Experimental Biology is the annual meeting of six societies comprised of more than 14,000 scientists and 50 guest societies.
The annual, national Experimental Biology conference brings together multiple disciplinary science conferences. Biochemistry faculty members Victoria Del Gaizo Moore (associate professor, chemistry) and Tonya Laakko Train (associate professor, biology) and five senior research students presented at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology meeting. Beth Evans (assistant professor, physical therapy education) presented at the American Physiology Society meeting and Sue Chinworth (associate professor, physical therapy education) was also in attendance.
Moore’s research students Kyle Lynch ’17, a biochemistry major, presented on his honors thesis research about sepsis-associated acute kidney injury, and Stefanie Miller ’17, also a biochemistry major, presented about her honors thesis research on heart disease arising from Type 2 diabetes. Both were part of the undergraduate poster competition, where Miller won an honorable mention, as well as the main scientific sessions. Moore, an Education Fellow and member of the Accreditation Steering Committee for the Biochemistry society, gave a talk about the national undergraduate biochemistry exam she helped develop. Moore also walked in the “March for Science”; Chicago was one of the 600 cities around the world that participated on April 22.
Train’s students Jessica Graham ’17, a biochemistry major, presented her Lumen Prize research about nestin expression in neuroblastoma, and Kate Levenberg ’17, a public health studies major, presented her Lumen Prize research about cytokine production by insulin-resistant adipocytes at the scientific sessions. Carly Weddle ’17, an honors student and Lumen Prize recipient working with Karl Sienerth, a professor of chemistry, presented a poster about chemical markers for early diagnosis of melanoma at the scientific sessions.
Evans presented a poster about the effects of aerobic exercise on select markers of cognitive function in breast cancer survivors, which is a collaborative project in conjunction with Theresa Ramos (assistant professor, Department of Physician Assistant Studies), Amy Overman (associate professor, Department of Psychology), Eric Hall (professor, Department of Exercise Science), Titch Madzima (assistant professor, Department of Exercise Science), Steve Bailey (professor, Department of Physical Therapy Education) and Amanda Neuhauser, Rebecca Breve, and Laura Martin (second-year DPT students).