Cotswold Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship 2026 Recipients

• Sam Amsterdam, PhD, for the project “Frequency Domain Control of Selectivity and Yield in Electrochemiluminescence”
• Jason Wickman, PhD, for the project “Identifying the Role of Skin Resident Memory T Cells in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and Their Potential as Targets for Immune Modulating Therapies”
• Yuan Zhang, PhD, for the project “Smart Nanoconfined Membrane for Selective Ion Separation”

Learn more about the Cotswold Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Philadelphia Postdoc Preview on February 10, 2026

The Philadelphia Postdoc Preview event is a collaborative effort to raise awareness about the numerous postdoctoral training opportunities at 8 research institutions across Philadelphia including The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Drexel University, Fox Chase Cancer Center - Temple Health, Lewis Katz School of Medicine - Temple Health, Monell Chemical Senses Center, Thomas Jefferson University, University of Pennsylvania Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs and The Wistar Institute. The next Philadelphia Postdoc Preview will be held on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. Learn more.

Arafat Appointed Director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Professional Development

Hwyda A. Arafat, MD, PhD, MSc. MEdL, has been appointed director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Professional Development effective September 1, 2024. Read more.

“Athlete Discovers Research at Pfeiffer”

Effective Career Planning for International Scholars – a seven-week series

Effective Career Planning for International Scholars was a seven-week program addressing the intersection of career exploration and immigration education. During the program, we guided participants to strategically plan for professional development goals that satisfy the immigration criteria for permanent residence. Learn more.

Effective Career Planning for PhDs

The Steinbright Career Development Center, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, and the Graduate College invited graduate students and postdocs to participate in an eight-week career boot camp: “Effective Career Planning for PhDs.”* The boot camp met weekly on Thursdays for two hours, beginning June 29, 2023, 10–12 p.m. ET. It was designed to equip attendees with the skills, resources and self-assessment information to make informed career choices within and beyond academia. This course was adapted from the pd|hub Collections, an NIH-funded collection of evidence-based practices to support PhD professional development. Learn more.

Roshell Muir, PhD, Receives AWIS Meridian Award

Roshell Muir, PhD, a former postdoctoral researcher in infectious diseases and HIV medicine, who is now a senior research associate at Drexel, is a recipient of the annual Association for Women in Science (AWIS) Meridian 2022 Award, which recognizes mid-career STEM professionals who are strong leaders and innovative thinkers, and who are committed to inclusivity, diversity, equity and accessibility. Dr. Muir was nominated for this award by Michele Kutzler, PhD, associate dean for faculty, professor of medicine and microbiology and immunology, and Drs. Ellie Cantor and Eleanor Brown, who sit on the Executive Board of AWIS-Philadelphia (PHL). Dr. Muir is actively involved with AWIS-PHL, and currently serves as president-elect of the chapter, where she has held multiple leadership positions on the Executive Board for the past four years.

Learn more.

Postdoc Appreciation Week: September 19-23, 2022

2022 Postdoc Appreciation Week included a number of events, including:

• Virtual NPAW events
• Finding Your Balance kickoff event — September 19
• Volleyball game at Buckley Green – September 19
• Green Cards for Scientific Researchers—How to Win Your EB-1/NIW Case! – September 20
• Mentors in Motion with Science Communications Professionals – September 29

Cotswold Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship 2022 Recipients

Dr. Stephanie Matt, Pharmacology and Physiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies for the project: “Epigenetic regulation of dopamine induced by substance abuse and HIV-associated neuroinflammation.”

Dr. Josiah Kephart, Urban Health Collaborative, Dornsife School of Public Health for the project: “The impacts of climate-related extreme flood events on health and health disparities in Latin American cities.”

Dr. Emanuela Piermarini, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies, for the project: “Gene therapy approach for SPG4-based Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia.”

Dr. Hua Zhang, Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, for the project: “High Efficiency Medium Voltage Power Conversion Technology Leveraging the Next Generation Wide Bandgap Semiconductors for Grid Integration.”

TOTAL STEM – Training Opportunities for Assessment and Learning in STEM

Drexel University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies (GSBSPS) received a one-year Career Guidance for Trainees grant from the Burroughs Welcome Fund to develop a pilot assessment training program for graduate students and postdocs at GSBSPS titled: "TOTAL STEM – Training Opportunities for Assessment and Learning in STEM." A cohort of six biomedical science doctoral students and/or postdoctoral fellows in the GSBSPS were selected to participate in the program. Learn more.