yale phd pharmacology

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• Share This: Share Erling Donnelly (PhD ’05, Pharmacology) on Facebook Share Erling Donnelly (PhD ’05, Pharmacology) on LinkedIn Share Erling Donnelly (PhD ’05, Pharmacology) on X

Erling Donnelly (PhD ’05, Pharmacology)

What are your key roles and responsibilities in your current positions? What do you like most about your job and what do you find most challenging? 

In my current role as head of Pfizer’s US Breast Cancer business, I lead a large team responsible for enabling patient access to our three life-saving breast cancer medicines, educating healthcare practitioners and patients about the latest clinical and real-world data, and partnering with advocacy groups in advancing care for tens of thousands of women and men living with metastatic breast cancer in the US. First and foremost, I love that my work leads to improvements in outcomes for people with breast cancer. Bringing transformative, new medicines to market, helping patients access them, and providing information that allows HCPs to optimally prescribe them and healthcare systems to reduce variations in care is highly rewarding. The role requires an ability to succinctly convey scientific and clinical data to others, motivating a large team of diverse and skilled colleagues behind a common purpose, and an acquired business acumen to make appropriate trade-off decisions as we run optimally run the business to pay for the next-generation of life-saving medicines. The most challenging aspect of my role is simply the pace of change in oncology. Advances in the oncology field are happening so fast that it is tough to keep up with all of the progress and implications on our development or commercialization strategies.

List or describe the top 5+ professional skills that are crucial to your role. 

Analytical thinking and the ability to communicate clearly and accurately in writing and verbally are critically important in the professional setting. I really owe my PhD advisor a lot for stressing the importance of these things, more so than any lab technique I learned along the way. Being able to collaborate and work with others effectively is also very important in the workplace as the problems we tackle in biopharma are so complex and take so long to address that they must be accomplished via teamwork and collaboration – both within a company and with external stakeholders. Project management and being able to gain support/buy-in for your project or idea as well as track progress/outcomes is also a fundamental part of any job in the biopharma industry.

How did your time at Yale shape your career trajectory? For example, what skills and/or experiences did you acquire that have contributed to your career success? 

More than any one technical skill that I learned, the PhD training at Yale has shaped my career trajectory by developing my intellectual curiosity, collaborative nature, internal resiliency and a sense of determination to overcome the inevitable speedbumps that one encounters. One’s career path, similar to the scientific journey during a student’s thesis research, is never a straight line and so being open and curious to explore new avenues is critical to finding success and fulfillment. Luckily, through hard work, some good fortune, and being at a company that provides opportunities for personal and professional growth, I’ve been able to contribute and develop in ways I never would have anticipated when I left Yale.

What were the biggest challenges that you faced when transitioning to different workplaces and cultures? What advice and suggestions can you offer to current students to help them prepare for those challenges?

Making the transition from my lab at Yale with 5 people to a biotech with 100 colleagues and then to Pfizer with 100,000 colleagues requires some adaptation. In any transition it is important to be humble, open-minded, and intellectually curious about new areas as well as new people you meet. In academic research, there is more focus on the individual and what they accomplish on their own. In a biopharmaceutical company of any size, the focus is more on the team and how to most effectively and efficiently move a project along. Being able to work cross-functionally and collaboratively with people across the globe is key. One benefit of working for a global company the size of Pfizer is that you get to interact with dozen of subject matter experts from across the globe, and through that you get exposed to lots of different cultures and can harness their diversity of experience, perspectives, and knowledge to find the best solution for a given task. While at Yale, I would encourage graduate students to spend time building relationships outside of your silo and nurturing your intellectual curiosity beyond your research area of focus, collaborate, and always assume positive intent with those you meet. These traits will serve you well wherever your journey may lead.

• Vice President, US Breast Cancer Franchise Lead
• Pfizer, Inc.

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2024 Top Research Awards Announced

Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) Associate Dean of Research Melinda Irwin Wednesday announced the recipients of this year’s top research awards.

“Congratulations to the YSPH faculty who were awarded YSPH Research Prizes for manuscripts published in 2023,” said Irwin, Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases). “YSPH faculty published more than 1,100 papers in 2023, and these six papers were recognized for their novel approaches and significant findings, focused on critically important public health issues (e.g., opioid use disorder, environmental carcinogens, breastfeeding) using novel methods and approaches such as electronic medical record data of health outcomes linked to residential addresses’ drinking water supplies and incubating colorectal cancer organoids with PFAS resulting in expression of metastasis-related proteins. “

Here is a list of this year’s award winners:

YSPH Early Career Investigator Research Prize

Liew, Z., Meng, Q., Yan, Q., Schullehner, J., Hansen, B., Kristiansen, S. M., Voutchkova, D. D., Olsen, J., Ersbøll, A. K., Ketzel, M., Raaschou-Nielsen, O., & Ritz, B. R. (2023). Association Between Estimated Geocoded Residential Maternal Exposure to Lithium in Drinking Water and Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder in Offspring in Denmark. JAMA Pediatrics .

Dr. Liew and his team conducted a nationwide nested case-control study using medical records to capture ASD diagnoses in Denmark, and then created a model to estimate lithium levels in drinking water supplies linked to every residential address in Denmark. They are the first to report a novel association between maternal exposure to lithium in drinking water and child ASD. The study findings have been widely reported in the media, including the New York Times, CNN, and NBC.

YSPH Investigator Research Prize

Yize Zhao, Changgee Chang, Jingwen Zhang & Zhengwu Zhang. Genetic Underpinnings of Brain Structural Connectome for Young Adults . Journal of the American Statistical Association .

With the primary goal of her paper to uncover genetic underpinnings to brain structural connectome variations among young adult populations, Dr. Zhao developed an innovative Bayesian analytical framework and identified genetic biomarkers and validated the reliability of these scientific findings with an external database. The developed methods are readily applicable for use in biobanks and brain imaging genetic landmark studies, which offers a great potential for understanding the genetic bases and directing intervention targets for neurological and psychiatric research for public health outcomes.

YSPH Team Science Prize

Robert Heimer and Lauretta Grau from YSPH

Receipt of opioid use disorder treatments prior to fatal overdoses and comparison to no treatment in Connecticut, 2016–17 . Heimer R, Black AC, Lin H, Grau LE, Fiellin DA, Howell BA, Hawk K, D’Onofrio G, Becker WC. Drug and Alcohol Dependence .

Dr. Heimer and team compiled and merged state agency data on opioid overdose deaths and exposures to opioid use disorder treatment to determine incidence rates following exposure to different treatment modalities. Exposure to treatment reduced the relative risk by 38% compared to non-medication treatment. These findings have been presented to statewide advisory boards, and in February Dr. Heimer presented the results at the federal level to an interagency group convened by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, with the goal of expanding access to OUD treatment.

Caroline Johnson and other YSPH faculty members Krystal Pollitt and Lingeng Lu

Zheng, J., Sun, B., Berardi, D., Lu, L., Yan, H., Zheng, S., Aladelokun, O., Xie, Y., Cai, Y., Godri Pollitt, K. J., Khan, S. A., & Johnson, C. H. (2023). Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid and Perfluorooctanoic Acid Promote Migration of Three-Dimensional Colorectal Cancer Spheroids . Environmental Science & Technology .

PFAS are widespread environmental contaminants that accumulate in the environment and body, and are found in man-made products such as cosmetics, cookware, food packaging, and carpets. Even though PFAS have been linked to cancer, and recently classified as Group 1 carcinogens, there has been limited research on the effects of these chemicals in colorectal cancer (CRC). Dr. Caroline Johnson and her team found that when CRC human organoids are incubated with occupational exposure levels of PFOS, they exhibit increased motility and expression of metastasis-related proteins. Their study was the first to show that PFAS can elicit a metastatic phenotype in CRC cells when PFAS were at levels comparable to those seen in the blood of those occupationally exposed, such as firefighters.

YSPH Impact Research Prize

Rafael Pérez-Escamilla

Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, Cecília Tomori, Sonia Hernández-Cordero, Phillip Baker, Aluisio J D Barros, France Bégin, Donna J Chapman, Laurence M Grummer-Strawn, David McCoy, Purnima Menon, Paulo Augusto Ribeiro Neves, Ellen Piwoz, Nigel Rollins, Cesar G Victora, Linda Richter, on behalf of the 2023 Lancet Breastfeeding Series Group* Breastfeeding: crucially important, but increasingly challenged in a market-driven world . Lancet .

This article has been cited over 140 times since it was published in February 2023. The article involved scholars from around the world working together for over two years updating the evidence on breastfeeding benefits, and evidence-based approaches to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding on a large scale, heavily considering the economic, social, political, and commercial determinants of infant feeding. The article is based on a strong and innovative conceptual framework and is informed by original data analyses of large epidemiological studies, as well as eight systematic reviews and one meta-analysis commissioned by the World Health Organization. This work is already having a strong impact in reshaping breastfeeding initiatives, policies, and programs across the globe.

David Paltiel and Gregg Gonsalves

Paltiel AD, Ahmed AR, Jin EY, McNamara M, Freedberg KA, Neilan AM, and Gonsalves GS. Increased HIV transmissions with reduced insurance coverage for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis: Potential consequences of Braidwood Management v. Becerra . Open Forum Infectious Diseases

This study evaluates the potential public health consequences of a recent U.S. federal court ruling that deemed it unconstitutional for the Affordable Care Act to require employers to cover HIV prevention with pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The authors found that this ruling could result in more than 2,000 preventable HIV infections in the coming year alone. In the 24 hours following publication, the paper achieved an Altimetric score of 149. It received widespread national attention, including coverage in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, and the American Journal of Managed Care. The paper was selected as a Best of 2023 by the editors-in-chief of the journals of the Infectious Disease Society of America. Their paper was the central analytic element of several friend-of-the-court (amicus) briefs filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, urging reversal of the lower court ruling, including the HIV Medicine Association and National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, the American Public Health Association, the Yale Law School, and others.

• Recognitions

Featured in this article

• Melinda Irwin, PhD, MPH Associate Dean of Research and Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases); Deputy Director (Public Health), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation; Deputy Director, Yale Cancer Center
• Zeyan Liew, PhD, MPH Assistant Professor of Epidemiology (Environmental Health)
• Yize Zhao, PhD Associate Professor of Biostatistics
• Robert Heimer, PhD Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases) and of Pharmacology; Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
• Lauretta Grau, PhD Research Scientist in Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases)
• Caroline Helen Johnson, PhD Associate Professor of Epidemiology (Environmental Health Sciences)
• Krystal Pollitt, PhD, P.Eng. Associate Professor of Epidemiology (Environmental Health); Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
• Lingeng Lu, MD, PhD Research Scientist in Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases)
• Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, PhD Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences); Director, Office of Public Health Practice; Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health; Director, YSPH Global Health Concentration; Director, Maternal and Child Health Promotion (MCHP) Program
• A. David Paltiel, MBA, PhD Professor of Public Health (Health Policy), Professor of Management, and Professor in the Institution for Social and Policy Studies; Co-director, Public Health Modeling Concentration; Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
• Gregg Gonsalves, PhD Associate Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases); Associate (Adjunct) Professor of Law, Yale Law School; Affiliated Faculty, Program in Addiction Medicine; Co-Director, Global Health Justice Partnership; Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health

Department of the History of Art

You are here, maurie mcinnis, ’96 ph.d. in the history of art, named yale’s next president.

Maurie McInnis, ’96 Ph.D. in the History of Art, named Yale's next president

Yale University has appointed Maurie McInnis ’96 Ph.D. to serve as its 24th president.

McInnis, now president of Stony Brook University, was the unanimous choice of the Yale Board of Trustees, Josh Bekenstein ’80, senior trustee and chair of the presidential search committee, said Wednesday in a message to the Yale community .

Please read the rest of the Yale News article here .

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Cancer Biology: leukemogenesis, metastasis, growth control, immune checkpoint therapy. Cell Biology: cytoskeleton, nuclear structure and dynamics. Cell Signaling: kinases, phosphatases, growth signaling. Epithelial cell biology: epithelial patterning, skin development and disease. Immunology: autoimmune disease, immunotherapy, systems biology. Genetics: disease etiology, birth defects. Lung function: cystic fibrosis, lung disease, idiopathic lung fibrosis. Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Metabolism: signaling and systems biology, diabetes. Neuroscience: pathogenesis of brain disease, neurogenomics. Organ homeostasis and injury: pancreatitis, kidney injury, macular degeneration, scleroderma. Physiology.

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TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic is required of most applicants whose native language is not English. BBS requires a score of at least 600 on the paper version, 250 on the computer-based exam, and 100 on the internet-based exam. Please take the test no later than November and no earlier than 24 months prior to submitting your application. Use institution code 3987 when reporting your scores; you may enter any department code.

You may be exempt from this requirement if you have received (or will receive) an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction, and if you have studied in residence at that institution for at least three years.

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The Program in Translational Biomedicine participates in the Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) , and applicants interested in pursuing a degree in cell biology should apply to the Translational Molecular Medicine, Pharmacology, and Physiology Track within BBS.

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Yale Pathology Presents: The Lucille and Joseph Madri Annual Lecture 2024

The Lucille and Joseph Madri Lecture was established through the generosity of Lucille and Joseph Madri to highlight groundbreaking basic and translational research in the Yale Department of Pathology.

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Commencement 2024: a celebration of community.

(Photo by Dan Renzetti)

As members of Yale’s Class of 2024 gathered Monday morning before proceeding to Old Campus for the university’s 323rd Commencement, they generated the kind of joyous din that was harder to muster when many of them started at Yale, given pandemic conditions then. But those days are now well past, and the graduates looked forward to a well-earned celebration.

Julia Wang, standing with friends from Berkeley College, took a moment to appreciate the profound sense of community that marked her Yale years.

“ I will miss living so close to all my best friends,” said Wang, who majored in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology and education studies. “I think the community that I found at Yale is definitely one of my favorite things about the last four years. In Berkeley College, I found a family.”

Soon, Wang and her classmates joined a tide of students from across Yale — representing every undergraduate residential college and all the graduate and professional schools — toward a sun-dappled Old Campus, where thousands of family members and friends awaited them.

The Yale University concert band played as legions of soon-to-be graduates filed into their seats. And on the main stage, Yale President Peter Salovey, presiding over his final commencement as Yale’s leader before his return to the faculty in June, welcomed the graduates and guests alike.

“ We gather to recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of all of you who have worked so hard to complete your programs of study,” Salovey began. “We salute your effort, your diligence, your talent and intellect.”   

University Chaplain Maytal Saltiel offered an opening prayer.

“ Loving and divine spirit called on by many names, we come here today as a resplendent tapestry of your creation,” she said in part. “We come in humility and celebration having delved into the nooks and crannies of your handiwork, unearthing the elements of your truth and light in the library stacks and laboratories, studios and stadiums, clinics and classrooms of this campus.”

The happy business of the event — the conferring of degrees — began with Yale College and continued through the 13 professional schools and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences . All told, about 4,400 graduates received degrees across the university, including more than 1,675 undergraduates from Yale College.

View Slideshow 45 Photos

Per tradition, Salovey conferred the degrees — with all their “rights and responsibilities.” (And in a couple cases, as that of the law school, the president cheerfully pledged to confer the degrees; some Yale schools conclude the year later than the rest.)

After degrees were bestowed on the Yale School of Nursing graduates, the group unleashed a shower of confetti and silly string.

An offering of thanks

Following the conferral of degrees, Provost Scott Strobel joined Salovey in presenting honorary degrees to eight individuals — including a retired associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, a Nobel Prize-winning molecular geneticist, and a trailblazing physician and health policy leader — who have made pioneering achievements or exemplary contributions to the common good. ( See related story for details.)

Strobel suprised Salovey by presenting a ninth honorary degree, a Doctor of Humane Letters, to Salovey himself, recognizing his more than four decades of service to Yale, including the past 11 as the university’s 23rd president.

“ When you were appointed, you said you hoped to help a great university create a more accessible, a more innovative, and a more excellent Yale,” Strobel said of Salovey, who has held more senior leadership positions at Yale than anyone in the university’s 322-year history. “You have done all three.”

The honorary degree citation noted some of the major accomplishments that marked Salovey’s presidency, including a productive university relationship with the City of New Haven that strengthened the local economy; an increase in the socioeconomic and geographic diversity of the student body, academic departments, and professional schools; and historic enhancements in Yale’s ability to make scholarly discoveries and meet pressing societal challenges.

“ From the start of your presidency you have inspired us to look beyond our schools, our departments, our disciplines,” Strobel said. “You have inspired us to create a Yale that is more unified. As you return to the faculty, Yale offers its thanks. We gratefully confer on you your fourth Yale degree, Doctor of Humane Letters.”

‘ Build bridges rather than walls’

After the closing hymn, “Let Light and Truth Suffuse the Mind,” Gregory Sterling, dean of Yale Divinity School, led all gathered in a benediction:

“ You who are within us, enlarge our hearts to serve. Humble us to place others before ourselves. Calm our souls in the tumult of our world. Help us resolve to build bridges rather than walls.”

Throughout the day of celebration, families expressed pride in their graduates; and graduates offered thanks to those whose loving sacrifices enabled their success.

For Leleda Beraki, a graduating senior from Branford College and former president of the Yale College Council, the occasion was an opportunity to express her immense gratitude to her family and parents, Eritrean refugees who moved to the United States 15 years ago so that she could pursue her education here.

“ My graduation is the culmination of all the sacrifices they’ve made,” said Beraki, who will intern at the World Bank doing policy work related to global health before returning to campus next fall to complete a master’s degree in public health. “I owe all of my success to them. And all of my future achievements will result from the foundation of their sacrifices.”

Jonathan Weiss, a senior from Pauli Murray College, described mixed feelings of sadness and excitement.

“ I really love my Pauli Murray community here and I loved being a music major,” said Weiss, a composer who is writing a musical about Melusina, a fairy in European folklore who has the body of a serpent from the waist down. “It was the first chance in my life to really do what I wanted to do full time. It’s really bittersweet.”

After graduation, Weiss will remain in New Haven as one of two recipients of a Chauncey Fellowship, awarded by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven for college graduates pursuing the arts or community projects.

“ My experience at Yale has been exhausting and joyful every step of the way,” he said. “Exhausting because I’m doing everything that I want to do.”

Abigail Jones, who earned her master’s of science in nursing from the Yale School of Nursing, was looking forward to celebrating with her classmates.

“ We came from all kinds of walks of life and to be studying the same thing together for three years was really fun,” said Jones, who next will pursue a critical-care fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta. “It just feels like a big family.”

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Yale University names Stony Brook's Maurie McInnis as new president

NEW YORK - Yale University announced its new president Wednesday. 

Maurie McInnis, a Yale graduate, will become Yale's new president on July 1. 

"A compelling leader, distinguished scholar, and devoted educator, she brings to the role a deep understanding of higher education and an unwavering commitment to our mission and academic priorities. Her experience and accomplishments over the past three decades have prepared her to lead Yale in the years ahead," Yale trustee and chair of the presidential search committee wrote in a message to the Yale community on behalf of the Board of Trustees. "In her current role as the president of Stony Brook University, she is responsible for the academics, research, and operations of a flagship university for the State of New York and Long Island's premier medical center, which provides care for the entire region. She also shares responsibility for the oversight of Brookhaven National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy facility for particle physics and nuclear, energy, data, and quantum information sciences. In addition, as the inaugural chair of the board of the New York Climate Exchange, she led the establishment of an international climate change solutions center in New York City. By working with universities, non-profits organizations, businesses, and community leaders, she has helped create a vibrant center that will improve the environment in New York City and provide solutions to the climate crisis that cities around the world can adopt. "

McInnis, 58, is stepping down as president of Stony Brook University to take the position at Yale. She's succeeding Peter Salovy, who is retiring and taking a faculty position at Yale. She's a Yale graduate, and a member of its Board of Trustees. 

McInnis been president of Stony Brook University for the past four years. Stony Brook lauded her achievements as president there, saying that among those achievements was the university being awarded a $500 million unrestricted endowment from the Simons Foundation, as well as the university reaching its highest rankings to date in the U.S. News and World Reports Best Colleges list. 

"We congratulate Maurie on this prestigious appointment, merely the latest in her series of extraordinary professional accomplishments," said SUNY Chancellor John B. King. Jr. "Maurie's election is a testament to both her exceptional ability and the esteem with which Stony Brook is viewed by its peers. I know that we will have superbly talented candidates to choose from as we begin this search for Maurie's successor to lead one of the nation's most prestigious public universities and a true engine of research innovation and social mobility." 

A new president of Stony Brook University has not yet been named. 

McInnis is taking the reins at a challenging time on college campuses across the country , which have seen numerous  pro-Palestinian protests . Dozens of arrests were made at Yale during a protest in April, and one Jewish student there  claimed she was assaulted during the protests. 

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Gagarin Cup Preview: Atlant vs. Salavat Yulaev

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Gagarin cup (khl) finals:  atlant moscow oblast vs. salavat yulaev ufa.

Much like the Elitserien Finals, we have a bit of an offense vs. defense match-up in this league Final.  While Ufa let their star top line of Alexander Radulov, Patrick Thoresen and Igor Grigorenko loose on the KHL's Western Conference, Mytischi played a more conservative style, relying on veterans such as former NHLers Jan Bulis, Oleg Petrov, and Jaroslav Obsut.  Just reaching the Finals is a testament to Atlant's disciplined style of play, as they had to knock off much more high profile teams from Yaroslavl and St. Petersburg to do so.  But while they did finish 8th in the league in points, they haven't seen the likes of Ufa, who finished 2nd. 

This series will be a challenge for the underdog, because unlike some of the other KHL teams, Ufa's top players are generally younger and in their prime.  Only Proshkin amongst regular blueliners is over 30, with the work being shared by Kirill Koltsov (28), Andrei Kuteikin (26), Miroslav Blatak (28), Maxim Kondratiev (28) and Dmitri Kalinin (30).  Oleg Tverdovsky hasn't played a lot in the playoffs to date.  Up front, while led by a fairly young top line (24-27), Ufa does have a lot of veterans in support roles:  Vyacheslav Kozlov , Viktor Kozlov , Vladimir Antipov, Sergei Zinovyev and Petr Schastlivy are all over 30.  In fact, the names of all their forwards are familiar to international and NHL fans:  Robert Nilsson , Alexander Svitov, Oleg Saprykin and Jakub Klepis round out the group, all former NHL players.

For Atlant, their veteran roster, with only one of their top six D under the age of 30 (and no top forwards under 30, either), this might be their one shot at a championship.  The team has never won either a Russian Superleague title or the Gagarin Cup, and for players like former NHLer Oleg Petrov, this is probably the last shot at the KHL's top prize.  The team got three extra days rest by winning their Conference Final in six games, and they probably needed to use it.  Atlant does have younger regulars on their roster, but they generally only play a few shifts per game, if that. 

The low event style of game for Atlant probably suits them well, but I don't know how they can manage to keep up against Ufa's speed, skill, and depth.  There is no advantage to be seen in goal, with Erik Ersberg and Konstantin Barulin posting almost identical numbers, and even in terms of recent playoff experience Ufa has them beat.  Luckily for Atlant, Ufa isn't that far away from the Moscow region, so travel shouldn't play a major role. 

I'm predicting that Ufa, winners of the last Superleague title back in 2008, will become the second team to win the Gagarin Cup, and will prevail in five games.  They have a seriously well built team that would honestly compete in the NHL.  They represent the potential of the league, while Atlant represents closer to the reality, as a team full of players who played themselves out of the NHL. 

• Atlant @ Ufa, Friday Apr 8 (3:00 PM CET/10:00 PM EST)
• Atlant @ Ufa, Sunday Apr 10 (1:00 PM CET/8:00 AM EST)
• Ufa @ Atlant, Tuesday Apr 12 (5:30 PM CET/12:30 PM EST)
• Ufa @ Atlant, Thursday Apr 14 (5:30 PM CET/12:30 PM EST)

Games 5-7 are as yet unscheduled, but every second day is the KHL standard, so expect Game 5 to be on Saturday, like an early start. 

The Unique Burial of a Child of Early Scythian Time at the Cemetery of Saryg-Bulun (Tuva)

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Pages:  379-406

In 1988, the Tuvan Archaeological Expedition (led by M. E. Kilunovskaya and V. A. Semenov) discovered a unique burial of the early Iron Age at Saryg-Bulun in Central Tuva. There are two burial mounds of the Aldy-Bel culture dated by 7th century BC. Within the barrows, which adjoined one another, forming a figure-of-eight, there were discovered 7 burials, from which a representative collection of artifacts was recovered. Burial 5 was the most unique, it was found in a coffin made of a larch trunk, with a tightly closed lid. Due to the preservative properties of larch and lack of air access, the coffin contained a well-preserved mummy of a child with an accompanying set of grave goods. The interred individual retained the skin on his face and had a leather headdress painted with red pigment and a coat, sewn from jerboa fur. The coat was belted with a leather belt with bronze ornaments and buckles. Besides that, a leather quiver with arrows with the shafts decorated with painted ornaments, fully preserved battle pick and a bow were buried in the coffin. Unexpectedly, the full-genomic analysis, showed that the individual was female. This fact opens a new aspect in the study of the social history of the Scythian society and perhaps brings us back to the myth of the Amazons, discussed by Herodotus. Of course, this discovery is unique in its preservation for the Scythian culture of Tuva and requires careful study and conservation.

Keywords: Tuva, Early Iron Age, early Scythian period, Aldy-Bel culture, barrow, burial in the coffin, mummy, full genome sequencing, aDNA

Information about authors: Marina Kilunovskaya (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Vladimir Semenov (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Varvara Busova  (Moscow, Russian Federation).  (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences.  Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Kharis Mustafin  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Technical Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Irina Alborova  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Biological Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Alina Matzvai  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected]

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Maurie McInnis to Become Next President of Yale University

National search for new SBU president to begin amid unprecedented period of growth and transformation

Stony Brook University — the number-one public university in New York and a state flagship university — has announced that President Maurie McInnis is stepping down after a four-year tenure to become the next president of Yale University. 

McInnis, a Yale graduate (MA ’90, MPhil ’93, PhD ’96) and member of its Board of Trustees, will assume her new position effective July 1. The State University of New York (SUNY) will oversee the leadership transition.

President since March 2020, McInnis led Stony Brook through the COVID-19 pandemic and helped shepherd its continued rise into a world-class research institution and modern flagship of the SUNY system. Under McInnis’s leadership, Stony Brook was named the anchor institution of The New York Climate Exchange research center on Governors Island; awarded one of the largest gifts to a university in American history with a $500 million unrestricted endowment from the Simons Foundation; and achieved its highest ever rankings among U.S. News and World Reports Best Colleges listing.

In her role, McInnis worked at the center of a broad leadership coalition committed to growing academic excellence at Stony Brook, providing opportunity to students of all backgrounds, and supporting New York’s economy. This includes SUNY and its Board of Trustees, the Stony Brook Foundation and Stony Brook Council, the university’s longstanding partners at the Simons Foundation, and its more than 2,900 world-class faculty and staff members, from the Office of the Provost to Campus Operations and Maintenance.

“We congratulate Maurie on this prestigious appointment, merely the latest in her series of extraordinary professional accomplishments,” said SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr . “Maurie’s election is a testament to both her exceptional ability and the esteem with which Stony Brook is viewed by its peers. I know that we will have superbly talented candidates to choose from as we begin this search for Maurie’s successor to lead one of the nation’s most prestigious public universities and a true engine of research innovation and social mobility.” 

Rich Gelfond, chairman of the Stony Brook Foundation and CEO of IMAX Corporation , praised McInnis’s leadership. “In her four-year tenure, Maurie’s decisive, collaborative leadership brought a number of key strategic initiatives to the finish line — culminating in the most transformational period in Stony Brook’s history. We are grateful for her stewardship and look forward to continuing the incredible progress of this one-of-a-kind institution.”

Kevin Law, chairman of the Stony Brook Council , the group that oversees and supervises the operations and affairs of the institution, praised McInnis for her leadership through challenging times. “Maurie arrived during the Covid pandemic and more recently has successfully steered the university through a year that has been especially difficult for many university presidents,” Law said. “She led Stony Brook to new heights, bringing immense positive change and improvement to the university.”

“I have been so proud to lead Stony Brook during this exciting time in its history,” McInnis said . “When I talk with other leaders in higher education, it is clear that they recognize Stony Brook is an institution on an upward trajectory, combining groundbreaking research with expanded opportunities for students from all backgrounds. I want to express my appreciation to all the faculty, students, and staff who are achieving great accomplishments. I am confident that Stony Brook’s best years lie ahead.”

An interim president will be named shortly to ensure a seamless leadership transition consistent with SUNY processes and protocols. A national search for Stony Brook’s next president will begin immediately.

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‘And Still I Rise: Empowering Women of Color in Higher Education’ Luncheon, April 11

The “And Still I Rise: Empowering Women of Color in Higher Education” high tea and luncheon is a foundational step in fostering community among mid- to senior-level women of color and allies in higher education across...

Researchers Have a New Understanding of Cognitive Adaptability

Stony Brook investigators detail their work in two published papers The ability to shift from one type of cognitive problem-solving strategy to another when the circumstances change, called cognitive adaptability or...

Hallo-STEAM Collaboration Brings Art and STEM Together

The Hallo-STEAM event at Stony Brook University marked a collaboration between student and campus organizations, bridging the gap between STEM and the arts

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Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.  

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

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Putting her heart into it: Star Student Nana Kyei leads hypertension clinic in Ghana

Over about eight months, Nana Kyei ran a blood pressure center in Ghana, conducted research on hypertension and published her findings – all before her senior year of high school. 

Kyei, whose parents were born in Ghana and who has most of her family members living there, had learned her great aunt had strokes due to hypertension, or high blood pressure. As she researched the topic, she realized the potentially fatal condition affected a large number of Ghanaians. 

The then-16-year-old Western Reserve Academy student wanted to make a difference. 

“There really needs to be more awareness about it,” Kyei said. “It’s really important to hear people’s stories because that is where solutions are found. That’s where you get to the root of the problem.” 

Kyei was selected as one of this year's three top Star Students from more than 100 graduating seniors. The annual program by The Akron Beacon Journal, The Canton Repository, The Record-Courier and The Daily Record recognizes the region’s outstanding high school graduates.

The soon-to-be Yale student learned about hypertension issues in Ghana and Sub-saharan Africa from her grandfather, who told her about his sister’s strokes. Kyei worked with her grandfather, with funding help from him and Western Reserve Academy, to hold a blood pressure clinic in Ghana the summer after her sophomore year.

There, they played informational videos, handed out pamphlets and took people’s blood pressures, and she bonded with family along the way. 

All data was recorded anonymously, and Kyei found 70% of the adults she saw had hypertension. Nineteen cases were people in crisis, and they were immediately sent to a hospital. 

“This meant the people could have died at any second,” she said. “[Finding them help] made me feel fulfilled because you never could have known what would have happened.”

During her junior year, Kyei worked with teachers to put her research into a proposal that explored hypertension in Africans. Factors include genetics, diet and lack of access to health care. 

Kyei said the illness is asymptomatic, which can explain why people may not regularly take their medication. It's also a matter of education. 

“If you read the data head-on, it seems like a lot of Ghanaians are not taking their medication, and it seems like they’re not compliant, but when you hear people’s stories, you figure out that oftentimes, they don’t really understand what the doctor is saying and that they don’t have the money to buy the medication,” she said. 

Kyei, now an 18-year-old from Richfield, will attend Yale in the fall with a major in biology. She plans to become an obstetrician, which focuses on reproductive, pregnancy, birth and postpartum care. 

“Throughout her high school career at Western Reserve Academy, Nana Kyei has solidified herself as an invaluable and integral part of this community; from her leadership to her command of course material to her generously friendly nature, Nana stands alone as someone whose reputation precedes her,” teachers and administrators wrote in her recommendation letter. “Teachers are eager to see her name on their roster and students hope they get the chance to be her lab partner.”

'I just bury my head and get it done.'

Yale was where Kyei hoped to end up since the start of her college application process, but she first got deferred from the university when she applied for early admission.

Then, on Ivy Day March 28, she received an acceptance email decorated with little dancing icons of the school’s bulldog mascot. 

“I screamed – my mom screamed,” Kyei said. “We were running around the house. It was so fun.” 

Kyei has wanted to become a doctor since she was 5 years old. She still has the little doctor's coat and first aid kit her grandparents gave to her as a child. She became especially interested in biology in ninth grade. 

With the free time she found, Kyei was a captain of Western Reserve’s varsity volleyball team, a leader in the French Club and Black Student Union and a chief ambassador, where she led tours of the school’s campus, among other commitments. 

Along with a list of other achievements and a 4.23 GPA, the College Board named Kyei as the National African American Recognition Scholar for the 2022-23 school year, and she is part of Western Reserve's Cum Laude Society. 

The recent graduate said she learned to find balance over her four years of high school by setting aside a weekend day for herself – along with having a planner and to-do lists.

“I’m not too hardcore, and sometimes there’s the stereotype of the Ivy League kid being super hardcore,” she said. “I do have a good work ethic though, so sometimes I just bury my head and get it done. Then I relax.”

Finding time for fun, too

Kyei spent three years living on campus, and she happily remembers late nights in the dorms with friends, watching movies, eating popcorn and sharing secrets.

It was not always easy finding a core group, but now, the graduate said she has found forever friends.

“It was more about finding people you can trust than people you belong to,” Kyei said. “For me, it was finding people I can rely on and, in that way, I really did find my place. I found people who I will have relationships with past these years.”

Her favorite school memory came while captaining the volleyball team. 

“I decided to hold a ‘Friendsgiving’ with the whole team at my house,” she said. “We made food and got dessert and danced the whole time and talked. I got to bond with the team really well. Me and my co-captain did a good job of creating a positive environment on the court.”

Kyei found new interests – and much-needed relaxation –  in her ceramic and dance classes and hopes to take a similar class or two in college. She loves baking cakes, cookies and lemon bars and wants to start baking bread like her grandmother. 

There will be no research this summer – Kyei said she is taking time to relax, featuring a trip to Hawaii, before her Ivy League schooling kicks in. 

Keeping ‘strong’ values

In her recommendation letter, teachers and administrators described Kyei as “relentlessly kind.” 

“Nana is guided by a strong inner moral compass,” the letter said.

Kyei focuses on working hard, showing kindness to others and treating people empathetically. Her father instilled in her the importance of staying true to herself, and she said following her Christian faith is a large priority for her. 

“I aim to be someone people can come to and fully be themselves, and I think a lot of my friends find that role in me,” Kyei said. “That’s really important to me: having empathy and being a good listener.”

The opportunity to help others keeps her motivated. 

“I just want to do something in the world, even if it’s not huge,” she said. “For example, being an obstetrician is a very meaningful job, and it's very needed. It takes a lot of work to get there, and I know that’s something I want to do. That keeps my eye on the prize.”

Reporter Isabella Schreck can be reached at [email protected] .  

About Nana Kyei

School: Western Reserve Academy

College attending: Yale

Major: Biology 

Favorite social media: Instagram

Binge-worthy show: "Grey's Anatomy"

Favorite subject: Ceramics and microbiology

Biggest influencer: My grandfather has been an encouraging and supportive figure in my life who inspires me to do the best I can in every circumstance. I’m extremely grateful for his influence.

Where she sees herself in 10 years: Practicing medicine in a very warm state and raising a family there.

Favorite high school memory: My favorite high school memory was junior year prom. It was good vibes all around, and it was hilarious to watch my date and my friend’s date bowl against each other at after prom.