K-State graduate students to conduct cancer research with support from Johnson Cancer Research Center

By Sarah Velasquez
College of Arts and Sciences

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

MANHATTAN — Seventeen Kansas State University graduate students have been selected for competitive research awards from the Johnson Cancer Research Center.

The cancer center presented fifteen Cancer Research Awards and two Graduate Cancer Research Scholarship and Support Awards. These awards are made possible by generous private donations.

The Graduate Cancer Research Scholarship and Support Award, funded by an anonymous donor through the Topeka Community Foundation, offers up to $75,000 per student to cover living expenses, travel and other education-related costs. This financial support enables graduate students to pursue their cancer research and further their careers in the field.

The Graduate Cancer Research Awards are designed to support graduate students conducting cancer-related research under the guidance of Johnson Cancer Research Center faculty members. The primary aim of these awards is to assist both the students with their research projects and the overall research programs of their faculty mentors. Awards are granted based on the quality of the research, its relevance to cancer and the mentor's success in securing additional research funding.

"Both of these graduate cancer research award programs provide critical funding that allows graduate students to focus on their cancer research without the burden of financial constraints," said Sherry Fleming, director of the Johnson Cancer Research Center. "These awards recognize the dedication and potential of our graduate students while also strengthening the research programs of their mentors, ensuring continued progress in the fight against cancer."

The graduate student awardees, along with their families, mentors and the donors who fund the awards, will be honored at a recognition banquet in April.

The Kansas Graduate Cancer Research Scholarship and Support awardees are Grant Brooke, doctoral student in biology, Manhattan, mentored by Katsura Asano, professor of biology; and Daniel Eckerberg, master's student in nuclear engineering, Olathe, mentored by Amir Bahadori, associate professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering.

Each Cancer Research Awardee, along with their faculty mentor, are as follows:

Jesus Becerra, doctoral student in mechanical engineering, Dodge City, mentored by Scott Fan, professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering; Eric Giunta, doctoral student in nuclear engineering, Manhattan, mentored by Amir Bahadori, associate professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering; Cathryn Haas, doctoral student in biology, Manhattan, mentored by Michael Veeman, associate professor of biology; and Hallie Wiechman, doctoral student in microbiology, Scott City, mentored by Sonny Lee, associate professor of biology.

From out of state: Lauren Apprill, senior in biochemistry, West Des Moines, Iowa, mentored by Kathrin Schrick, associate professor of biology; and Graham Moran, doctoral student in chemistry, Bourbonnais, Illinois, mentored by Patricia Calvo, associate professor of chemistry.

From out of country: Chao An, doctoral student in chemistry, Baotou, China, mentored by Katsura Asano, professor of biology; Abhineet Banerjee, doctoral student in biology, Kolkata, India, mentored by Katsura Asano, professor of biology; Thiago Oliveira Cabral, doctoral student in chemical engineering, Itapecerica, Brazil, mentored by Davood Pourkargar, assistant professor of chemical engineering; Bingun Habarakadage, doctoral student in chemistry, Weliweriya, Sri Lanka, mentored by Jun Li, university distinguished professor in Chemistry; Mahamudul Hasan, master’s student in veterinary biomedical science, Ulipur, Bangladesh, mentored by Laura Miller, associate professor of veterinary virology; Rehan Khan, doctoral student in biology, Jodhpur, India, mentored by Jocelyn McDonald, associate professor of biology; Vidya Nadar, doctoral student in chemistry, Kalyan East, India, mentored by Ryan Rafferty, associate professor of chemistry; Truptiben Patel, doctoral student in chemistry, Bharuch, India, mentored by Christer Aakeröy, university distinguished professor of chemistry; and Yang Zhao, doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering, Xinzhou, China, mentored by Ninghao Zhu, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering.

The Johnson Cancer Research Center, part of K-State's College of Arts and Sciences, is at the forefront of cutting-edge cancer research and is committed to advancing knowledge and fostering innovation in the fight against cancer. By supporting faculty, students and fellows, the center strives to make meaningful contributions to the field while nurturing the development of future leaders in cancer research. Learn more about the Johnson Cancer Research Center and its programs.

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