Congratulations to our 2026 Graduates

Over 20 members of the Morgridge Institute community are graduating with degrees from University of Wisconsin–Madison this year. A few reflect on their time at Morgridge and shout out their mentors below. We wish all the 2026 grads the best of luck on their journeys ahead!

Nick Arp, PhD

Fan Lab

In the lab of Jing Fan, Nick Arp studied how macrophages remodel their metabolic pathways to support immune cell function. Arp focused on understanding how cellular metabolism is actively rewired when these cells become activated. In particular, he investigated the role of nitric oxide, a small reactive molecule produced during immune activation.

Arp is part of the combined MD-PhD program at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Having successfully defended his dissertation this spring, Arp is now returning to complete his final year of medical training. “As I transition back into clinical medicine,” he says, “I’m excited to integrate the scientific perspective I developed during my PhD with patient care, particularly in understanding how fundamental metabolic and immunologic processes contribute to human disease.”

Mentor shoutout: “I would like to express my deep appreciation to Jing Fan for her outstanding mentorship throughout my doctoral training. She fostered a highly collaborative and intellectually rigorous research environment, while also providing consistent support for my professional development. Her mentorship was instrumental not only in advancing my scientific work, but also in helping me grow as an independent thinker, including guiding me through publications, fellowship applications, and the transition to the next stage of my training.”

Lauren Dempsey, BS

Spurgeon Lab

As an undergrad in the Spurgeon Lab, Lauren Dempsey studied the role of Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) in the development of Merkel Cell Carcinoma, a rare but deadly virus-induced neuroendocrine cancer. Her focus was on using immunofluorescence techniques to compare neuroendocrine protein expression in 3D skin models to determine how early region MCPyV viral oncoproteins, known as T antigens, affect neuroendocrine phenotype. 

Next year, Dempsey will be starting the PharmD program here at the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy.

Mentor shoutouts: “I’d like to give a shout out to Megan for giving me the opportunity to get involved in her lab when it was first starting. It has been a huge privilege to see how the lab has grown since I started in August 2024 and she has created such an amazing team culture. I also want to shout out Tejas Sabu, a graduate student in the lab who has been a great mentor. Both of them have offered great guidance and support during my time in the lab!”

Alek Kralovec, BS

Skala Lab

In the Skala Lab, Alek Kralovec worked alongside his mentor, Associate Scientist Rupsa Datta, studying neutrophil metabolism using optical metabolic imaging. The experience was an opportunity to become proficient in tasks such as data analysis, cell culture, and two-photon microscopy. After graduation, Kralovec is off to Minnesota to begin a full-time role at Medtronic as a firmware engineer on the neuromodulation implantable devices team.

Mentor shoutout: “If I could give a shoutout to anyone, it would have to be to the entire Skala Lab. Thank you so much to my PI, Melissa Skala, for providing me with the opportunity to join her lab as a curious freshman. Thank you to my mentor, Rupsa Datta, for supporting me at every step of the way and equipping me with the tools I need to be successful in my career as a young engineer. Finally, thank you to all of my colleagues who I have had the privilege of working with and getting to know over the past few years. The Skala Lab was always the best part of my day because of its amazing team!”

Alysa Zhou, BS

Communications

As a graphic design intern on the communications team, Zhou worked on a wide range of design material for anyone and anything Morgridge, including event flyers, website content, scientific posters, and the screens we see on the monitors around the office! After graduation, she’ll be moving to Milwaukee for a full-time graphic design job, but hopes to shift her career towards UI/UX design, as her focus was in both computer science and art and she’d love to be involved with both. 

Mentor shoutout: “Endless thanks to Matt Stefely for giving me a chance… I had absolutely no background in biology when I was hired, but with his mentorship (and a lot of googling) I’ve never been faced with a task I couldn’t handle here!”

Congratulations to Arp, Dempsey, Kralovec, Zhou, and the other 2026 graduates listed below!