and the lab,” Druffner said. “This funding will allow us to expand our current projects within the lab while also helping me to expand my career development by attending different conferences.”

Lee is starting her fourth year of research on innovative vaccines and therapeutic strategies for infectious diseases in the Heath Damron Lab.

She is also starting her third year of graduate studies in the immunology and microbial pathogenesis doctoral program and entering her seventh year as a student in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology.

“This scholarship gives recognition to the work I’ve done so far and serves as a tremendous source of motivation for me as I continue on,” Lee said. “I genuinely love the work I am doing and the scholarship award will not only support me directly but will also support my research team by freeing up funding so that our projects can expand in exciting new directions.”

Lee capitalized on the IMMB-IMP direct entry program, an accelerated program that streamlines curriculum and lets students earn their doctorate degree faster by using the IMMB undergraduate degree’s strong teaching and research experience as a pathway into the doctorate degree.

William Frank Gossling created the Gossling Scholarship in memory of his wife, Jennifer, who graduated with her doctorate in microbiology in 1973. This annual award supports graduate student research in the Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate Program.

For more information about the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, visit medicine.wvu.edu/micro.