Pharmacology-Toxicology senior (’16) Helene Altmann of Hartland, Wis. has accepted admission to the medical scientist training program (MD/PhD) at the University of Pittsburgh, where she plans to build a career focused on translational research and the mechanisms behind disease development. Altmann has been involved in laboratory research throughout her undergraduate career at Wisconsin, working under the mentorship of Chad Vezina, PhD, affiliate faculty member in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Division and an associate professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine. In the Vezina Lab, Altmann contributed to six peer-reviewed publications in a setting where the work focuses on the mechanisms of prostate disease development. Commenting about her development as a researcher, Altmann commented, “The Vezina Lab is where I discovered a love and passion for research. (Dr. Vezina) taught me how to be a scientist and how challenging, frustrating, but extremely rewarding science is.”

PharmTox graduates have gained admission to prestigious MD/PhD programs in four of the last five years. Matt Wleklinski ’15 is a MD/PhD student at Vanderbilt University; Bernie Mulvey ’13 is enrolled at Washington University in St. Louis; Alex Gooding ’12 is a MD/PhD student at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

Altmann said that she chose the University of Pittsburgh, “not only because I will be able to explore a wide variety or research and clinical interests, but because it was the place where I felt welcome and at home. It is a place where I can see myself becoming engaged and positively involved in the community during my research and clinical training.” An avid hoops fan, she playfully added her enthusiasm for the fact that “the basketball arena is right across from the medical school!”