Bioscience
Research at Smith
For the past five years, Smith
students have had the opportunity to present
their research in biological sciences to
the campus community in a poster session
that emulates the professional conferences
in which many of them will engage other
scientists.
 Christine
White-Ziegler, Assistant Professor of
Biological Sciences, has been a driving
force in organizing this opportunity for
younger students to observe their peers
engaged in scientific research and consider
Smith’s opportunities for summer science
research projects. This year’s symposium,
organized by David Smith and the Research
Symposium Committee, included research from
several departments (biological sciences,
biochemistry, neuroscience, environmental
science and policy, marine science, chemistry
and engineering) and research internships
at institutions such as NYU Medical Center
and Stanford.
The event has grown and now provides one
of the science elements in the April Collaborations
presentation weekend that highlights research
in many different disciplines throughout
the campus.
White-Ziegler notes that the research work
is aimed toward publication of a larger
research paper, but also teaches skills
needed for entry-level jobs in academic
or pharmaceutical laboratories.
“Radiation
Effect on Growth of GL261 Murine Glioma
Cells”
Fallon Mattis ’04 with Elizabeth
Newcomb, principal investigator at NYU
School of Medicine
 With
an ease that belies the complexity of
her work, Fallon Mattis ’04 is
explaining the impact of radiation levels
on cells present in gliomas, tumors
that arise in the brain, spinal cord,
or optic nerves of children and adults
and can be very aggressive.
Fallon’s research was conducted
while she was part of NYU’s summer undergraduate residency program; she
had already been part of a Leadership
Alliance program at the Harvard School
of Public Health...(more) |
|
“Using
In-situ Hybridization to Examine
c-fos and per1 in Free-running
and Entrained Siberian Hamsters”
Neha Bhargava ’06 with Professor
Mary Harrington
 Neha
Bhargava ’06 has always been
interested in biology, but she also
loves art. Her research experiences
have allowed her to investigate ways
she might combine her varied interests.
“I’ve decided that I don’t
want to go to medical school, but
I’m still exploring to find
a balance between science and art
that will engage my interest and talents.”
The intersection of neuroscience and
art can be seen in considerations
of consciousness, madness, the physiological
elements of fear, and depictions of
the structures and functioning of
a living brain. Neha Bhargava’s
research experience is demonstrating
areas where her desire to integrate
her knowledge can be part of an exciting
and expanding discipline.
|
| “The
Role of the Tail in Bat Flight”
Maryalice Walker ’04 with Professor
Virginia Hayssen
“I was studying zoology in South
Africa when I met some people who
were very interested in bats. I hadn’t
thought about that subject, but I
became intrigued, especially when
the question of flight dynamics and
females came up.
 “A
female bat adds 30 percent to her
body weight while pregnant, yet she
must fly and maneuver expertly to
sustain herself and her developing
young. I noticed that relatively little
attention had been devoted to the
role of the tail in various types
of bats, although the tails vary considerably.
I began to study these differences
and their effects on flight and habits.
Next, I’ll be working with pickled
bat specimens, the best way for me
to see more types and study their
tails, procedures that would destroy
a dried specimen.
"I plan to continue my research
and may go on to become a veterinarian
working with wildlife conservation
and rehabilitation, a field that will
become more critical as humans come
into more and more contact with what
were wild habitats." |
Visit
the Biological Sciences website
|
A
New Center
Picker Engineering
Biological Sciences
Student Outreach
Download PDFs:
Symposium
Brochure
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