Banner graphic for the “Back to Basic” newsletter. The left side features a microscopic image of rod-shaped bacteria in shades of blue and purple against a dark purple background. The right side contains a white geometric panel with the title “Back to Basic” in large purple text and the subtitle “For Members of the Basic Science Community” in smaller black text below.

Parisiadou Team Joins Global Parkinson’s Research Network

Loukia Parisiadou, PhD, assistant professor of Pharmacology, and her team — including Northwestern scientists Daniel Arango, PhD, assistant professor of Pharmacology, and Chuyu Chen, PhD, postdoctoral fellow — have been selected for a multi-year grant to join the Collaborative Research Network (CRN), a program of Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) funded in partnership with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

Contributing to the CRN's broader goal of mapping the biological blueprint of Parkinson's disease and accelerating the path from discovery to treatment, Parisiadou’s team will investigate the selective vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons, helping address critical gaps in understanding the disease.

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Study Reveals Dynamic Cycling of Lag3 in T-Cells

In a new study led by the Min Lab, researchers uncovered a previously unrecognized process in which the immune checkpoint protein lymphocyte activation gene 3 (Lag3) continuously cycles within T-cells, even in the absence of stimulation. The findings, published in The Journal of Immunology, reveal that Lag3 cycling varies across T-cell lineages (i.e., naive vs. memory or conventional vs. regulatory) and supports T-cell survival and proliferation in vivo, offering new insights into the biology of this emerging immunotherapy target.

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Blood Test May Predict Immunotherapy Response in Head and Neck Cancer

A new study led by the Liu EpiFluid Lab suggests that a simple blood test could help identify which patients with head and neck cancer are most likely to benefit from immunotherapy, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

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We celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of our faculty and trainees. Your dedication, innovation and impact continue to elevate our community.

Faculty

Lillian Eichner, PhD, assistant professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, was one of 10 investigators to have received a 2026 Young Investigator Award by the Cancer Research Foundation.

Milagros Romay, PhD, research assistant professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, is a recipient of the American Heart Association Career Development Award. 

Trainees

Congratulations to all 2026 graduates! We celebrate those who completed rotations, conducted research and were mentored and trained by faculty across our basic science departments. Their accomplishments reflect years of hard work, dedication and scientific discovery. We wish them continued success in the next chapter of their careers.

Zeljana Djukic, '26 MS, and Brady Evans, '26 MS, recent graduates of the Graduate Program of Genetic Counseling (GPGC) at the Center for Genetic Medicine, received the Amy Stein Schechtman Genetic Counseling Thesis Scholarship Award.

Nitu Kumari, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Goyal Lab, received Northwestern's Center for Synthetic Biology Distinguished Trainee Award.

Allegra Minor, a PhD candidate (DGP) in the Eichner Lab, was inducted into the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society. 

Madeline Melzer, a PhD candidate (DGP) in the Goyal Lab, was named the 2026 Dr. John N. Nicholson Fellow. The fellowship provides financial support for outstanding Northwestern graduate students enrolled in PhD programs in the sciences, engineering and management.

Sophia Salemi, '26 MS, a recent GPGC graduate, received the National Society of Genetic Counselors Student/New Grad Special Interest Group Grant. 

Rohan Sohini, '26 BS, a recent graduate in applied mathematics and researcher in the Goyal Lab, is a recipient of a Fulbright Award.

Congratulations to the following trainees who received the National Institutes of Health Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31):

• Emanuelle Grody, PhD candidate (DGP) in the Goyal Lab
• Sé Martin, PhD candidate (DGP) in the Prakriya Lab
• Syed Wafa, PhD candidate (NUIN) in the George Lab
• Josiah Wong, PhD candidate (DGP) in the Yue Lab

BSA Staff Volunteer at Local Food Depository

In March, 15 members of the Basic Science Administration team came together to give back to the community by volunteering at the Greater Chicago Food Depository. During their shift, staff worked collaboratively to sort and pack food items for distribution to local food banks and community organizations across Chicagoland.

Kudos to our BSA team members for their shared commitment to service and their ongoing dedication to supporting communities both within Northwestern University and beyond.

EVENT | BSA Procurement Talk - July 22

Join us for a Procurement Talk where we'll discuss eShip Global, blanket POs and NUPay. We'll also share Fiscal Year-End deadline updates, along with reminders regarding equipment and contracted services approvals.

Lunch will be provided for the first 48 attendees.

Wednesday, July 22
Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Ward Building, Room 5-230

NIH End of Continuous Submission

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is discontinuing the Continuous Submission Program because it created long delays — often up to nine weeks past the standard deadline — which disrupted application referral and peer review.

• Continuous Submission will remain in place through August 10, 2026 (for assignment to the January 2027 Council).
• After that, participation in a recent review or advisory group meeting will instead count as an allowable reason for late submission under the updated policy.

Additional information is available in the NIH announcement.

NIH Foreign Components

NIH has confirmed that foreign subawards will no longer be permitted after May 1, 2025. Any new international research collaboration must instead use the PF5/UF5 application mechanisms, which are specifically designed for NIH‑funded international partnerships. If you are interested in submitting a NIH proposal with a foreign colleague, please contact your BSA Research Administrator for additional information.

Research Security Training Refresher Now Available

Faculty and research personnel will begin receiving reminders for the annual Research Security Training requirement. This training is required for all federal proposals and awards and must be completed every 12 months. Once a full year has passed since your last completion, the course will automatically reappear in myHR Learn as "Assigned." The BSA RA team will reach out with polite reminders during the summer about completing the annual training to research faculty.

To reduce burden, Northwestern now offers a refresher option. The refresher lets you retake only the quiz without rewatching the full video. Passing the quiz renews your training for another year. The full course is still available for anyone who prefers to complete it. For questions, contact Export Controls & International Compliance (ECIC).