Two Pitt-Greensburg students showcased their research on potential treatments for Huntington’s disease at the prestigious Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference in STEM, hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Atlanta, GA, in April. The students earned travel awards from AAAS to attend the conference and received support from Pitt-Greensburg. Barbara Barnhart, instructor of biology, served as faculty mentor to the students during the trip, stepping in for Olivia Long, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry/biology, who has mentored the students in their research during the past two years.
Junior biology major Taylor Podob earned first place in the Undergraduate Poster Presentation: Biological Sciences category for her project titled “Effects of LiCl in C. elegans: A Potential Therapeutic Treatment for Huntington’s Disease.” She received a certificate of achievement and a monetary prize.
Junior biochemistry major Mackenzie Taylor presented her complementary research, “Effects of Lithium Chloride and Mithramycin in C. elegans: Potential Therapeutic Treatments for Huntington’s Disease.”
Using the model organism C. elegans, their work investigates how small molecules may impact the progression of protein aggregation and neurodegeneration characteristic of Huntington’s disease.
The ERN Conference, a leading venue for STEM student researchers across the U.S., highlights high-achieving scholars from underrepresented backgrounds and provides a valuable professional development and networking opportunity.
“This national recognition builds on their previous successes, including presentations at the Tri-Beta Northeast District Convention, the Tri-Beta National Convention, the Allegheny Branch of the American Society for Microbiology (ABASM), and the NSF S-STEM Scholars/PI Conference in 2024,” said Long.
Using the model organism C. elegans, their work investigates how small molecules may impact the progression of protein aggregation and neurodegeneration characteristic of Huntington’s disease.