Graduate Student Research Forum Showcases Impressive Scientific Work

Students in the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences shared their research projects with the College community at the 29^th Annual Graduate Student Research Forum held on March 22. Sponsored by the Graduate Student Association (GSA), the event showcased student research in progress in the form of 20 poster and ten oral presentations. A highlight of the day was the keynote address by Lasker award winning virologist Charles M. Rice, Ph.D., far left, who presented “Hepatitis C: From Discovery to Cure.”  Dr. Rice is the Maurice R. and Corinne P. Greenberg Professor in Virology and Scientific and Executive Director at the Center for the Study of Hepatitis C at Rockefeller University. He was awarded the 2016 Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award for his work on the development of a system to study the replication of the virus that causes hepatitis C and using it to revolutionize the treatment of the chronic disease.

Susan C. Olson, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, was presented with the 2017 Honored Faulty Award. She was chosen by students for the award for her ability to connect with students and clearly convey copious and complex material. “Her teaching style conveys her passion not only for the science, but for the benefit it will be to her students to have a firm grasp of the topic,” wrote the students.

The GSRF winners were joined by Francis L. Belloni, Ph.D., second from right, dean of the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Amal Rahmeh, Ph.D. ’06, far right, instructor in microbiology and immunobiology and assistant director of the Center of Excellence for Translational Research (virology) at Harvard Medical School, who served as the forum’s moderator.

29^th Annual Graduate Student Research Forum Winners

Oral Presentations

First Place
Ragavan Varadharajan Suresh (4)
Nlrp3 increases susceptibility to infection caused by francisella tularensis
Faculty Sponsor: Chandra Shekhar Bakshi, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology

Second Place
Elizabeth Newman (6)
Development of neuraminidase monoclonal antibodies for the rapid
Production of high yield reassortant influenza viruses via hybridoma screening
Faculty Sponsor: Doris Bucher, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology

Third Place
Gregory Joseph (8)
20-hete-mediated neutrophil adhesion impairs coronary collateral growth in metabolic syndrome
Faculty Sponsor: Petra Rocic, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology

Senior Poster Presentations

First Place
Timmy J. O’Connell (1)
Androgen receptor stimulation decreases pd-l1 expression in an androgen-responsive thyroid cancer model
Faculty Sponsor: Jan Geliebter, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunology and otolaryngology

Second Place (tie)
Hannah Mulhall (2)
Dysregulation of the inflammatory response to p. gingivalis in bone marrow macrophages isolated from obese vs lean mice: pharmacotherapeutic considerations
Faculty Sponsor: Solomon Amar, D.D.S., Ph.D., professor of pharmacology and microbiology and immunology

Anvita Gupta (9)
Continuous androgen receptor stimulation in thyroid cancer cells induces irreversible senescence
Faculty Sponsor: Jan Geliebter, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunology and otolaryngology

Third Place
Harshada Ketkar (3)
Differential roles of ubiquitin regulatory-x domain containing protein (ubxns) in regulation of rna virus-induced immune response
Faculty Sponsor: Penghua Wang Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology and immunology

Novice Poster Presentations

First Place
Christina Darco (5)
Development of an antigen capture assay for babesia microti in transfusion blood
Faculty Sponsor: Paul Arnaboldi, Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology and immunology

Second Place
Sanjukta Chakraborty (7)
Comprehensive screening of potential immunomodulatory targets in anaplastic thyroid cancer
Faculty Sponsor: Raj K Tiwari, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunology

Third Place
Elizabeth A. Berry (10)
A role of inflammation in 20-hete regulation of ischemia-induced angiogenesis
Faculty Sponsor: Austin Guo, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacology