Photo: Bryan Goodchild
The classic science fair format was flipped at UMass Chan Medical School on Wednesday, May 6, as Worcester public high school students took turns judging the research posters of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.
A group of nearly 50 sophomores, juniors and seniors enrolled in biotech and AP biology programs from Burncoat Senior High School, Doherty Memorial High School, University Park Campus School and Claremont Academy judged the posters of graduate students and postdocs from the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the Reverse Science Fair.
“I judged the grad and postdoc students on how they expressed and explained their research, the information they presented on the board and how well they were able to keep our interest during their presentations,” said Yasmin Ahmed, a junior at Burncoat.
“The fair was a great experience. It was interesting to see these projects and hear from graduate students and have them explain to us well enough that we can understand their research,” said Kelise Abdulmassih, a junior at Doherty who hopes to pursue a pre-med major in college.
Photo: Bryan Goodchild
The high school students received short descriptions of the research posters in preparation for their role as judges. Each graduate and postdoc student hosted three, 15-minute sessions presenting their research to the small groups of judges.
Carolyn Kraus, a PhD candidate in the lab of Erik Sontheimer, PhD, the Pillar Chair in Biomedical Research and professor of RNA therapeutics, presented research on CRISPR gene editing, with a focus on creating devices that can precisely edit human genes to treat genetic diseases more safely.
“It was a lot of fun breaking my research down to a level that almost anybody can understand and present it in a way that keeps a student’s attention,” Kraus said. “I hope we’ve been able to convey the potential of science and the value of tinkering and experimenting.”
Cole Pero, a PhD student in the lab of Nobel laureate Craig C. Mello, PhD, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, the Blais University Chair in Molecular Medicine and distinguished professor of RNA therapeutics and molecular medicine, presented his research on how cells filter DNA information into functional mRNA using small RNA systems. Cole likened the process to an argonaut protein serving as a bouncer blocking unwanted mRNA from exiting the nucleus.
Photo: Bryan Goodchild
“I’m not used to having to avoid jargon and really focusing on bridging what the student might already know to explaining a more nuanced molecular pathway,” Pero said. “I was worried my data wasn’t easy to follow so I created a clear visualization that I think was helpful.”
In addition to Kraus and Pero, graduate students and postdocs Najihah Aziz, Priya Hedge, Disha Khanna, Victoria Louis, Michela Oster, Brittany Rosener and Carolyn Senneca presented research.
The Reverse Science Fair was organized by ScienceLIVE (Learning with Interactive Virtual Education), a STEM outreach program managed by staff from the RNA Therapeutics Institute (RTI) at UMass Chan.
“We need to do everything we can to bolster the next generation of scientists to continue pursuing things that interest them. It’s a great investment of our time,” said Mary Pickering, PhD, RTI director of public engagement with science. “These students get to see some cutting-edge research and get the opportunity to interact with people who are a little closer in age to them than their teachers, which has been shown to be extremely effective for the pursuit and perseverance of students in the sciences and STEM.”
Dr. Pickering organized the event with Jennifer Li Ordonez, a PhD student in the lab of Kensuke Futai, PhD, associate professor of neurobiology; and Elizaveta Shiltseva, a PhD student in the lab of Nikolaus Grigorieff, PhD, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and professor of RNA therapeutics.
Students also met with the following members of the UMass Chan science community: Dr. Grigorieff; Lina Marcela Carmona, PhD, assistant professor of neurobiology; Brian Lewis, PhD, the George F. Booth Chair in the Basic Sciences and professor of molecular, cell & cancer biology; Stephanie Puig, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry & behavioral sciences; and Regino Mercado-Lubo, MD, senior research scientist in microbiology.
