SANS students involved in the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program virtually attended and presented their research November 10-13 at the 2021 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. Three of the eight UMES students highlighting their work through an ePoster won an award for their effort. Kudos to Teemer Barry, chemistry (Dr. Victoria Volkis); Fabiola Beauvior, physiology and pharmacology (Dr. Tracy Bell); and Destiny Parker, developmental biology and genetics (Dr. Sadanand Dhekney). They were among 401 award recipients.
Barry’s research poster titled, “Probing Specialty Crops and Medicinal Herb Extracts for Potential Antifouling Agents,” focused on using natural sources, such as super-fruits and medicinal herbs as the basis of an alternative biocide.
Beauvior’s poster titled, “Sodium Hydrogen Exchanger Isoform 3 Gene Expression in the Kidney of a Type II Diabetic Zebrafish Model” focused on understanding the mechanisms that link increased sodium reabsorption in the kidney to the development of high blood pressure in diabetic patients.
Parker’s poster titled, “Influence of Growth Regulator Concentrations on In Vitro Rooting and Plant Regeneration in Vitis (Grape),” focused on identification of efficient rooting treatments that enable rapid regeneration of in vitro shoots and improved precision breeding.
UMES SANS was also represented by Bokary Sylla, Ezra Cable and Amal Suleiman Adamu, all mentored by Volkis, along with Brittney Whitt, mentored by Dr. Behnam Khatabi. Iyinyeoluwa “Ruth” Okulate, mentored by Bell, participated in the 3-Minute Lighting Talk in addition to an ePoster.
“All of our student presenters did a phenomenal job and gained both valuable experience and interdisciplinary connections,” said Dr. Tracy Bell, an associate professor of biology and the LSAMP program coordinator at UMES. “We had hoped to return to an in-person event, but alas, it was not possible again this year due to the pandemic.”
Student research would not be possible without the research faculty and program directors who play an essential role in mentoring students, Bell said. “A heartfelt thank you to all of our research mentors at UMES for the invaluable knowledge and experience you impart on our students and for supporting the UMES LSAMP program. It could not be done without you!”
ABRCMS is “one of the largest communities of underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.” Last year attracted nearly 4,000 participants. Undergraduate and graduate students attend the conference, Bell said, to present research done under a faculty mentor, enhance their professional development skills, explore graduate schools and network.
This year’s conference featured keynote speakers Lizzie Velasquez, a global motivational speaker, anti-bullying activist and author; Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr., a New York Times bestselling author and chair of Princeton’s Department of African American Studies; Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, the Waldemer von Zedtwitz Professor of Immunobiology Investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute; and Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health. Scientific flash talks by faculty members from universities across the country covered topics such as “How Can Personality Science Help Us Understand Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic,” “Race vs. Ancestry in Cancer Research,” and “Cell Signaling Molecules in Human Disease.” Live chat rooms allowed for discussions on topics geared to targeted audiences. Attendees also took advantage of professional development sessions and featured exhibitors.
“Virtual conferences offer the advantages of being able to enjoy the sessions from a more relaxed environment and feel less stressed trying to locate rooms for each session of interest,” Bell said. “However, we are looking forward to an in-person conference next year.”
Teemer Barry
Fabiola Beauvior
Destiny Parker
Gail Stephens, agricultural communications, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, gcstephens@umes.edu, 410-621-3850.
Photos by Todd Dudek, agricultural communications, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, tdudek@umes.edu
