The University of Wyoming IDeA Networks for Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program has awarded eight undergraduate research fellowships to allow students to gain experience in working laboratories under the direction of knowledgeable faculty members.
The program provides students with a meaningful research experience that will encourage them to pursue the baccalaureate and/or graduate training in a biomedical-related program. Students receive a stipend for their work.
Fellowship recipients are responsible for conducting independent research projects, writing a research paper in which they describe the project and its results, participating in INBRE-sponsored summer workshops and seminars, and presenting their work at Wyoming Undergraduate Research Day in 2012.
Undergraduate recipients, along with their projects and faculty mentors, are:
Casper -- Elise Sylar, studying the effects of hyperosmolarity on the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus with mentor Bill Flynn.
Centennial, Colo. -- Cayleigh Brown, studying the role of the neurokinin 3 receptor in hypertension in salt sensitive rats with mentor Bill Flynn.
Cheyenne -- Matthew Richards, studying cyanine dye and the DNA chiroptical recognition and selective DNA photocleavage with mentor Milan Balaz; Dana Schultz, working on automated wheelchair infrared encoder wheel odometer with mentor Cameron Wright.
Gillette -- Mariah Gengozian, evaluating the conformational flexibility of beta-adrenergic receptors with mentor Jessica Liberles; Chelsea Hoekstra, researching the origin of NKB neurons and the regulation of vasopressin with mentor Bill Flynn.
Laramie -- Joshua McConnell, working on DNA biosensing using morpholino-conjugated gold and magnetic nanoparticles with mentor Patrick Johnson.
Riverton -- Olivia Wolpert, working on elucidating the function of the novel protein PHA-1 in C. elegans pharynx development with mentor David Fay.
The INBRE grant, now in its eighth year, is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Center for Research Resources (NCRR).
