STEM Leaders at MEC

More than 4,500 students participated in the annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in Indianapolis, IN, and a MEC student won an award for her research presentation.

During the four-day conference, the students participated in poster and oral presentations in 12 STEM disciplines. All student presentations were judged, and those receiving the highest scores in each scientific discipline were given an award during the closing banquet.

MEC student Claythia Nichols, and her coauthors from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, won in the category of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology for their presentation, “Phosphorylation of alpha-Actinin-4 (ACTN4) May Play an Important Role in Regulating Focal Adhesion of Podocytes.” Nicholas is a Biology student who is a part of the NIH-NIGMS-RISE program at MEC. Dr. Mohsin Patwary is the Principal Investigator (PI) and director of the program, and Dr. Alam Kamal is the co-PI. Nicholas conducted her research while participating in the 2018 Harvard Summer Research Program at Harvard University. Nichols was one of 14 Medgar Evers College RISE students who attended the ABRCMS Conference. RISE Program staff members Dr. Mohsin Patwary, Dr. Alam Kamal, Dr. Amulya Mohan, and Biology department Chairperson Dr. Carolle Bolnet accompanied the RISE students.

The students representing the College at the conference were MEC students and students from Kingsborough Community College who are participants in the Medgar Evers College (MEC)/Kingsborough Community College (KBCC) Bridges to the Baccalaureate program. The MEC/KBCC program connects two-year college students with four-year college students in the Biomedical Sciences. MEC Biology Professor Edward Catapane is the MEC/KBCC program director.