Biology Currents 2016 Professionals on Campus Program
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BIOLOGYCURRENTS 2016 | THE QUEENS COLLEGE BIOLOGY ALUMNI NEWSLETTER | VOLUME 19, NO. 1 Student Highlights We are pleased to report some of what the Biology Department’s amazing students have been doing and the honors earned. ELLIOT AGUILAR (Lahti mentor) successfully defended his doctoral thesis “Models and Methods in Cultural and Social Evolution,” and was awarded the PhD from the Doctoral From left to right: Vincent Cali; Anna McPherran shown doing fieldwork on mongooses and wearing a Program in Biology–Subprogram in Eco- tee shirt advertising her long-standing position at the New York Hall of Science; and Aaron Owen. logy, Evolution, and Behavior of CUNY. Zoonotic, Influenza and Vector-Borne ANNA McPHERRAN, a Queens College MARKO BALOH (Dennehy lab) was accepted Disease Unit of the Bureau of Com- undergraduate scholar in the William E. into the Biology Doctoral Program at Texas municable Disease at the New York City Macaulay Honors College and researcher A&M University. Marko joined Dr. Joseph Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. in the Lahti lab, had an exceptional senior Sorg’s lab and is researching Clostridium year. She defended her honors thesis, difficile physiology and virulence with the NATASZA FONTAINE, a master’s student in “Possible effects of anthropogenic noise end goal of developing novel antimicrobials the Lahti lab, had a photograph used for and land use on house finch songs in to combat this pathogen. the September cover of Saving Land, a publication of the Land Trust Alliance. California.” She received the Biology VINCENT CALI (Dennehy lab) presented his Department’s Muriel and Philip Feigelson research, “Effects of mutations in transla- FRANNY GELLER (Lahti mentor) pre- Award that recognizes “outstanding tional regulation of bacteriophage lambda S sented at the CUNY Evolution, Ecology, achievement in research.” Anna was a gene on bacterial lysis time,” at the Annual Behavior symposium at the Graduate recipient of the Queens College Kenneth Biomedical Research Conference for Center on “Cultural evolution and function Kupferberg Memorial Scholarship, which Minority Students (ABRCMS) meeting in in the house finch.” is awarded to high-achieving students in Tampa, FL. SANDY (HARSANGEET) GILL, an undergradu- the Division of Mathematics and Natural Doctoral student JAMES CLARK (Savage-Dunn ate in the Lahti lab, was awarded Queens Sciences. She graduated with high honors mentor) was chosen for an oral presenta- College’s Kenneth Kupferberg Memorial in Biology and is a member of the Phi Beta tion at the Northeast Regional Society for Scholarship for students majoring in the Kappa Society. As if that were not enough, Developmental Biology meeting at Marine natural sciences with an outstanding aca- Anna received the Top of the Ladder Biology Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. demic record. Award from the New York Hall of Science, where she had volunteered since 2013 as GIULIETTA COPPOLA AMANDA ARYEH GOLD (Meléndez lab) presented and a Design Lab Experience Coordinator, GOLDSTEIN, undergraduates in the Lahti his research at the annual Undergraduate Thesis in Neuroscience presentations. His Program Explainer, and Explainer Intern. lab, presented at the CUNY Service Corps What an incredible young woman! Poster Session describing their work at thesis was entitled, “Crosstalk between the Queens Zoo, “Wildlife Conservation endocytosis and autophagy: ATG-9 local- AARON OWEN (Lahti mentor) gave invited Society City Zoos: Queens Zoo.” izes to late endosomes.” talks at both Yale University and Fordham University, speaking on his doctoral thesis DAYSE DA CUNHA (co-mentored by Alicia JONATHAN GOODMAN (Lahti lab) published two pieces in Aeon: “If culture is too research, “Rapid evolution by sexual Meléndez and Hannes Buelow of Albert selection following introduction in the Einstein Medical School) presented her doc- expensive for most, everyone pays a price” small Indian mongoose.” toral thesis research, “Distinct heparan sul- and “How statistics are twisted to obscure fate modification patterns control germline public understanding.” NICHOLAS PALMISANO (Meléndez lab) stem cell proliferation,” at the Universidade UDAY MADAAN (Savage-Dunn mentor) spoke on his doctoral thesis research, “The Federal de São Paolo, São Paolo, Brazil. was awarded a CUNY Graduate Center small GTPase, RAB-10, is required for autophagy in C. elegans” at the New York LAUREN ESPOSITO Dissertation Year Fellowship. (Dennehy lab) received Graduate Student Symposium on Cell and a master of arts degree in Biology from CHARLES MANIEGO (Lahti lab) presented Cancer Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering QC and is now in the master of public his undergraduate honors research at Cancer Center. He also spoke at the CUNY health program at Mount Sinai College of the Sigma Xi Research Day at Queens Worm Talks held at Brooklyn College on Medicine. She is also employed as a Health College: “Cultural variation in house finch “RAB-10 acts in autophagy flux” and at Research Training Program Intern for the (Haemorhous mexicanus) song.” continued on page 2 Letter from the Editor the CUNY-wide C. elegans Meeting at Biology Currents 2016 Professionals on Campus program. City College on “The GTPase, RAB-10, is published! Putting Dr. Salick is a nationally and internation- regulates the dynamics of autophagy.” together this issue was ally recognized pioneer in the develop- ELSA ROSARIO (Dennehy lab) presented especially enjoyable ment of outpatient healthcare centers for her research, “Determining function of because so many of the treatment and maintenance of chronic two unidentified ORFs in bacteriophage the articles highlight diseases. His presentation attracted col- φ6,” at the Annual Biomedical Research alumni both old and legewide attendance. Our article expands Conference for Minority Students newly minted. If you on Dr. Salick’s career, describing how he are receiving Biology transitioned from a physician specializing (ABRCMS) meeting in Tampa, FL. Corinne A. Michels Currents for the first in kidney disease to the CEO of Salick NATALIE ROSARIO and MATEUSZ Health Care to an outspoken advocate for WYSOCKI—both undergraduates work- time, we welcome you to the Biology ing in the Meléndez lab—presented a Department’s alumni newsletter. To con- innovative programs in healthcare delivery. poster at the Mount Sinai Undergraduate tinue to receive Biology Currents in the To accomplish this, he brought together the Symposium on “The role of RAB-10 and years to come, please keep your informa- members of the medical community, the RME-1 in C. elegans autophagy.” tion up to date with the Alumni Office. business community, and academia. Biology Currents applauds the accom- Undergraduate MIN KYUNG SHIN (Savage- We also draw your attention to the plishments of the Biology Department Dunn lab) was awarded a Kenneth Kup- ALUMNI UPDATE section, which includes community: students, faculty, and alumni. ferberg Memorial Scholarship to fund her write-ups on five alums going back to the This is particularly true in this issue. summer research. class of 1961! It was a pleasure to receive The STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS section their emailed messages and to engage MELISSA SILVESTRINI (Meléndez lab) singles out a few of the department’s cur- in back-and-forth conversations that spoke on her doctoral thesis research, rent students whose achievements are expanded on their comments and obtained “Autophagy deficiency triggers cytosolic impressive. Additional examples of their photos. I hope you enjoy reading these lipolysis via adipose triglyceride lipase-1 work can be found in the FACULTY updates and give serious consideration to in a PKA-dependent manner,” at the SCHOLARSHIP section that indicates sending us your story. CUNY-wide C. elegans meeting held at which authors were Biology Department Anyone inspired to contribute to the City College. students. It is not unusual to see under- department’s Alumni Fund is encouraged CARMEN URGILES (Dennehy lab) present- graduates listed as authors of a research to do so at any time during the year, ed her research, “Does cell growth rate article in a peer-reviewed journal. Even not just during the college’s fall fund- affect event timing in Escherichia coli?” more often, students present their research raising drive. at the Annual Biomedical Research at scientific conferences’ poster sessions Conference for Minority Students (see FACULTY NOTES section). A num- Here’s how: (ABRCMS) meeting in Tampa, FL. ber of these venues are for undergraduate BY MAIL: Make your check payable to NINA UZOIGWE, a high school student researchers, especially minority students, Queens College Foundation and write working in Dr. Meléndez’s lab in col- and our students are consistently active “Biology Department” in the memo line. laboration with her doctoral students, participants. Faculty grants and alumni Send to: Queens College Foundation, presented a poster at Stuyvesant High funds support undergraduate travel to Kiely Hall 906, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, School’s 1st Annual Research Night on conference venues. Queens, NY 11367-1597. “Endocytosis aids lipophagy, paving the Dr. Bernard Salick ’60 spoke on ONLINE: Use the link (https://qccommunity. way for therapeutic interventions against “Entrepreneurial innovations in health- qc.cuny.edu/QueensCollege/DonateNow). human metabolic disorders and cardio- care services” as part of the college’s In the section labeled “Donation vascular diseases.” Information,” use the pull-down menu under the title “Designation” and select “Other.” A new line will open in which you can enter “Biology Department.” The link is a fast and secure method of donating. Either way, you will receive a letter from the foundation acknowledging your donation, which is tax deductible. Thank you for your support. D U Regards, Nicholas Palmisano at his Dr. Savage-Dunn and students James Clark, Gehan Ranepura, D M Dr. Corinne A. Michels ’63 microscope. Uday Madaan, and Michael Meade enjoying some time off. Distinguished Professor Emerita 2 DR. BERNARD SALICK CLASS OF 1960 DR. BERNARD SALICK SPEAKS ON “ENTREPRENEURIAL INNOVATIONS IN HEALTHCARE SERVICES” In Sept- his personal funds in a chain of kidney academic nonprofit hospitals, using their ember the dialysis centers.