The 30th Annual Graduate Student Research Forum (GSRF) held on March 20 was a day for sharing a wide variety of research topics by students in the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences. Sponsored annually by the Graduate Student Association (GSA), the forum provides an opportunity for students to present their research in progress, sharpen their presentation and communication skills, ponder stimulating questions from the audience and receive valuable feedback from judges. View the 30th Annual Graduate Student Research Forum photo gallery.
Jeanette Sutherland, Ph.D. ’11, M.S. ’06, a research associate in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College, returned to campus to moderate the day’s activities.
The GSRF was capped off with a keynote presentation by physician-scientist Richard White, M.D., Ph.D., second from right, head of the Richard White Lab at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He focuses on cancer metastasis in a transparent strain of zebrafish and is a pioneer in developing an in vivo assay to observe the metastasis of cancer. Dr. White presented “What Do Fish Tell Us About Human Cancer?” Students also had the opportunity for a candid discussion in an interactive session with Dr. White.
This year’s Graduate Student Association Honored Faculty Award was presented to Edward J. Messina, Ph.D. ’73, professor of physiology, at the forum. He was selected for the honor by the students who value his ability to convey complex material in an easy to comprehend manner and his guidance and mentorship.
30th Annual Graduate Student Research Forum Results
Novice Poster Presentations:
First Place
Kevin Agostinucci
Overexpression of CYP4A12-20-HETE Synthase in the Proximal Tubule Promotes Salt-Sensitive Hypertension
Faculty Mentor: Michal L. Schwartzman, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology
Second Place
Sanjukta Chakraborty
Identification of Potential Immunotherapeutic Targets in Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer and Their Implications in Combination Therapy
Faculty Mentor: Raj. K. Tiwari, Ph.D., professor and interim chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Third Place
Chiso Nwokafor
Selective Y1 Receptor Agonist in a Preclinical Model of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Esther L. Sabban, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry and molecular biology
Senior Poster Presentations:
First Place
Elizabeth Berry and Nancy Molina
Possible Regulation of Cataplexy in Narcoleptic Mice by Prefrontal Cortical Input to the Dorsal Raphe
Faculty Advisors: Masaru Ishibashi, Ph.D., and Christopher S. Leonard, Ph.D., professor of physiology and interim chairman of the Department of Physiology
Second Place
Alexander Moghadam
Pairing of Neonatal Phencyclidine and Adolescent Stress as a Model of Schizophrenia
Faculty Advisor: Patric K. Stanton, Ph.D., professor of cell biology and anatomy
Third Place
Hannah Mulhall
Akkermansia Muciniphila as a Potential Probiotic Modulator for Porphyromonas Gingivalis-induced Inflammation
Faculty Advisor: Salomon Amar, D.D.S., Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunology and pharmacology
Oral presentations:
First Place
Chandana Peddu
Phosphorylation of Pol Eta Faciltates its Recruitment in Translesion Synthesis
Faculty Advisors: Marietta Lee, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, and Zhongtao Zhang, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology
Second Place
Corey Gaylets
Elucidation of the Role for FIKK Kinase in Toxoplasma Gondii Replication and Cyst Wall Formation
Dana G. Mordue, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology
Third Place
Elizabeth Newman
Development and Characterization of a Broadly Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibody Targeting Influenza Hemagglutinin
Doris J. Bucher, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology
