Doctorate degrees for husband, wife team within two months

Doctor of Philosophy degrees were recently earned by the wife and husband team of Andrea and Joshua Johnstone.

Andrea graduated in 2005 cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry and was admitted as a Lois Pop Life Scholar in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Miami.

After joining LemBix laboratory, she was awarded an NIH F31 NRSA Fellowship to fund her graduate studies on Novel compounds that overcome glial inhibition of CNS regeneration.

Her final oral examination for the degree of doctor of philosophy was held Aug. 5, 2011 at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

After earning her PhD, she plans to work as a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Dr. Claes Wahlestedt at the University of Miami.

Joshua graduated pre-med from Washington State University with bachelor of science degrees in psychology and neuroscience. He attended the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Miami in the fall of 2005, where he was admitted as a Lois Pope Life Scholar.

After joining the laboratory of Dr. John Bethea, he began investigating how astrocytes contribute to oligodendrocyte death following trauma. From his work, he has one pending publication.

His final oral examination for the doctor of philosophy degree was held Oct. 3, 2011, at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

After graduating, he plans on joining the laboratory of Dr. Michael Norenberg as a postdoctoral researcher at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.