The Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) is one of the largest communities of underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Students attend this conference to present their research, enhance professional development skills, explore graduate schools, and network.

This year's conference took place November 10-13, 2021. There wer 3,980 registrants, of which 2,045 were community college, undergraduate, and postbaccalaureate students. There were 1,340 e-poster presentations, primarily by undergraduates from across the country. A panel of judges evaluated all the undergraduate poster presentations and selected the best in various scientific disciplines to award 400 students across all disciplines.

From CSULB, we had 25 students present their research findings from work on campus or from their off-campus summer internships. Six of the 12 CSULB students who earned awards are from the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Jordan Cook – Senior Biochemistry major and Fellow in the NIH Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) program – for work titled "Energetically Unfavorable Protein Angles: Exploration of a Conserved Dihedral in Triosephosphate Isomerase" in the lab of Dr. Jason Schwans in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, CNSM.

Cancer Biology

Nishi Rauth – Senior Biochemistry major and Fellow in the NIH Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) program – for work titled "Modulation of the Unfolded Protein Response - A Potential Mechanism Underlying the Chemo-preventive Action of Aspirin" in the lab of Dr. Deepali Bhandari in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, CNSM.

Computational and Systems Biology

Mariana Leyva – Senior Biology major and Scholar in the NIH T34 Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) program– for work titled "The Impact of Increasing Global Temperature on Parasite-host Interactions of the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)" from their summer research experience with Dr. David Karowe (Western Michigan University) and Dr. Jason Price (St. Mary's College of Maryland). At CSULB, Mariana does research with her mentor, Dr. Ted Stankowich, in the Department of Biological Sciences, CNSM.

Microbiology

Alexis Guardiola - Senior Microbiology major and Fellow in the NIH Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) program – for work titled "Effects of Plant Restoration on Bacterial Communities in a Sediment-Amended Southern California Salt Marsh" in the lab of Dr. Jesse Dillon in a collaborative project with Dr. Christine Whitcraft, Department of Biological Sciences, CNSM.

Johann Tailor - Senior Microbiology major and Fellow in the NIH Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) program – for work titled "Utilizing CRISPR/Cas9 to determine the role of clathrin in enhancing HIV-1 Nef-mediated infectivity" in the lab of Dr. Peter Ramirez in the Department of Biological Sciences, CNSM.

Neuroscience

Ryan Weber - Senior Biology major with Molecular Cell Biology and Physiology Option and NIH Fellow in the Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) program – for work titled "Sex Differences in Apoptosis-related Gene Expression in the Developing Mouse Cortex and Hippocampus" in the lab of Dr. Houng-Wei Tsai in the Department of Biological Sciences, CNSM.

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Congratulations!

Congratulations to the students, faculty mentors, training program directors, collaborators, Chairs, Deans, and all administrators whose institutional support has led to this amazing student achievement.

Go Beach!