Postdoctoral researcher named AAMC MOSAIC Scholar
Benard Ogola, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at Tulane University School of Medicine, has been named a Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) Scholar by the National Institute of General Sciences. He was also selected as a scholar of the Association of American Medical Colleges. The AAMC MOSAIC program is designed to enhance diversity in the academic biomedical workforce and facility the transition of postdoctoral researchers who have been traditionally underrepresented in the biomedical and related fields.
The program provides mentorship to junior scientist on topics such as grant writing and how to build and maintain a vibrant research program. It also connects Ogola with a peer network of other researchers in the scientific field.
“The goal of MOSAIC is to create a pool of underrepresented researchers who can exchange information and help guide each other,” said Ogola. “It expands beyond what we learn in the lab to include leadership, professional development, mentorship, engagement, networking, and virtual resources.”
Ogola currently works under the mentorship of Dr. Sarah Lindsey, PhD, an associate professor in the department of pharmacology. His research focuses on the interplay of sex hormones and sex chromosomes in vascular oxidative stress and arterial stiffening.
“Over the past four and a half years under my mentorship, Dr. Ogola has continually impressed me with his self-motivation and unique ideas,” said Lindsey. “His independently formulated NIH MOSAIC K99 proposal was funded on the first submission, which says a lot in this funding environment. I have no doubt that he will be successful as a tenure-track faculty member and principal investigator.”
Ogola has accepted a faculty position at Augusta University in the Vascular Biology Center and will begin June 1.
“While this is the end of my journey at Tulane, this is a place I’d like to stay connected with in the future,” Ogola said. “This has been home to me for a very long time and I’ve enjoyed every moment that I’ve been here.”
