News

July 2024  |  Jake's T32 appointment

PhD student Jake Moore received an appointment on the COSTAR T32 training grant for a year starting Sep 1, 2024. 

July 2024  |  Rolando's F30 award

MD/PhD student Rolando Garza was awarded an NIH F30 Ruth L. Kirschstein individual predoctoral fellowship for his research on the localization of and immune response to the parasite antigen Pf3D7_1136200. Congratulations!! 

September 2023  |  New lab member!

Jake Moore officially joined the lab as a second year PhD student.

Welcome, Jake!

May 2023  |  Hooding ceremony

Raphael Reyes receiving his hood
by Dr. Bunnik for completing his doctorate.

Congratulations, Dr. Reyes. A beautiful photograph of a very special moment. 

May 2023  |  New funding

Dr. Bunnik was awarded a three-year, $450,000 grant from the Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund to study the role of atypical B cells in rheumatoid arthritis patients. We are grateful for their support.

Conditions of chronic inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis and malaria, result in the accumulation of atypical B cells that have an unclear role in the immune response. We will study these cells in rheumatoid arthritis patients using single-cell sequencing and flow cytometry to understand their contribution to pathogenesis.  

March 2023  |  Promotion

I am excited to announce that my application for promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure has been approved and will be effective September 1, 2023. Many thanks to all mentors, trainees, and not in the least my husband for his unwavering support and belief in my abilities. I could not have done this alone! 

March 2022  |  Funding news

Raphael Reyes was awarded a highly prestigious NIH F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein predoctoral individual fellowship for his research on B cell responses to the CIDRa1 domains that are involved in the development of severe malaria. Congratulations to Raphael for this fantastic achievement! 

The lab was awarded an NIH research supplement to promote diversity in health-related research that will support Rolando Garza for the next two years.

May 2022  |  Student successes

Congratulations to Elizabeth Martinez-Scholze for successfully defending her master's thesis on “the acquisition of breadth in antibodies that target Plasmodium falciparum CIDRα1 variants”!

Congratulations to Raphael Reyes for receiving the UT Health Science Center Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences 2022 Outstanding PhD Student Research Award! This award recognizes his outstanding record of research accomplishments over the past year and his ability to thrive in a changing environment.

July 2021  |  New lab member

Rotating student Rolando Garza will join the lab for his graduate research. Two years ago he was admitted to the prestigious South Texas Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD Program). Welcome to the Bunnik lab, Rolando! 

May 2021  |  Katie's graduation

Congratulations to Katie Clarke for successfully defending her master's thesis. She was an outstanding master student and we are delighted she will continue to work in the Bunnik lab for at least a few more months as a Research Assistant.

We also want to congratulate her with winning the award for best poster presentation at the Robert A. Clark Frontiers of Translational Science Research Day. 

February 2021  |  Funding news

Dr. Bunnik was awarded her first R01 titled Defining conserved epitopes on polymorphic malaria antigens, which will fund the lab for the next five years. 

November 2019  |  Presentation award

Ashley won 1st place for best oral presentation at the 8th Annual Vaccine Development Center of San Antonio Conference on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 November, 2019. Congratulations Ashley!