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
Pictured from left: Brian Booton, Benjamin Jones, Clayton Ivie, Dominique Joseph and Alisha Perry.”
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
about IMSD by visiting Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC).
This story originally appeared in Division of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity News on December 2, 2019.
