CRI graduate student Spencer Shelton in the Mishra Lab
Spencer Shelton, a graduate student in Dr. Prashant Mishra’s lab at the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) has been awarded a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP).
“I’m honored to be selected as an NSF GRFP recipient. The award provides me with an extraordinary opportunity to continue my research into the role of mitochondrial DNA variations in metastatic melanoma. I’m excited for the recognition and enthusiastic about the future opportunities it brings,” said Spencer.
The program, which supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in STEM fields, is highly selective — only about 10 percent of applicants receive grants. Support from the GRFP will help Spencer continue his research with annual stipends of $34,000 and $12,000 cost-of-education allowances.
“Since joining the CRI, Spencer has consistently demonstrated the creativity and dedication we expect from top graduate students, and his NSF award validates his considerable scientific potential. He has truly engaged in the CRI’s collaborative atmosphere to innovatively attack and solve big problems in cancer and metabolism. Spencer has been an outstanding graduate student, and we expect big things from him in the future,” Dr. Mishra said.
Past GRFP awardees include 42 Nobel Laureates and over 450 members of the National Academy of Sciences. Besides Spencer, four additional graduate students at UT Southwestern were honored with NSF fellowships. Read the Center Times story here.
