HHMI 
 Undergraduate Research Scholars 
 Summer 2009
 
         
The following 23 students were selected to be HHMI Research Scholars for the Summer 2009.


Donald Allen, Biochemistry
Heather Hartman, Chemistry
Rachel Randell, Biology
Brian Barnette, Biology
Samuel Linton, Biochemistry
Kevin Sforza, Biochemistry
Cory Bovenzi, Biology
Brendan LoGiurato, Biochemistry Laura Sloofman, Quantitative Biology
Rebecca Brown, Biology
Brendan MacLean, Chem Engineering
Jaime Stull, Biology
Kyle Davis, Biochemistry
Nicholas Marze,  Chem Engineering Wuroh Timbo, Biology
Aleksey Dvorzhinskiy, Biology
Suranjit Mukherjee, Biology
Devan Turner, Chemistry
Michele Fascelli,  Biology Ngoc Nguyen, Biology
Sharon Weaver, Chem Engineering
Elizabeth Hanle, Chem Engineering
Kelly Pippins, Quantitative Biology


Juniors and senior HHMI Scholars who are having their first research summer research experience at the University of Delaware are expected to attend the weekly Enrichment Program.




Donny Allen
Biochemistry 2011


Research Mentor:  Tatyana Polenova, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Project Title: Structural Studies of Microtubule Assemblies: Dynein and Dynactin

Honors, Awards, and Activities: 2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar,

Presentations: 2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, 2010 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,

Fall 2011: pursuing an M.D. at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.


 

Brian Barnette
Biology 2010


Research Mentor:  Vicky Funanage, A.I. duPont Hospital for Children, Nemours Biomedical Research
Project Title:  Methylation Analysis of the G-C Rich DMPK Gene: Causation for the Severity Difference Between Adult-Onset and Congenital Myotonic Dystrophy? 

Honors, Awards, and Activities: 2008 Charles Peter White Fellow,  2008 General Honors Award, 2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar,

Presentation: 2008 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, 2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,

Fall 2010: Temple Medical School




Cory Bovenzi
Biology 2011



Research Mentor: Deni Galileo, Department of Biological Sciences

Project Title: The Role of Bcl-2 in neuronal survival and migration in developing chick midbrain

Honors, Awards, and Activities: 2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar, 2009 General Honors Award,
Presentations: 2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,
2010 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, ASBMB Undergraduate Poster Competition Experimental Biology Meetings 2011, Internship in neuroscience at Imperial College summer 2011 through the UD exchange program

Fall 2011: .Plans to enter allopathic medical school in 2012.




Rebecca Brown
Biology 2010


Research Mentor: Pamela Green, Dept of Plant and Soil Science, Delaware Biotechnology Institute

Project Title: MicroRNAs Associated with Environmental Stress

Honors, Awards, and Activities: 2008 NSF EPSCoR Summer Research Intern,Beta Beta Beta Biological Sciences Honor Society, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Department of Chemistry/Biochemistry PLTL Leader, 2008 General Honors Certificate, 2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar, 
Presentations: 2008 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,  2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, 

Fall 2010: Yale University, Doctoral program





Kyle Davis
Biochemistry 2010

Research Mentor: Neal Zondlo, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Project Title: Alpha-Helical Mimics to Inhibit HIV-1 Membrane Fusion

Honors, Awards, and Activities: Varsity Soccer Team, 2008 General Honors Award, 2008 HHMI Summer Research Scholar, 2008 District 2 All-Academic First Team Soccer, 2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar,

Presentation: 2008 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,
2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,

Fall 2010: Research on water resources in forestry in Nigeria. Fall 2011 enter PhD Program in Environmental Science, University if Virginia.



Aleksey Dvorzhinskiy
Biology 2010

Research Mentor:  Diane Herson, Bepartment of Biological Sciences

Project Title: Characterization of De-adapted DTAC Resistant Salmonella enterica

Honors, Awards, and Activities: 2008 Summer Science & Engineering Scholar,  2009 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, Richard M. Johnson, Jr. Memorial Award 2009, 2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar,

Presentation:
2008 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,
2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,

Fall 2010: Medical School, Weill Cornell Medical College



Michele Fascelli
Biology 2011



Research Mentor:  Deni Galileo, Department of Biological Sciences

Project Title:  Characterization of human neural progenitor cell differentiation in chick embryos

Honors, Awards, and Activities: Phi Sigma Pi Co-Ed National Honor Fraternity, Beta Beta Beta Biology Honor Society, Alpha Lambda Delta National First Year Honor Society, Russell Fellow for the Honors Program, 2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar, 

Presentations:
2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,


Fall 2011: Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University




Elizabeth Hanle
Chemical Engineering 2011


Research Mentor:  Anne Robinson, Department of Chemiical Engineering

Project Title: Expression and Purification of G-Protein Coupled Receptor Fragments

Honors, Awards, and Activities: 2008 UD Women of Promise, University of Delaware Synchronized Skating Team, Engineering Alumni Association Scholarship 2009, National Starch and Chemical Company Undergraduate Scholarship 2009, Alpha Lambda Delta National First Year Honor Society, 2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar,

Presentations:
2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,

 
Summer 2011: internship at Maryland at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center




Heather Hartman
Chemistry 2010
Research Mentor:  Joel Schneider, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Project Title: Inherent antibacterial activity of a ß-Hairpin Peptide Hydrogel: The effect of the lysine side chain length on activity

Honors, Awards, and Activities:
2008 UD Women of Promise, 
2008 General Honors Award, 2008 HHMI Summer Research Scholar, Quaesita Drake Scholarship 2009, 2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar,

Presentations: 2008 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, 2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,

Fall 2010: Medical School, Jefferson Medical College




Samuel Linton
Biochemistry 2010

Research Mentor:  Brian BahnsonDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Project Title:  Stabilization and Membrane Binding of Platelet Activating Factor Acetylhydrolase type-II (PAFAH-II)

Honors, Awards, and Activities: 2008 Chemistry Alumni Undergraduate Research Fellow,  2008 General Honors CertificatePBL Peer-facilitator, Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar,


Presentation: 2008 UMBC Undergraduate Research Symposium
2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,


Fall 2011: PhD program in Pharmacology at Penn State Hersey Medical School





Brendan LoGiurato
Biochemistry 2011



Research Mentor:  Neal Zondlo, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Project Title:    Using 4-fluoroprolines to investigate cis/trans isomerization in tau peptides

Honors, Awards, and Activities: Alpha Lambda Delta National First Year Honor Society, 2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar, 2009 Gereral Honors Award,  Biochemistry PBL Tutor,

Presentations:
2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, 2010 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,

Fall 2011:  Stony Brook University School of Medicine, plans to pursue an MD with Distinction in Research






Brendan MacLean
Chemical Engineering 2011



Research Mentor: Christopher RobertsDepartment of Chemical Engineering

Project Title:  Mathematical Modeling of Non-native Protein Aggregation Kinetics Accounting for the Dynamics of Monomeric Unfolding and Pre-nucleation Steps

Honors, Awards, and Activities: 2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar,


Presentations:
2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,






Nicholas Marze
Chemical Engineering 2011


Research Mentor: Maciek Antoniewicz, Department of Chemical  Engineering

Project Title: Elucidating the Role of Mitochondrial Transporters in Regulating Lipogenesis in Adipocytes

Honors, Awards, and Activities: Mr, & Mrs. James F. Kearns Scholarship in Chemical Engineering 2009,  2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar2009 General Honors Award, Caldwell's 2nd Fife and Drum Corps,

Presentations:
2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, 2010 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,

Fall 2011:   PhD program, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
, Johns Hopkins University


Suranjit Mukherjee
Biology 2011




Research Mentor:  Anja Nohe, Department of Biological Science

Project Title:
Examining the Distribution of Silver Nanoparticles in an Animal Model

Honors, Awards, and Activities: 2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar, 2009 General Honors Award,

Presentations:
2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, UMBC Undergraduate Research Symposium2010 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,

Fall 2011: Ph.D in pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College




Ngoc Nguyen
Biology 2011


Research Mentor: Mary Farach-Carson, Department of Biological Sciences

Project Title:  The Expression Hyaluronic Acid Receptor Proteins and Their Roles in Bone Metastasis

Honors, Awards, and Activities: 2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar,

Presentatiuons:
2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,

Fall 2011:
Jefferson Medical College, M.D. program
 









Kelly Pippins
Quantitative Biology 2010



Research Mentor:  John Pelesko, Department of Marthematical Sciences and Williams, Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology

Project Title: Quantifying Competition Among Native Bird Species: The House Wren and Bewick's Wren

Honors, Awards, and Activities: 2008 HHMI Summer Research Scholar, UD Ultimate Frisbee Team, Excewllence Award in Italian, 2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar,

Presentation: 2008 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, 2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,

Fall 2010:
M.S. in Sustainable Development & Conservation Biology at the University of Maryland



Rachel Randell
Biology 2010

Research Mentor:  Erica Selva, Department of Biological Sciences

Project Title:  Extracellular modulators of signaling pathways in Drosophila as a model for articular cartilage maintenance in osteoarthritis

Honors, Awards, and Activities: Phi Delta Epsilon National Medical Honors Fraternity,  Intramural Research Training Award with the National Institutes of Health, Workshop leader for Chemistry Department, Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society, Phi Kappa Phi National Honors Society, Beta Beta Beta Biological Sciences Honor Society, Student Spirit Ambassador, 2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar,


Presentations:
2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,

Fall 2010: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia






Kevin Sforza
Biochemistry 2010


Research Mentor:  Zhihao Zhuang, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Project Title:  The Innate Immune System and Expression and Characterization of RIG-I and MDA5

Honors, Awards, and Activities: Tri-Beta, General Chemistry TA, Dept. of Chemistry/Biochemistry Tutor, Tutoring For Tomorrow (TFT), Vice-President Presbyterian Campus Ministry (PCM), 2008 General Honors Award, 2008 HHMI Summer Research Scholar, PBL Peer-facilitator, 2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar,

Presentations: 2008 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,
2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,

Fall 2010:
Molecular Biologist-Scientist 1- SDIX Company




 

Laura Sloofman
Quantitative Biology 2010

Research Mentors:  Catherine Kirn-Safran, Department of Biological Sciences,
and Louis Rossi, Department of Mathematical Sciences

Project Title: Effect of gender on bone properties in a mouse model of sub-efficient protein synthesis

Honors, Awards, and Activities: 2007 Charles Peter White Scholar, First Prize Sigma Xi Oral Presentation 2008 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, Second Prize 11th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Chemical and Biological Sciences, 2008 HHMI Summer Research ScholarBeta Beta Beta Biological Sciences Honor Society, 2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar,

Presentations:
  2007 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,
Buffalo and Geneseo SUNY Undergraduate Biomathmatics Day, April 18-19, 2008, 2008 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, 2008 UMBC Undergraduate Research Symposium, Experimental Biology (EB2009) in New Orleans, 2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium

Publications: Daniel S. Oristan, Laura G. Sloofman, Xhaozhou Zhou , Liuyun Wang , Mary C. Farach-Carson , Catherine B. Kirn-Safran  (2008) Ribosomal protein L29/HIP deficiency delays osteogenesis and increases fragility of adult bone in mice. J Orthop Res. Published on-line.

Laura G. Sloofman , Verdelis K, Spevak L, Zayzafoon M, Yamauchi M, Opdenaker LM, Farach-Carson MC, Boskey AL, Kirn-Safran CB. (2010) Effect of HIP/ribosomal protein L29 deficiency on mineral properties of murine bones and teeth. Bone 47: 93-101.

Fall 2010: PhD Program, University of Illinois Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, Urbana-Champaign






Jaime Stull
Biological Sciences 2010


Research Mentor:  Melinda Duncan, Department of Biological Sciences

Project Title:  The Role of UPR in Connexin 50 Mutants

Honors, Awards, and Activities: Member National Honor Society, Cancer Research Training Award at NCI-Frederick (2006-2008),  TriBeta Biology Honor Society, Making Doctors premedical Club, Intramural field hockey, Volunteer at A. I. DuPont Children's Hospital, 2008 HHMI Summer Research Scholar, Fight for Sight Grant,  2009 HHMI Summer Research Scholar,

Presentation: 2008 Undergraduate Research Symposium,
2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium
Fall 2010: Peace Corps




Wuroh Timbo
Biology 2011

Research Mentor: David Edwards, Department of Health, Nutrition, and Excercise Sciences

Project Title: Oxidative Stress and Microvascular Function in Chronic Kidney Disease

Honors, Awards, and Activities: HHMI 2009 Summer Scholar, 2009 Ronald E. McNair Scholar of Promise,  NUCLEUS, Secretary of  Making Doctors2009 General Honors Award, African American Student of Distinction, Alpha Phi Alpha's Distinguished Collegian award, Membership Vice President of Making Doctors,

Presentations:
2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, 2009 UMBC Undergraduate Symposium, 2009 ABRCMS in Phoenix, 2010 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,

Fall 2011: MD program, University of Maryland School of Medicine





Devan Turner
Chemistry 2011


Research Mentor: Isiah Warner, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Louisiana State University

Project Title:

Honors, Awards, and Activities:  African-American Student of Distinction, HHMI 2009 Summer Scholar, Alpha Lambda Delta National First Year Honor Society, Ronald E. McNair Scholar, HHMI EXROP Scholar 2010, NUCLEUS, Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) Phoenix,

Presentations:
2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, 2009 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students meeting Arizona, 2009 National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers Meeting-Boston MA., UMBC Undergraduate Research Symposium

Fall 2011: PhD program in Chemistry, University of Pennsylvannia




Sharon Weaver
Chemical Engineering 2011


Research Mentor:  Prasad DhurjatiDepartment of Chemical Engineering

Project Title:  Mathematical Simulation of Drug Toxicity in the Human Body

Honors, Awards, and Activities: HHMI 2009 Summer Scholar,

Presentations: 2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium,
Fall 2011: Working as a Simulation Engineer at Telvent Worldwide


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Created 28 April 2009, Last up-dated 11 June 2011 by Hal White [halwhite at udel.edu]