Alumni Profiles

Odaine Gordon (Class of 2008)

MBRS RISE dates of Support

May 2006 – May 2008

Degrees Earned:

• BS Chemistry, Barry University, 2008

On-campus research:

The Effects of Beta Amyloid on Caspase -3 Production in Septal Glia from Embryonic Rats.

Off-campus summer internships:

2007, University of Wisconsin, Madison: Developmental Signaling Pathways in Neural and Brain-tumor Derived Stem-like Cells

Presentations at scientific meetings:

21st National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), San Rafael, CA, April 12-14, 2007; Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), Austin, TX, November 7-10, 2007.

Awards Received:

Graduate Fellowship. 2007, Goizueta minority Science scholarship. 2006, Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement Awardee. 2005, Dean's List. 2004, Dean's List.

Current Status:

PhD Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, TN

Ileana Pazos (Class of 2007)

MBRS RISE dates of Support

August 2004 – December 2005.

MARC dates of support:

January 2006- December 2007.

Degrees Earned:

• BS Chemistry & Mathematical Sciences, Barry University, 2007
• MS Chemistry, University of Chicago, IL, 2009

On-campus research:

Computer simulations of the kinetics of autocatalytic aggregation of 1,1'-diethyl-3,3'bis(sylfopropyl)-5,5'6,6'-tetrachlorobenzimiadcarbocyanine in water.

Off-campus summer internships:

2007, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: A Novel Interdigitated Lipid Bilayer Packing Motif: High Pressure Vibrational Infrared Spectroscopic Characterizations; 2006, Bayer Material Science: Synthesis and characterization of high functionality acrylate polyurethane resins for radiation cure; 2005, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University: Characterization of self-assembled mecaptan monolayers on a gold substrate for interfacial patterning; 2004, National Institute of Standards and Technology: Ternary phase diagram of the system Bi2O3-Fe2O3-Nb2O5.

Presentations at scientific meetings:

229th ACS National Meeting, San Diego, CA, March, 2004 ; Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), Atlanta, GA, November, 2005; 232nd ACS National Meeting & Exposition, San Francisco, CA, September, 2006; 233rd ACS National Meeting, Chicago, IL, March, 2007.

Refereed Publications:

• I. Struganova, A.S. Wallner, I. Pazos. Two-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy of 1,1′-diethyl-2,2′-cyanine iodide in water and methanol. Journal of Molecular Structure, 2008, 875 (1-3): 447-455 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.molstruc.2007.05.016
• Lufaso, M.W., Vanderah, T.A., Pazos, I.M., Levin, I., Roth, R.S., Nino, J.C., Provenzano, V., Schenck, P.K. Phase formation, crystal chemistry, and properties in the system Bi2O3- Fe2O3- Nb2O5. Journal of Solid State Chemistry, 2006, 179 (12): 3900-3910.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jssc.2006.08.036

Awards Received:

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. 2009 Graduate Assistantship. 2006, Goizueta Foundation Scholarship. 2006, Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC U*STAR) Award. 2006, Physical Science Honor Scholarship. 2005, Outstanding Physics with Calculus Awardee. 2004, Outstanding General Chemistry Awardee. 2004, Minority Biomedical Research Support RISE Awardee. 2004, Society of Toxicology Travel Award to attend 44th Annual Meeting. 2004, President's List. 2003,2004,2005,2006, Dean's List

Current Status:

PhD Physical Chemistry University of Pennsylvania, PA

Poincyanne Assis (Class of 2006)

MBRS RISE dates of Support

May 2003 – May 2004.

MARC dates of support:

June 2004- May 2006.

Degrees Earned:

• BS Biology, Barry University, 2006; MS Neuroscience, University of Miami, FL, 2010

On-campus research:

Reversal of β-amyloid toxicity on embryonic rat astrocytes and septal neurons by growth factors and estrogen.

Off-campus summer internships:

2005, University of Michigan, MI: Characterization of Olig2-regulated genes in the spinal cord; 2003, University of Florida, Whitney Laboratory, FL: Molecular expression and electrochemical analysis of primary Phenylalanine-tyrosine transporter from Anopheles gambiae larvae.

Presentations at scientific meetings:

• American Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), San Diego, CA, October 15-18, 2003; Florida Academy of Sciences (FAS) 68th Annual Meeting, Tampa, FL, March 11-13, 2004;
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, February 17-20, 2005; 19 th National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), Lexington, Virginia, April 21-23, 2005.

Refereed Publications:

• Jarvis, K.M., Assis-Nascimento, P., Montague, J.R., and Mudd, L.M. Reversal of beta-amyloid toxicity in embryonic rat septal neurons (submitted to Brain Res. Bull.).
• P.Assis-Nascimento, K.M. Jarvis, J. R. Montague, and L.M. Mudd. β-amyloid toxicity in embryonic rat astrocytes. Submitted to Glia, December 16, 2005.

Awards Received:

2004, USAA National Collegiate Medical Professions Award (NCMPA). 2003, Outstanding Sophomore Award in The Physiological Sciences for 2003 ABRCMS poster presentation. 2003, Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement Awardee. 2002, USAA National Collegiate Natural Sciences Award (NCNSA).

Current Status:

PhD Neuroscience, University of Miami, FL

Salihah Dick (Class of 2005)

MBRS RISE dates of Support

May 2002 – May 2003.

MARC dates of support:

June 2003 - May, 2005

Degrees Earned:

• BS Biology, Barry University, 2005

On-campus research:

Investigation of IKBL interacting proteins using bacterial two hybrid system.

Off-campus summer internships:

2004, National Institute of Aging, MD: New insights from transcriptome and qRT-PCR analyses implicate altered cysteine metabolism in hypertension, heart failure and aging; 2003, John Hopkins University, MD: Effect of VEGF and PlGF on wound healing, angiogenesis and barrier function in endothelial cells in vitro; 2002, Cornell University, NY: Do bugs have soluble adenylyl cyclase?.

Presentations at scientific meetings:

• American Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), New Orleans, LA , November 13-16, 2002; Experimental Biology, San Diego, CA , April 11-15, 2003; Sigma Xi Student Research Conference, Los Angeles, CA, Nov 13-16, 2003.

Refereed Publications:

• Volkova M., Garg R., Dick S., Boheler K. R. 2005. Aging associated changes in cardiac gene expression. Cardiovascular Research 66: p194-204.

Awards Received:

2005, Dean's Awards for Most Outstanding Graduating Senior; 2003, Barry University Outstanding General Chemistry Student, 2002, Barry University Honors Scholarship; 2001, Outstanding TriBeta student.

Current Status:

MD/PhD, Cornell University; Medical Science Training Program (MSTP) seven-year award.