Story by Harsha Paul
Earlier this month, 23 students who are part of the Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD) Scholars program participated in the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in Anaheim, California. Of those, 19 presented their research, which was a record-best for the acclaimed MU program.
For the ninth year in a row, at least one IMSD Scholar from MU has been selected as an Outstanding Research Presentation Award Recipient in their category. Few participating schools have been able to do so consistently each year.
Four of the MU student participants were selected by judges for recognition. The ABRCMS Conference included over 2,500 undergraduate research presentations with only 395 presentations selected for the award.
The MU award-winners for Outstanding Poster Presentation Award include:
- Benjamin Jones, junior, B.S. Biological Sciences
- Faculty mentor: Erika Boerman, Medical Pharmacology & Physiology
- Poster title: Decreased Metalloprotease Expression Contributes to Impaired Sensory Vasodilation in Mesenteric Arteries with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- ABRCMS scientific discipline category: Physiology & Pharmacology
- Dominique Joseph, junior, B.S. Biological Sciences
- MU faculty mentor: Charlotte Phillips, Biochemistry
- Poster title: Postnatal Inhibition of Myostatin and Activin-A in the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Murine (oim) Model
- ABRCMS scientific discipline category: Biochemistry
- Alisha Perry, junior, B.S. Biological Sciences
- Faculty mentor: Elizabeth Parks / Nutrition & Exercise Physiology
- Poster mitle: Hepatic Short Chain Fatty Acid Oxidation (SCFA) in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
- ABRCMS scientific discipline category: Physiology & Pharmacology
- Clayton Ivie, sophomore, B.A. Secondary Education
- Faculty mentor: Jaqueline Limberg, Nutrition & Exercise Physiology
- Poster title: Sex Differences in the Effect of Intermittent Hypoxia on Sympathetic Baroreflex Control of Blood Pressure
- ABRCMS scientific discipline category: Physiology & Pharmacology
The conference concluded with an awards banquet with a record 5,100 ABRCMS attendees, which was a record number in attendance.
Undergraduate Director of IMSD Scholars, Brian Booton, noted, “The camaraderie and scientific prowess exhibited was an omnipresent reminder of the bright hope for our future!”
List of IMSD students selected to present at the 2019 ABRCMS Conference:
- Kennedy Duncan, junior, Biological Sciences
Faculty mentor: Matthew Will, Psychological Sciences - Esiri Emeje, junior, Psychology
Faculty mentor: Matthew Will, Psychological Sciences - Ronel Ghidey, senior, Biological Sciences & Public Health
Faculty mentor: Elizabeth King, Biological Sciences - Nicole Greco, junior, Biological Sciences
Faculty mentor: Aaron Stoker, Orthopaedic Surgery - Hamza Iqbal, junior, Mathematics
Faculty mentor: Ilker Ozden, Biological Engineering - Clayton Ivie, sophomore, Secondary Education
Faculty mentor: Jacqueline Limberg, Nutrition & Exercise Physiology - Andrew Jones, junior, Biological Sciences
Faculty mentor: Elizabeth King, Biological Sciences - Benjamin Jones, junior, Biological Sciences
Faculty mentor: Erika Boerman, Medical Pharmacology & Physiology - Dominique Joseph, junior, Biological Sciences
Faculty mentor: Charlotte Phillips, Biochemistry - Paxton Kostos, senior, Biochemistry
Faculty mentor: Antje Heese, Biochemistry - Sierra Nelson, junior, Biological Sciences
Faculty mentor: David Schulz, Biological Sciences - Tyge Ortega, junior, Biological Sciences
Faculty mentor: Aaron Stoker, Orthopaedic Surgery - Gilberto Perez, senior, Biochemistry
Faculty mentor: Kamlendra Singh, Biological Sciences - Alisha Perry, junior, Biological Sciences
Faculty mentor: Elizabeth Parks, Nutrition & Exercise Physiology - Leticia Rivera, senior, Biological Sciences
Faculty mentor: Matthew Will, Psychological Sciences - Candace Rowles, senior, Nutritional Sciences & Biochemistry
Faculty mentor: Victoria Vieira-Potter, Nutrition & Exercise Physiology - Mathew Sexton, senior, Biological Sciences
Faculty mentor: Adam Schrum, Molecular Biology & Immunology - Mikella Vermaire, junior, Biological Sciences & Psychology
Faculty mentor: Jeffrey Johnson, Psychological Sciences - Christopher Zachary, senior, Chemistry
Faculty mentor: David Mendoza-Cózatl, Biological Sciences
Learn more about IMSD by visiting imsd.missouri.edu.
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