Connect

The School of Medicine celebrated our first-year BIMS students at the UVA Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (BIMS) Lab Coat Ceremony on April 1. This event marks the students’ transition to the next phase of their graduate careers when they begin their mentored research projects.

Family, friends, faculty, and staff gathered in McLeod Auditorium to celebrate the 77 students who were recognized in the following disciplines: Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics (8), Biophysics (10), Cell Biology (3), Computational Biology (3), Experimental Pathology (8), Microbiology (20), Neuroscience (16), Pharmacology (2), and Physiology (7). Additionally, we recognized one Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) student who has chosen to train in the Biomedical Engineering PhD program.

Each student received a personally embroidered lab coat as a gift from the UVA Medical Alumni Association. To highlight the critical role of mentorship in our programs, faculty mentors for each discipline coated their students.

During the ceremony, we also recognized six MSTP students who completed their pre-clinical medical school classes and their Step 1 exams and transitioned to their research labs to begin the PhD portion of their studies.

In addition to remarks by School of Medicine Dean Melina Kibbe, MD, speakers included Janet V. Cross, PhD, Associate Dean for Graduate and Medical Scientist Programs; Barry Collins, Associate Dean for Medical Alumni Affairs and Executive Director of the UVA Medical Alumni Association and Medical School Foundation; and Mark Beenhakker, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Director of Graduate Studies, Neuroscience Graduate Program.

Following the ceremony, the students, families, mentors, and other guests enjoyed a reception. Congratulations to all of our BIMS graduate students for advancing in their scientific journey!

View the recording of the livestream.