On April 23, 2025, the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies hosted ARCS Atlanta members for a tour and Appreciation Luncheon at the Emory National Primate Research Center & Emory Vaccine Center. The program and luncheon highlighted the vital basic science and translational research conducted at Emory—work that impacts not only the Atlanta community but also communities around the world.
We were welcomed by Monica K. Polisetty, Senior Managing Director of Development, James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies and Dr. R. Paul Johnson, Director, Emory National Primate Research Center.
The fascinating three-part tour included
- the Rengarajan Lab where Dr. Jyothi Rengaragan’s research program seeks to understand the mechanisms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogenesis and host immunity to infection,
- a Parkinson’s disease conversation with Dr. Thomas Wichmann, Deputy Director of the Primate Center & A. Worley Brown, Professor of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine,
- and a demonstration of personal protective equipment (PPE) along with a discussion of the importance of safety in research.
After a delicious lunch, Dr. Jyothi Rengarajan, Co-Director, Emory Tuberculosis Center & Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, gave a very interesting talk about tuberculosis research. We were also treated to insightful remarks from our former Herz Global Impact Scholar, Ana Enriquez, who is now a Research Microbiologist at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
Thanks from Alum Courtney Pollard, III, MD, PhD, MedStar Harbor Hospital, Baltimore
Let me start by saying how thankful I am for being selected as an ARCS scholar. I consider it one of my greatest achievements thus far and I am immensely proud to count myself as one of the amazing group of students that your organization selected to receive this award. I want you ladies to know you are doing an outstanding job! You all are embarked on a truly altruistic endeavor and it is my fervent prayer that this organization thrives for years to come.
Thanks from Scholar Laura Redmond
"I want to thank you again for supporting my career development, and I look forward to encouraging the development of future scientists as an ARCS Scholar Alum."
Thanks from Alum Tim Sampson, Postdoctoral Scholar at Caltech
I am immensely grateful to the ARCS Foundation and Turner Enterprises for making my award possible. I am honored to have been part of the talented and promising group of young researchers from the Atlanta-area!