2023 Excellence in Undergraduate and Graduate Research Mentorship Awards
From Kent State University's Division of Research & Economic Development
Kent State University is pleased to announce the two winners of both the Excellence in Graduate Research Mentorship Award and Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentorship Award. As part of the nomination process, each nominee received a student-submitted letters of nomination. Thank you to the graduate and undergraduate student committees that assisted in selecting the recipients of these prestigious awards.
Recipients of the Excellence in Graduate Research Mentorship Award:
Hanbin Mao
Dr. Hanbin Mao, Ph.D., is a chemistry and biochemistry professor and head of the Mao Research Lab. This lab researches a new field of chemistry called Mechano-Analytical Chemistry which combines Analytical Chemistry and Single-Molecule Biophysics. His research includes the use of lab-on-a-chip, lazer tweezers, and magnetic tweezers to research the fundamental properties of biomacric molecules such as DNA and proteins. His lab has also developed and patented a technology called Single-Molecule Mechanochemical Sensing (SMMS) to detect trace levels of biomarkers for various diseases and toxins.
Karin Coifman
Dr. Karin Coifman, Ph.D., is a psychological sciences professor and lab director of the Kent Clinical Affective Science Lab. Her research focueses on emotion processing and regulation during adjustment to acute and chronic stress, including the developments of resiliance and mental illness. Her research looks at community and clinical populations investigating the psychophisiological and behavioral indices of emotion and emotion regulation.
Recipients of the Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentorship Award:
John Johnson
Dr. John Johnson, Ph.D., is the Director of the School of Biomedical Sciences. He is performing research on the interactions between the nervous and immune systems and how those can affect behavior and cognitive functioning. His lab is researching the regulation of brain cytokines and the role they play in physiological and behavioral responses, as well as how stress can change the regulation of the brain cytokines.
Bethany Lanese
Dr. Bethany Lanese, Ph.D., joined Kent State University in 2015 and is an associate professor of health policy and management. Among other courses, she has experience teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in Public Health, Public Administration, and Helathcare Management. She also has experience working in Healthcare Management as the Co-Management Administrator and Director of Special Projects at a nonprofit community hospital.