Tanya Pierre, a fourth-year graduate student in the lab of Chad Hunter, Ph.D., has secured a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (F31).

The award, which began in March 2024 will help fund Pierre’s efforts toward completing her Ph.D. in the Hunter Lab.

The F31 provides up to three years of support for Pierre and includes stipends for living expenses and contribution to the cost of tuition and fees, as well as research supplies, equipment, books, and scientific meetings.

The NIH notes that the goal of F31 award is “to enable promising predoctoral students to obtain individualized, mentored research training from outstanding faculty sponsors while conducting dissertation research in scientific health-related fields relevant to the missions of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers.”

In this instance, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) will oversee award administration for Pierre.

Hunter is looking forward to the research that Pierre will complete during the remainder of her training, as well as her culminating dissertation.

“Tanya is a curious and dedicated diabetes researcher,” said Hunter. “She has been a wonderful asset to the Hunter Lab over the last few years, and I know that she has a very successful career as a researcher ahead of her. In the meantime, we will do all we can to equip her for her bright future.”

The Hunter Lab in housed in the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center (UCDC). The UCDC is a University-Wide Interdisciplinary Research Center composed of over 200 faculty members from 10 different schools and many departments dedicated to finding curative therapies for diabetes.