The Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences is pleased to announce that Deeksha Mohan has been selected as the recipient of the 2023 Snoeyenbos Award.
The Snoeyenbos Award for Excellence in Graduate Research was established in 1994 in honor of Professor Glenn Snoeyenbos who had been a member of the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences. The Snoeyenbos Award is awarded annually to honor a current outstanding graduate student based upon the student's grade point average, research progress, presentations at meetings and faculty recommendations.
Dr. Deeksha Mohan earned her Ph.D. in Animal Biotechnology and Biomedical Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in May 2023. Her dissertation, titled "PKCq Modulates LKB1 Isoforms Downstream of IL-6 Signaling to Mediate iTreg-Th17 Cell Plasticity," delved into the nuances of T cell plasticity, specifically exploring how environmental cues regulate LKB1 spliceoform expression to influence T helper type 17 (Th17) or regulatory (iTreg) T cell fate decisions. Additionally, the study explored how NOTCH and PKCq interactions with LKB1 influence Th17 or iTreg phenotypes and assessed how IL-6 influences Prkcq expression to regulate the PKCq-LKB1 pathway in iTregs. Prior to coming to UMass Amherst, Deeksha completed her BA in Molecular and Cell Biology at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, SD, in 2017, graduating with a GPA of 3.55 and Civitas Honors.