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Kavya Kudalkar awarded 2025 Jim Hopper Memorial Undergraduate Research Award

December 17, 2025

Kavya Kudalkar awarded 2025 Jim Hopper Memorial Undergraduate Research Award

Announcement of hopper award with headshots of Kavya Kudlakar and Jim Hopper

The Department is delighted to recognize the 2025 awardee of the The Jim Hopper Memorial Undergraduate Research Fellowship

 

Kavya Kudalkar is a Molecular Genetics major in Christine Burd's lab, which studies genetic mechanisms involved in cancer and aging. Kavya earned this award for her research focused on understanding how miR-24 regulates the p16INK4a tumor suppressor in stimulated T cells. She is currently examining how p16 mRNA and protein levels change when a miR-24 inhibitor is introduced.

Kavya presented her research at the 2025 Molecular Genetics open house and shares:

"I chose Molecular Genetics at OSU because it is a well-structured program that builds a strong foundation in cellular biology while emphasizing the connections between genetics and disease. What excites me most about research is discovering new relationships in biology that may guide future approaches to treating disease and improving patient care. The MolGen department’s supportive mentors and professors offer great opportunities for hands-on research and preparation for a future in medicine. The collaborative environment at OSU has helped me grow as a student, and I really value the mentorship I have received so far. I am extremely grateful to have received the 2025 Hopper Award and look forward to continuing my education and research in the Molecular Genetics department."

This award was funded by the The Jim Hopper Memorial Undergraduate Research Fund.

Dr. Jim Hopper was a valued faculty member in the Department of Molecular Genetics from 2006 until his untimely death in 2017 at the age of 74. Jim's research sought to understand how cells respond to environmental cues by regulating transcriptional switches, with a focus on galactose-responsive transcription in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. His lab was the first to clone the yeast Gal4 gene, and his work contributed greatly to our understanding of post-transcriptional regulation of genetic switches. His work resulted in more than 50 publications and was funded by the NIH for over 30 years.

Jim was a generous and thoughtful scientist with widespread interests and talents. He was a world-class gymnast (All American on still rings in 1963) and other hobbies included glass blowing, woodworking, stone work, gardening, snorkeling, photography, cooking, and reading. Most importantly, Jim was an amazing husband and father and a dedicated mentor and teacher to his students.

The Jim Hopper Memorial Fund was made possible by contributions from colleagues, friends, and family of Jim Hopper and by a gift of the estate of Dr. Charles H. Baer to the Department of Molecular Genetics. Consider supporting the fund here