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6th in NIH funding among educational institutions and affiliates

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14th among top medical schools in terms of research excellence

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The university as a whole and the school of medicine have both more than doubled their NIH support since 1998

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Austin Dulak
Year started program: 2005
Program name: Molecular Pharmacology
2004 - B.S. Biochemical Pharmacology, University at Buffalo

The decision to attend the University of Pittsburgh to further my education was essentially a “no-brainer.” I differed from many incoming students in that I knew based on my undergraduate and post-baccalaureate experiences that I wanted to study in the field of pharmacology. Despite having a strong desire to join the Department of Molecular Pharmacology, the multitude of disciplines encompassed by the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Graduate Program (IBGP) umbrella provided me with the opportunity to dabble in many different areas that I would have not been exposed to at other universities. Another factor in my final decision was the all-around quality of the faculty members in each department. It truly was remarkable to learn how many novel discoveries were made by Pitt faculty! The “clincher” was surely the city of Pittsburgh, itself. As others have acknowledged, it is a gorgeous city that is extremely affordable with something for everybody (sports, arts/theatre, nightlife, etc.). Looking back on my decision, it was quite easy!

My work under the guidance of Dr. Jill Siegfried involves understanding the complex molecular signaling events leading to lung cancer progression. Currently, I am exploring the manner by which two of these pathways, the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and the Hepatocyte Growth Factor Receptor (c-Met), talk with one another to influence lung tumor growth. By understanding how and why EGFR and c-Met interact, our ultimate anticipation is that more effective treatment strategies will be designed to treat those afflicted with lung cancer.

Publications
Laura P. Stabile, Mary E. Rothstein, Phouthone Keohavong, Jade Jin, Jinling Yin, Stephanie R. Land, Sanja Dacic, The Minh Luong, K. Jin Kim, Austin M. Dulak, and Jill M. Siegfried. Anti-human HGF
Monoclonal Antibody Therapy Inhibits Lung Tumorigenesis in Transgenic Mice Overexpressing human HGF. Mol Cancer Ther 2008;7(7):1913-22.

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