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The School of Medicine is excited to introduce the first Research in Motion (RIM) Team Science video, a special variation on the RIM video series that started in 2023. Sparked by a new SOM grant to train the next generation of epilepsy researchers, this expansion of the RIM video series features faculty and other SOM employees discussing the work they accomplish together as a team to make groundbreaking discoveries that impact patients’ lives. The new RIM Team Science videos follow a similar Q&A format as the original series, with additional insight into the research and working relationships among team members.

In this first RIM Team Science video, Manoj Patel, PhD, professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, and Hannah Grote, PhD student in the Coutinho-Budd Lab, discuss their epilepsy research and the importance of collaboration and mentorship. Hannah is a recipient of the Epilepsy T32 grant, an NIH-funded mechanism that provides for specialized, high-quality research training in health-related fields. It covers stipends, tuition, travel, and training-related expenses for up to 5 years. The $1.59 million grant was procured by Patel and Mark Beenhakker, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology. There is only one other active epilepsy training grant in the U.S. Two other graduate students — Daphne Gyamfi and Caeley Reever — benefit from this grant and contribute to the research.

The long history of success in attracting T32 funding to UVA is a testament to the vitality and quality of graduate research training within the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program. Upcoming Team Science videos will showcase other collaborations and mentorship programs at UVA.