Terry and Shelley Barr Research Professorship
A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Science Research Building, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Parking: Ann Street Parking Structure- an attendant will be on-site to issue parking permits starting at 4:00 p.m.
About This Event
Join us for the inauguration of the Terry and Shelley Barr Research Professorship and celebrate the installation of Yunlu Zhu, Ph.D., as the inaugural holder.
Registration is required to attend this event. RSVP by September 21, 2026.
5:00 p.m. Ceremony
1170/1150/1130 ABC Seminar
6:00 p.m. Reception
Gilbert S. Omenn Atrium
For questions, please contact Kaley DeJonghe at [email protected].
PROGRAM
Welcome
Thomas J. Wang, M.D.
Dean, University of Michigan Medical School
Josiah Macy, Jr. Professor of Health Professions Education
Chief Academic Officer, Michigan Medicine
Center Director Remarks
Ravi Allada M.D.
Theophile Raphael, M.D. Legacy Professor of Neurosciences
Executive Director, Michigan Neuroscience Institute
Research Professor, Michigan Neuroscience Institute
Professor, Anesthesiology
Remarks
Henry L. Paulson, M.D., Ph.D.
Lucile Groff Endowed Chair in Neurology for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders
Research Professor, Michigan Neuroscience Institute
Professor, Neurology
Co-Division Chief, Cognitive Disorders
Shelley Barr
Gabriel Corfas, Ph.D.
Professor and Associate Chair for Research, Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery
Director, Kresge Hearing Research Institute
Lynn and Ruth Townsend Professor of Communication Disorders
Michigan Neuroscience Institute Affiliate Faculty
Sarah Kucenas, Ph.D.
Owen R. Cheatham Professor of the Sciences
Professor, Biology
Associate Dean for Research in the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
University of Virginia
Inaugural Address
Yunlu Zhu, Ph.D.
Terry and Shelley Barr Research Professor
Assistant Professor, Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery
Assistant Professor, Molecular and Integrative Physiology
Closing Remarks
Thomas J. Wang, M.D.
Biographies
Terry and Shelley Barr
Terry and Shelley Barr shared a deep connection to the University of Michigan and a commitment to advancing medical research. Both U-M alumni, Shelley earned a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene in 1958. Terry played for the U-M football team, receiving the Michigan Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor, before completing his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1957. He was then drafted by the Detroit Lions, where he played for nine seasons and was best known as a wide receiver. Married for 51 years, they raised three sons and remained devoted to their family, friends, and Michigan community. After Terry’s passing in 2009, Shelley has continued to honor their shared legacy through generous support of Michigan Medicine, including neurology, concussion and Alzheimer’s-related research, cardiovascular care, and dentistry at U-M. Their philanthropy reflects a deep belief in the power of research and discovery to improve lives.
Yunlu Zhu, Ph.D.
Yunlu Zhu, Ph.D., graduated from the University of Virginia, where his research focused on neurodevelopment, glia, and neuroimmunology. He then completed postdoctoral training in systems neuroscience with David Schoppik, Ph.D., at the NYU School of Medicine, studying navigation and postural control using zebrafish. Zhu’s research establishes zebrafish as a model system for understanding how the brain transforms gravity signals into stable movement, and how disruptions in these circuits lead to balance deficits. Zhu has received multiple honors for his work, including the Christine Beattie Award from the International Zebrafish Society, the Leon Levy Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neuroscience, and the Rainwater Tau Leadership Award. He is committed to mentorship and to building a research environment that values curiosity, dialogue, and rigor.
