News

2025

07/2025 Graduate student Flora Mengyang Xu successfully defended her PhD dissertation. Congratulations Dr. Xu!

05/2025 Graduate student Mengyang Xu received Graduate Students’ Achievement Award. Congratulations!

05/2025 We received $20,000 for a grant from MIAMI Women Giving Circle titled "Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), Testosterone, and Colorectal Cancer (CRC): Uncovering the Hidden Link ", led by PhD student Nimra Laraib. Thanks Nimra for leading the submitting the grant and presenting at Hawk Tank!  

03/2025 Congratulations to Prachi Wele for being awarded 2nd place in the Three Minute Thesis competition!

2024

11/2024  Graduate student Mengyang Xu received Graduate Students’ Achievement Award. Congratulations!

05/2024 We received $20,000 for a grant from MIAMI Women Giving Circle titled "Comprehending Sex-Specific Differences in Colorectal Cancer (CRC)", led by PhD student Prachi Wele. Thanks Prachi for leading the submitting the grant and presenting at Hawk Tank!  

2023

11/2023  Graduate student Prachi Wele received Best Oral Presentation Award at Graduate Research Forum. Congratulations!  

09/2023  Welcome new graduate student Neda Malekikhas join the lab!

06/2023  Undergraduate student Charlie Schaeffer (double majoring in Biology/Pre-Med and Music/Vocal Music Performance) is awarded Charley Harper Scholarship, Miami University. Congratulations! This scholarship is awarded to students majoring in biological sciences and demonstrating talent and interest in arts. 

04/2023  Graduate student Prachi Wele received Graduate Students’ Achievement Award. Congratulations!  

01/2023  Graduate student Prachi Wele received a Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research Award. Congratulations! 

2022

12/2022 Undergraduate Charlie Shaeffer and graduate student Mengyang Xu are awarded Doctoral-Undergraduate Opportunities for Scholarship (DUOS) award. Congrats!

08/2022  Welcome new graduate students in the lab: Prachi Wele, Nimra Laraib, and Anifat Tijani! 

05/2022  Niko Anas received his MS degree. Congratulations! 

2021

12/2021  Kristen received his PhD degree. Congratulations Dr. Krolick! Kristen is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Cincinnati Chirldren's Hospital Medical Center. 

03/2021  Tres Schuler is awarded Howard Hughes Summer Research internship. Congratulations!  

2020

01/2020   Dr. Shi is awarded 2020/2021 Grant to Promote Research, Graduate Research Assistantship, and Summer Research Appointment from the Committee on Faculty Research at Miami.

03/2020  Tres Schuler is awarded Undergraduate Summer Scholar (USS) Internship. Congratulations!  

08/2020 Danielle Allaire is 2020-2021 Dean's Scholarship from the College of Arts and Science. Congratulations!

12/2020 Undergraduate Nina Ventura and graduate student Mengyang Xu are awarded Doctoral-Undergraduate Opportunities for Scholarship (DUOS) award. Congrats!

12/2020  Mengyang Xu is awarded Society for Neuroscience 2020 Trainee Professional Development Award. Congratulations! 

2019

11/2019   Undergraduate Nina Ventura and graduate student Kristen Krolick are awarded Doctoral-Undergraduate Opportunities for Scholarship (DUOS) award. Congrats!

08/2019   Qi received his PhD degree. Congratulations Dr. Zhu! Qi is currently a postdoctoral fellow at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. 

05/2019   Danielle Allaire is awarded Undergraduate Summer Scholar (USS) Internship. Congratulations!  

04/2019   Graduate student Kristen Krolick is awarded 2019-2020 PhD Dissertation Scholarship. Congratulations!

01/2019   Undergraduate Sam Schaeffer and graduate student Qi Zhu are awarded Doctoral-Undergraduate Opportunities for Scholarship (DUOS) award. Congratulations!  

2018

05/2018    Undergraduate students Danielle Allaire and Ryan Parnell are awarded 2018 Cancer Research Award. Congratulations!

03/2018    Undergraduate student Sam Schaeffer is awarded 2018 Howard Hughes Summer Research internship. Congratulations!

01/2017    Undergraduate Jingyan He and Shangyuwen Yang are awarded an Undergraduate Research Award (URA) from OARS Miami. Congratulations!

2017

07/2017    Undergraduate Kenzie Crist received Honor Grant for her colon cancer cell project. Congratulations!

06/2017    Graduate students Qi Zhu received a Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research Award. Congratulations!

06/2017    Pearson Hall is under renovation. Shi Lab and office were moved to Hughes second floor and 318. 

05/2017    Minqian received her PhD degree, and will start her residency at Cleveland Clinic in the summer. 

05/2017    Undergraduate Evelyn Gulla is awarded an Undergraduate Research Award (URA) from OARS Miami. Congratulations!

03/2017    Undergraduate Meeta Bhardwaj is awarded 2017 Howard Hughes Summer Research internship. Congratulations!  

01/2017    Undergraduate Anjali Prior is awarded an Undergraduate Research Award (URA) from OARS Miami. Congratulations!

01/2017    Undergraduate Kenzie Crist and graduate student Minqian Shen are awarded Doctoral-Undergraduate Opportunities for Scholarship (DUOS) award. Congratulations!  

2016

12/2016    Graduate students Qi and Kristen are awarded Academic Challenge Award from the Department to support their 2017 projects. Congratulations!

07/2016    Dr. Shi is awarded a Grant-in-Aid Award from the American Heart Association, Great Rivers Affiliate, funding period is 07/2016-06/2018. 

04/2016    Undergraduate student Ben Hinkel is awarded 2016-2017 Dean's Scholarship from the College of Arts and Science. Congratulations!

04/2016    Graduate student Minqian Shen is awarded 2016-2017 PhD Dissertation Scholarship. Congratulations!

04/2016    Graduate student Minqian Shen is awarded Academic Challenge Award from the Department to support her 2016 fall project. Congratulations!

03/2016    Graduate student Kristen Krolick joined the lab. Welcome!

03/2016    Undergraduate student Brad Glazier is awarded 2016 Howard Hughes Summer Research internship. Congratulations!

01/2016    Undergraduates Ben Hinkel and Brad Glazier are awarded an Undergraduate Research Award (URA) from OARS Miami. Congratulations!

01/2016    Undergraduate Anjali Prior and graduate student Minqian Shen are awarded Doctoral-Undergraduate Opportunities for Scholarship (DUOS) award. Congratulations!  

01/2016    Xian Liu is awarded Early Career Forum Travel Award from the Endocrine Society 2016 annual meeting at Boston. Congratulations!

2015 

11/2015    Both Xian Liu and Qi Zhu received Academic Challenge Awards from the Department to support their 2016 projects. Congratulations! 

11/2015    Both Xian Liu and Minqian Shen received Publication awards from the Department to support their travel to attend 2016 Endo meeting at Boston.

10/2015    Dr. Shi is awarded 2015/2017 Madalene and George Shetler Diabetes Research Award from Miami University.

10/2015    Shi Lab Sympathetic Regulation by Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor at Miami Research and Innovation website.

07/2015    Dr. Shi received R15 renewal from NIDDK.

05/2015    Dr. Shi, along with Drs. Killian and Harding, are awarded 2016 Tech Fee grant from Miami University for using HPLC instrumentation in teaching and student research.

04/2015    Minqian Shen is awarded Academic Challenge Award from the Department to support her 2015 fall project. Congratulations! 

03/2015    Dr. Shi is granted tenure and promoted to associate professor at Biology, effective on July 1, 2015.

01/2015    Minqian Shen is awarded Early Career Forum Travel Award and Xian Liu is awarded Outstanding Abstract Award from the Endocrine Society.

Both Minqian and Xian will present at 2015 Endo meeting in March at San Diego. Congratulations!

2014

12/2014    Both Minqian Shen and Xian Liu received Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research Award. Congrats! 

12/2014    Graduate students Xian Liu and Qi Zhu are both awarded Academic Challenge Award from the Department to support their projects in 2015 spring. 

12/2014    Undergraduate Justin Chu is awarded an Undergraduate Research Award (URA) from OARS Miami. Congratulations!

12/2014    Undergraduate Luke Meyer and graduate student Minqian Shen are awarded Doctoral-Undergraduate Opportunities for Scholarship (DUOS) Award. 

11/2014    Dr. Shi presented and co-chaired a minisymposium with Dr. Novak from Kent State at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in DC.

10/2014    Xian presented at the annual meeting of the Ohio Physiology Society at Oxford, Ohio.

08/2014    Biology graduate student Qi Zhu joined the lab. Welcome!

                 Zheng Zhu started his PhD in Biostatistics at University of Cincinnati. Best wishes. We will miss Zheng.

06/2014    Xian presented her research at the meeting for the Endocrine Society and International Conference of Endocrinology in Chicago.

04/2014    Graduate student Xian Liu is awarded Graduate Research Award from the Department. Congratulations!

04/2014    Graduate students Xian Liu and Minqian Shen are both awarded Graduate Students' Achievement Fund from the Graduate School at Miami. Congrats!

04/2014    Graduate students Xian Liu and Minqian Shen are awarded Biology Graduate Student Publication Awards from the Department of Biology. Congrats! 

01/2014    Dr. Shi is awarded a Grant to Promote Research, a Research Graduate Assitantship, and Summer Research Appointment from the Committee on Faculty Research (CFR) at Miami.

2013

12/2013    Jenna Bailey is awarded an Undergraduate Research Award (URA) from OARS Miami. Congratulations!

11/2013    Undergraduate Sean Pugh and graduate student Xian Liu are awarded Doctoral-Undergraduate Opportunities for Scholarship (DUOS) Award.  Congrats!

10/2013    Dr. Shi is awarded 2013/2015 Madalene and George Shetler Diabetes Research Award from Miami University.

06/2013    Michelle Rieman, a high school science teacher from NSF-funded URM STEM Teacher Leader program, participated in lab research during summer.

05/2013    Shiva graduated with MS in CMSB. Congratulations!

05/2013    This is the third year that we participated Miami/Talawanda Science week May 13-17, 2012. Over 120 Talawanda elementary students from grade 3-5 visited our human physiology teaching lab. 

03/2013    Jenna Bailey and Sean Pugh are awarded Undergraduate Presentation Award (UPA) from OARS Miami. Congratulations!

02/2013    Justin Stumph is awarded 2013 Undergraduate Summer Scholarship (USS). Congratulations!

01/2013    Minqian received Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research award. Congrats! 

2012

12/2012    Jenna Bailey and Sean Pugh are awarded 2013 Spring Undergraduate Research Award (URA). Jenna's project is "Regulation of estrogen receptor a  in the VMN of the brain by estradiol" and Sean's project is "Effects of sex steroids on number and distribution of CNS estrogen receptor in male rats". Congrats!

08/2012    New students joined the lab.  They are Minqian Shen (CMSB), Justin Stumph, Sean Pugh, and Jenna Bailey. Welcome!

05/2012    This is the second year that we participated Miami/Talawanda Science week May 7-11, 2012. Over 120 Talawanda elementary students from grade 1-5 visited our human physiology teaching lab.  Total of 17 graduate and undergraduat students volunteered in this outreach event.

05/2012    Ashley Goudjo-Ako is selected as a 2012-2013 Dean's Scholar in the College of Arts and Science, Miami University. Congratulations!

04/2012    Ashley Goudjo-Ako is chosen to participate 2012 Summer Premedical Enrichment Program at College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati. 18 students were chosen nationally this year.  Congratulations!

04/2012    Emma Lasley, Ashley Goudjo-Ako, Emmanule Caster and Kwasi Frempong-Boadu (and other 6 undergraduates from the Department of Zoology) presented at 19th Animal Behavior Conference at Bloomington, IN, April 5-7, 2012. Emma received "Best Poster Presentation Award" (first place) from the conference.

03/2012   Ashley Goudjo-Ako is awarded 2012 Undergraduate Summer Scholarship (USS). Congratulations!

03/2012   Ashley Goudjo-Ako presented her project "brown fat transplantation alters energy expenditure in mice" at 2012 Posters On Hill at Washington DC.

02/2012    Daphne Benzaquen and Emma Lasley are awarded 2012 Maher/Zouhary research awards from Department of Zoology. Congratulations!

2011

12/2011    Daphne Benzaquen and Emma Lasley are awarded 2012 Spring Undergraduate Research Award (URA). Daphne's project is "How Female Mice Respond to Short-term High-fat Diet Feeding" and Emma's project  is "Effects of Maternal Diet on Metabolic Regulation of Offspring".   Congratulations. 

12/2011    Zheng Zhu joined the lab as a technician.  Welcome!

10/2011    Daphne Benzaquen and Ashley Goudjo-Ako are awarded the Proctor & Gamble Research Award.

10/2011    Dr. Shi is awarded 2011/2012 madalene and George Shetler Diabetes Research Award, $2000 toward research cost.

09/2011    One graduate and three undergraduate students join the lab this fall. They are Xian Liu (CMSB PhD), Ashley Goudjo-Ako (NSF-URM,  undergraduate), Kwasi Frempong-Boadu (NSF-REU FYRE STEM, undergraduate), and Emmanuel Caster (URO). Welcome!

07/2011    Jeremy Cohen (undergraduate student aid) joins the lab. Welcome!

06/2011    Dr. Shi, graduate student Shiva Senthil Kumar and technician Ethan Miller attended and presented research at ENDO meeting in Boston.

06/2011    Shiva Senthil Kumar is awarded travel grants from the Graduate School’s Travel Fund and from the Graduate Student Association. 

05/2011    Dr. Shi and graduate students Jamie Klements, Beth Spicer, Shiva Senthil Kumar, and David Milewski opened ZOO 305 physiology lab  for nearly 100 2nd-5th grade students from Talawanda elmentary schools during the Miami / Talawanda Science Week. See details at 'Science Outreach' page.

04/2011    Emma Lasley is awarded 2011-2012 Marcia E. Buck Roll Memorial Scholarship. She is one of three zoology majors received this scholarship this year.  

04/2011    Emma Lasley is named a 2012 Dean's Scholar in the College of Arts and Science and Dr. Shi is chosen to be a mentor for this scholarship, which provides total of $1500 fund toward Emma's research projects. Congratulations!

04/2011    Beth Spicer and Shiva Senthil Kumar are awarded CMSB Travel Grant-in-Aid awards to present at 2011 Endo Meeting at Boston this summer.

04/2011    Daphne Benzaquen and Emma Lasley presented at 18th Animal Behavior Conference at Bloomington, IN, April 7-9, 2011.  Good job! Both Emma and Daphne are awarded 2011 Undergraduate Presentation Award (UPA) from OARS, MU. Daphne received travel grant from NSF-URM program. Emma received the "Best Poster Presentation Award" from the conference.

03/2011    Beth Spicer is awarded 2011 Summer Research Fellowship from the Endocrine Society, $4000 toward her research in this summer. Dr. Shi is chosen to be a one-to-one mentor for this fellowship.  This is a highly prestigious and competitive fellowship. Fifteen students and their mentors are chosen internationally this year. 

01/2011    Dr. Shi is awarded 2010/2011 Madalene and George Shetler Diabetes Research Award from Miami University.

2010

12/2010    Four undergraduate students from our lab are awarded 2011 Spring Undergraduate Research Award (URA). Kat Gitz's project title: The roles of HB-EGF in obesity development and glucose regulation. Emma Lasley's project title: Effects of maternal prolactin and leptin on metabolic regulation of offspring. Daphne Benzaquen's project title: Short term dietary effects on metabolism and energy homeostasis. Nakul Bhardwaj's project title: Effects of caloric reduction on leptin sensitivity and beta-adrenergic recepter mRNA levels in high-fat diet-fed male and female mice. 

12/2010    Daphne Benzaquen is awarded the Proctor & Gamble Research Award, $500 research fund.  

10/2010    Catherine Ade presented "Energy expenditure and fatty acid oxidation contribute to susceptibility or resistance to diet-induced obesity" at "Fat, Fatty Acids, and Metabolism" symposium, the Obesity Society's 2010 Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego, CA. Catherine received quite a few comments from experts in obesity research field after her talk, which are very helpful for future study.

10/2010    Dr. Shi is awarded an Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15) from NIH NIDDK. Direct cost is $100,000 / year for 3 years.

10/2010    Ethan Miller Joined the lab.  He is the first technician in the lab. Welcome Ethan!

09/2010    Catherine Ade is awarded a travel grant from the Parents Fund, Parents Office, to attend the scientific annual meeting of the Obesity Society. 

09/2010    We have lab meeting on Fridays.  During the first month, we talked about individual goals and how to achieve them, the deadlines for proposal submission and award application, and status of current projects.  

08/2010    Graduage student Shiva Priya Dharshan Senthil kumar (CMSB) and Undergraduate juniors Emma Lasley and Nakul Bhardwaj joined the lab.

08/2010    CMSB New Graduate Student Reception / Research Forum for incoming CMSB graduate students is at Heritage Room Shriver Center, August 18 2010.  Beth Spicer, a new graduate student and an ex-undergraduate student in the lab, will present her research on brown fat tissue and energy balance. 

08/2010    Catherine Ade is awarded 2010 Undergraduate Presentation Award (UPA), OARS, MU, and 2010 Presidential Academic Enrichment Award (PAEA), CMSB Grant. 

07/2010    Undergraduate students Kat Gitz, Beth Spicer and Catherine Ade presented their research at the annual meeting for the Society for Study of Ingestive Behavior in Pittsburgh in July 2010. They received valuable comments and feedback on their projects from experts in obesity research field. It's a great experience for them.

07/2010    Undergraduate students Kat Gitz and Beth Spicer are awarded 2010 Undergraduate Presentation Award (UPA), OARS, MU. 

06/2010    An undergraduate project entitled "Energy expenditure and fatty acid oxidation contribute to susceptibility or resistance to diet-induced obesity", led by Beth Spicer and Catherine Ade, is chosen for oral presentation at the Obesity Society's 2010 Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego.

06/2010    Dr. Shi is awarded a Scientist Development Grant Award from the American Heart Association (National Center). Direct cost is $70,000/year for 4 years.

05/2010    Beth Spicer will graduate in Summer 2010 with a BA degree. 

05/2010    Beth Spicer is awarded a Graduate Assistantship and is admitted into the graduate program at the Department of Zoology in Fall 2010.  Beth is the first graduate student in the lab. 

04/2010    Two undergraduate students are awarded 2010 Fall Undergraduate Research Award (URA). Catherine Ade's project title: Dietary fat and estrogen regulate glucose homeostasis. Warwick Johnston's project title: The effect of prolactin deficiency on the ability of postpartum females to cope with stress and regulate energy balance. 

04/2010    Beth Spicer  and Kat Gitz are awarded 2010 Presidential Academic Enrichment Award (PAEA), CMSB Grant. 

03/2010    Dr. Shi is awarded an Outstanding Abstract Award and a travel grant from the Endocrine Society. Dr. Shi will give a talk at 2010 Endo Meeting, San Diego. Title: Central BDNF differentially regulates energy balance in male and female rats.

03/2010    Catherine Ade is awarded 2010 Undergraduate Summer Scholarship (USS). Project title: Sex differences in body fat distribution.

03/2010    Kat Gitz is awarded 2010 Howard Hughes Summer Research Internship (HHS). Project title: The roles of HB-EGF in obesity development.

02/2010    The whole body composition analyzer (EchoMRI, TX) is set up in Dr. Shi's metabolic lab.  This equipment measures  body lean and fat tissue mass, as well as body fluid, in consicous rodents. 

02/2010    Warwick Johnston, a senior student, and Daphne Benzaquen, a sophomore and NSF-URM participant (a previous REU-FYRE participant), joined the lab. Welcome!

01/2010    Catherine Ade, a senior student, joined the lab. Welcome!

2009

12/2009    Beth Spicer is awarded 2010 Spring Undergraduate Research Award (URA). Project title: Brown fat contributes to energy balance and glucose homeostasis. 

11/2009    The indirect calorimetry (Accuscan, OH) is set up in Dr. Shi's metabolic lab. This equipment measures oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production in mice and rats.

10/2009    Kat Gitz, a junior premed major undergraduate student, joined the lab. Welcome!

09/2009    Beth Spicer, a senior Zoology major undergraduate student, joined the lab. Welcome! She is the first student member in the lab.