Science Students Present at Biologists’ Conference

Caldwell, N.J. Nov. 1, 2016 –Five students and an alumna from the Department of Natural and Physical Sciences participated in the 49th Annual Metropolitan Association of College and University Biologists Conference Oct. 29 at State University of New York at Old Westbury, N.Y.  The theme of the conference was “The Dance of the Genes: From Cancer to Conversation.”

Two students from a current research class—Won Moses Choi and Daniel Otuo-Acheampong—and one interested freshman-Anika Sanjana participated to learn and observe the conference atmosphere.

Students Pamela Marte and Juan Garcia and recent graduate Christina Blonski-Cupo presented the work they completed as interns at the JH Bloomberg School of Public Health Diversity Summer Internship Program.

“They all have done a wonderful job of explaining their findings to their peers,”
said Dr. Agnes Berki. associate professor of biology. “The conference featured exceptional speakers including Dr. Jill Bargonetti (professor of biological sciences at Hunter College and cancer researcher) who made the audience dance a correct p53 “DNA dance” and a mutated p53 “DNA dance”. We had much fun participating.”

Marte received a second prize award in the category of Microbiology/Immunology for her poster titled: Evaluation of Cytokines in Autoimmune Retinopathy that she completed working with Dr. Barbara Detrick, a professor of pathology at the JH University School of Medicine.