First-Year Graduate Students Present Their Initial Foray into PhmTox Research
For the eight first-year Ph.D. graduate students in Michigan State University's Pharmacology & Toxicology Department, their recent research presentation to faculty and colleagues was a critical step.
"This was their chance to say, 'This is what I did, and this what we learned,'” said Dr. Jamie Bernard, director of the Ph.D. Program. “It was an opportunity to effectively communicate science. You’re telling a story and can you explain your results.”
The students have completed their first year in the program, selected their faculty mentors, and spent months researching a topic. For some students, their current project will eventually become their comprehensive exam (and later dissertation) topic. However, for some students, the research they presented will be traded from something different, and some students will work on a combination of topics.
For PhmTox Department Chairperson Dr. Anne Dorrance, the presentations are always a highlight.
“The first-year talks are one of my favorite department events,” she said. “It is incredible to see how much these students have grown in the past year. I am always humbled by the amount of research they achieve in a short time while also taking classes and learning new techniques and skills.”
The students' presentations were evaluated by faculty on everything from poise, posture, and tone of voice. Their understanding and interest in the topic was also assessed, along with their use of appropriate statistical tests to analyze their data. Students were also evaluated to their ability to answer sometimes detailed and pointed questions from the audience.
Derek Bowman, a third-year DO/PhD student in MSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, felt that his presentation, which focused on computational pharmacology, was important for himself and his audience.
“I think it was helpful to many of the students and faculty because computational results can often be esoteric and downright confusing to interpret,” he said. “I tried to explain the methods and results with enough detail to understand the power of computational work, but not so much as to make their eyes glaze over.”
Ashika Goel said the experience was vital for her ongoing research.
“It has significantly deepened my knowledge in a specialized area, which will be invaluable as I continue my research,” she said. “It has also enhanced my critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Moreover, the feedback has boosted my confidence in communicating my research, which will be crucial as I progress in the program. I would be delighted if I could contribute something meaningful to this largely unexplored area.”
The student presentations:
Nana Kwame Kwabi Boateng: Impact of Tissue Transglutaminase (Tg2) on Fibrin(ogen) Crosslinking and Clot Formation. (Mentor: Dr. James Luyendyk)
Derek Bowman: Between Health and Disease: A Continuum of Gene Expression in Perivascular Adipose Tissue. (Mentor: Dr. Sudin Bhattacharya)
Ashika Goel: Deciphering the Role of Substance P in Altering Bladder Biomechanics. (Mentor: Dr. Nathan Tykocki)
Ally Lewis: Adipogenesis Regulatory Factor as a Potential Mouse Model of Human Vasculature. (Mentor: Dr. Anne Dorrance)
Kathryn Murphy: Ferroptosis in Mice Exposed to Chemical Threat Agents. (Mentor: Dr. Neera Tewari-Singh)
Caitlin Schneider: VWF-platelet Interactions Drive Hepatic Injury in Experimental Acute Liver Failure. (Mentors: Dr. James Luyendyk and Dr. Adam Lauver)
Anthony Schulte: Co-occurring RARA & C-KIT Elucidate Breast Tumor Heterogeneity. (Mentor: Dr. Eran Andrechek)
Congying Wang: High throughput Testing of Thyroid Hormone Disruption of Energy Metabolism by Chemicals. (Mentor: Dr. Brian Johnson)