31st Annual Student Research Week

Students from each TTUHSC school come together for a week of research insights

• By Jordan Pape
• April 9, 2019

As a school that studies the causes and cures for diseases, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences works to inspire research and demonstrate what Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) is doing for the future of medicine. Student Research Week is an integral part of these efforts with week-long activities with prestigious keynote speakers, student presentations and more. 

“With 261 abstracts, and representation from every school and nearly every campus, this was our biggest Student Research week to date.” Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Dean, Brandt L. Schneider, Ph.D., stated. “It was an outstanding, week-long display of excellent scientific presentations by our students. I was extremely impressed by their accomplishments, enthusiasm and creativity.” 

For Jessica Smith, Ph.D. candidate and one of the winners during Student Research Week, the event is an opportunity “to know more about how the world works.” Smith studies aging and the role of a cell size in the aging process.

“I'm always asking "why?" Smith said. “The little world of cells is still so unexplored, and we still don't know so much about how pathways interact and cells communicate to get a functioning human being.”

“My research looked at the role of cell size and growth in yeast aging, as well as combinations of anti-aging compounds or genetic manipulations. I was watching for a good combination effect - something additive between two treatments. But I found the opposite: no lifespan benefit from combining anti-aging treatments.”

“In fact, several of my combinations were shorter-lived than the single treatments! I conclude that anti-aging drugs and treatments need more research before we can combine lots of them to get better overall anti-aging results.”

Whether it’s anti-aging or cancer treatment, biomedical research is a fundamental part of medicine. “If we know more about the world, by studying biological sciences or by studying the world in general, we can vastly improve our quality of life.” Smith said.

Smith accepted a postdoctoral position at the National Institutes of Health, working in the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore. She will be working to identify more biomarkers of aging and potential targets to slow down the various health effects of aging. 

A huge thank you to Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences student leaders who worked tirelessly to bring Student Research Week together: Whitni Redman, Riccay Elizondo, Ksenija Korac, Bradley Schniers, Josue Enriquez, Brianyell McDaniel and Monica Sharma.

 

2019 Student Research Week Winners

Nursing Students

• First: Laura Castle & Amber Higgs
• Second: Dina Brown
• Third: Melissa Duffy & Bryan Earle

Health Professions Category

• Yo-Rong Chen       

Resident and Fellows

• First: Russell Stanley
• Second: Jacob Schoof
• Third: Carlos Valencia

Undergraduate Research

• First: Garret Welch
• Second: Shane Cristy 

Third- and Fourth-Year Doctoral Students

• First: Jessica Smith
• Second: Diego Pedroza
• Third: Kellsie Beasley 

First and Second-Year Medical Students; Graduate Medical Sciences/Public Health

• First: Nicholas Smith
• Second: Grant Sorensen
• Third: Cody Eslinger

Third- and Fourth- Year Medical Students

• First: Elizabeth Cook
• Second TIE: Niki Parikh/David Foley
• Third: Jamie Osinovsky

First- and Second- Year Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; Biotechnology

• First: Ismail Mohiuddin
• Second: Tim Brown
• Third TIE: Sarah Hernandez/ Bradley Schniers

School of Pharmacy/Pharmacy Sciences

• First: Sharavan Ramachandran
• Second: Itishree Kaushi
• Third: Sanaullah Sajib

Lubbock Economic Development Alliance Award

• First: Sharavan Ramachandran
• Second: Alexsandra Schaubhut
• Third: Ben Jackson

Image Gallery for Poster Presentations