Undergraduate Students

1st Place: Sofia Karter Lopez, University of Toronto

“Rab11 mediates E-cadherin recycling during embryonic wound healing.”

2nd Place: Elizabeth Graham, Georgetown University

“The impact of cell cycle and sex on DNA double-strand break repair pathway choice.”

3rd Place: Leila Lin, University of California, Irvine

“Fast evolving genes involved in heterochromatin function.” 

Graduate Students

1st Place: Audrey Williams, University of Chicago

“Fat2 polarizes Lar and Sema5c to coordinate the motility of collectively migrating epithelial cells.”

2nd Place: Brook Falk, The Hospital for Sick Children

“Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-5 is required for spermiogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster.”  

3rd Place: Matthew Lindsay, University of Rochester

“Investigating the maintenance of the Responder satellite in Drosophila melanogaster.”

Congratulations to all the winners of poster awards at the 2022 Population, Evolutionary, and Quantitative Genetics Conference!

Undergraduate Students

First Place: Rachel Eder
Arizona State University
Poster Title: Understanding the heterogeneity in gene regulatory responses to misfolded protein toxicity

Second Place: Doran Goldman
Stanford University
Poster Title: Effect of inoculation dose on colonization success in gut-derived microbial communities

Graduate Students

First Place: Elena Romero
University of Washington
Poster Title: High viral load is associated with elevated recombination rate in intra-host HIV populations.

Second Place: Maike Morrison
Stanford University
Poster Title:  FSTruct: An FST-based tool for quantifying ancestry variability

Third Place: Atoosa M Samani
University of Utah
Poster Title: Unravelling the Genetic Architecture of Rolling Behavior in the Domestic Pigeon (Columba livia)

We are pleased to announce the GSA Poster Award winners from the 63rd Annual Drosophila Research Conference! Undergraduate and graduate student members of the GSA were eligible for the awards, and a hard-working team of postdocs volunteered their time as judges. Congratulations to all!

Undergraduate Students

1st Place: Abby Matt, Washington University in St. Louis

“Graphene Enabled Optical Control of Drosophila.”

2nd Place: Grace Woods, Lewis and Clark College

“The role of Thrombospondin in development and function of the Drosophila melanogaster neuromuscular junction.”

3rd Place: Jennifer McIntyre, University of California, Irvine

“Environmental Effects on the Epigenetic Silencing of Transposable Elements.”

Graduate Students

1st Place: Aarya Vaikakkara Chithram, University of British Columbia, Vancouver

“Developmental axon guidance cues are critical for adult neuronal survival.”

2nd Place: Maren Janz, University of Osnabrück  

“Endosomal maturation in Drosophila nephrocytes depends on a trimeric Rab7 GEF complex.”

3rd Place: Menglin Li, University of California, Santa Barbara

“Rhodopsin 3 regulates circadian periodicity.”

We are pleased to announce the GSA Poster Award winners from the 62nd Annual Drosophila Research Conference! Undergraduate and graduate student members of the GSA were eligible for the awards, and a hard-working team of postdocs volunteered their time as judges. Congratulations to all!

Undergraduate Students

1st Place: Umayr R. Shaikh

Institution: Butler University

Poster Title: “Exploring size scaling relationships in the developing Drosophila egg chamber”

2nd Place: Sarah Sims

Institution: University of Alabama at Birmingham

Poster Title: “Consequences of the Loss of Multiple HP1 Proteins in Drosophila melanogaster“

3rd Place: Abigail Wukitch

Institution: Bucknell University

Poster Title: “The limits of chronic infection induced protection during secondary infection in Drosophila melanogaster“

Graduate Students

1st Place: Mehrnaz Afkhami مهرناز افخمی

Institution: University of Oklahoma

Poster Title: “The genetic and neuronal bases of a coevolved reproductive trait in female Drosophila“

2nd Place: Alexander J. Barron

Institution: Johns Hopkins University

Poster Title: “Drosophila gut bacteria regulate the growth of invasive microbes both in culture and in the host gut environment”

3rd Place: Jullien Flynn

Institution: Cornell University

Poster Title: “Multiple sex chromosome-autosome fusions associated with high satellite DNA content in Drosophila virilis“

To promote excellence in undergraduate research and education, the Genetics Society of America has established a travel award to assist undergraduate members attending a GSA conference and presenting their research.

We’re proud to announce the winners of the Undergraduate Travel Award! The recipients will be attending the 22nd International C. elegans Conference at UCLA from June 20–24, 2019. We can’t wait to see you at #Worm19!

Mario Cabrera

Baylor College of Medicine

“My research is understanding the molecular interplay of host and microbial factors that determine microbiome form and function.”

Nina Fassnacht

Marist College

“My research is understanding how chromatin remodelers are important for responding to different types of DNA damage in C. elegans.”

Kassandra Kin

University of California, Riverside

“By looking at insect parasitic nematodes, we were able to establish that one odor is able to elicit two different responses.”

Cameron LaFayette

University of Alabama at Birmingham

“I investigate how primary cilia dysfunction influences nephronophthisis using the C. elegans model.”

Robert Lao

The University of Toronto

“I am studying how small RNAs and their protein partners (called Argonautes) mediate communication between cells, and what role this process may play in parasitic worm infections.”

Katarina Liberatore

Muhlenberg College

“I study the regulation of arrest through neuronal signaling mediated by nuclear hormone receptors and insulin signaling.”

Aidan Nowakowski

Marist College

“My research looks at DNA repair pathways and how the loss of a crucial part of one pathway can affect the overall genomic stability of the organism.”

Victoria Puccini de Castro

Northeastern Illinois University

“By the analysis of mutations isolated in a large genetic screen, we have defined additional molecular components that work in conjunction with a canonical fibroblast growth factor signaling pathway to regulate fluid homeostasis in the nematode C. elegans.”

Priscila Robles

University of California, Riverside

“I am using CeNDR to find the genetic pathway associated with the detection of a chemical odorant.”

Brendil Sabatino

BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute

“I am working on elucidation of a novel oxidative stress response pathway via a functional genomics screen in C. elegans.”

Evan Schlesinger

Muhlenberg College

“I am working on fluorescently visualizing DAF-16 translocation in order to better understand a sleep-like developmental arrest.”

Alexander Sinks

Davidson College

“I am working to optimize a new protocol to profile protein-DNA interactions in C. elegans with increased accuracy.”

Dan Zhang

University of Calgary

“I study stem cells in the C. elegans germline that are regulated by protein interactions.”

We are pleased to announce the GSA Poster Award winners from the 60th Annual Drosophila Research Conference! Undergraduate and graduate student members of the GSA were eligible for the awards, and a hard-working team of postdocs volunteered their time as judges. Congratulations to all!

Undergraduate Students

1st Place: Tanner Call

Institution: Brigham Young University – Provo

Poster Title: The gut microbiome as a driver of host dietary preference in Drosophila melanogaster

2nd Place: Jasmina Abdalla

Institution: George Washington University

Poster Title: Epigenetic Inheritance of Alcohol Sensitivity in Drosophila melanogaster

3rd Place: Sylvia Durkin

Institution: The Rockefeller University

Poster Title: Chemosensory and Behavioral Evolution in Drosophila suzukii: Implications for Adaptive Pest Activity

Graduate Students

1st Place: Hongru Hu

Institution: Florida State University

Poster Title: Genomic and neurogenetic approaches reveal a role of dpr- and DIP-expressing neurons in courtship behaviors

2nd Place: Kayla Gjelsvik

Institution: MDI Biological Laboratory and University of Maine

Poster Title: Polyploid cell growth restores tissue mechanics post injury

3rd Place: Natalie Vaisman

Institution: Boston University

Poster Title: A gut filling: the kinetics of the Wolbachia colonization in Drosophila guts

We are pleased to announce the GSA Poster Award winners from the 59th Annual Drosophila Research Conference! Undergraduate and graduate student members of the GSA were eligible for the awards, and a hard-working team of postdocs volunteered their time as judges. Congratulations to all!

Undergraduate Students

1st Place: Elizabeth Hemenway

Institution: University of Missouri-Kansas City

Poster Title: The Surprising composition of a synaptonemal polycomplex

Authors: Elizabeth Hemenway, Stacie Hughes, R. Scott Hawley

2nd Place: Emily Rivard

Institution: College of the Holy Cross

Poster Title: De novo evolved genes have essential roles in male Drosophila reproduction

Authors: Emily Rivard, E. Scott, J. Schmitz, K. Kelleher, E. Bornberg-Bauer, Geoffrey Findlay

3rd Place: Leah Anderson

Institution: The Ohio State University

Poster Title: Determining binding specificities of cell adhesion molecules from Drosophila and other related Dipterans

Authors: Leah Anderson and Mark Seeger

Graduate Students

1st Place: Erez Cohen

Institution: Duke University Medical School

Poster Title: A switch from compensatory proliferation to compensatory hypertrophy in the injured Drosophila hindgut

Authors: Erez Cohen, S. Allen, Don Fox

2nd Place: Ankita Sarkar

Institution: University of Dayton

Poster Title: Wingless, a mediator of crosstalk between Amyloid-beta 42 expressing and wild-type neurons in Alzheimer’s disease

Authors: Ankita Sarkar, J. Kofler, M. Kango-Singh, Amit Singh

3rd Place: Jackie Bubnell

Institution: Cornell University

Poster Title: Expanding functional horizons or evolutionary combat? Evaluating drivers of the rapid evolution of bag of marbles in Drosophila.

Authors: Jackie Bubnell and Chip Aquadro

To promote excellence in undergraduate research and education, the Genetics Society of America has established a travel award to assist undergraduate members attending a GSA conference to present their research.

Congratulations to all the winners of the Undergraduate Travel Award for Spring 2018!

Mayra M. Banuelos
San Francisco State University

STRs (short tandem repeats) used for forensic identification could contain more genetic information than previously assumed.

Ezequiel Lopez Barragan
San Francisco State University

Samantha K. Dung
San Francisco State University

We hope our research will shed light on acknowledged programmers, particularly women, and their contributions to science, as well as to promote gender equality in the computer programming and scientific field.

Minkyung Lee
Baruch College – City University of New York

My research focuses on understanding the role of Juvenile Hormone mimics on the Drosophila immune system.

Andrea Lopez
San Francisco State University

We are making visible the contribution of women programmers to the foundation of our own fields: population and evolutionary genetics.

Batoul S. Nasser
University of Detroit Mercy

We utilize fruit flies to further our understanding of the role of the cancer-causing gene yap and the roles it plays in development.

Rochelle Reyes
San Francisco State University

My research team and I have been looking into women’s hidden contributions as programmers in early Theoretical Population Biology journals.

Brian Tang
Baruch College – City University of New York

I focus on identifying the genetic basis of crystal cell count variation in the Drosophila immune system.

Ricky Thu
San Francisco State University

By conducting this Acknowledged Programmers Project, we hope to shed light on women’s contributions to science as well as promote gender equality in the computer programming and scientific field.

Elinor Wood
Bemidji State University

My work with fruit flies has focused on how nutrition and developmental timing affect the accessibility and expression of genes that are normally inaccessible and not expressed.

GSA is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 Victoria Finnerty Undergraduate Travel Award. This award, which honors the memory of Victoria Finnerty, supports travel costs for undergraduates engaged in research to attend the 59th Annual Drosophila Research Conference.

Congratulations, undergrads! We’ll see you in Philadelphia.

To promote excellence in undergraduate research and education, the Genetics Society of America has established a travel award to assist undergraduate members attending a GSA conference and presenting their research.

We’re proud to announce the winners of the Undergraduate Travel Award who will be attending the 21st International C. elegans Conference, which is being held at UCLA this week. These undergraduate students were selected by the GSA Education Committee based on their application and letters of recommendation. We can’t wait to see you at the meeting!

Jacqueline Alexander
Ithaca College

My lab seeks to understand the evolution of dosage compensation between nematode sister species C. elegans and C. briggsae.

Sally Claridge
University of Oregon

Our research seeks to elucidate how gene flow affects the rate of adaptation to novel environments via the experimental evolution of the nematode Caenorhabditis remanei in a chronic heat stress environment.

Dallas Fonseca
Ithaca College

I am studying the specificity of RNAi binding proteins and their role in the development and maintenance of stem cells.

Pierre-Marc Frédérick
Laval University

I work to understand how tiny RNA molecules control cell behavior.

Delfina González
Pomona College

My research focuses on understanding the assembly of a protein complex on the outermost layer of the C. elegans eggshell known as the vitelline layer.

Leah Gulyas
Gettysburg College

I study thermosensation and how stress response genes mediate the C. elegans acute cold shock response.

Mark Hansen
Central Michigan University

We study how stem cell models are able to remain unspecified after long periods of inactivity.

Donghoon Kang
Rice University

I’m studying the effects of P. aeruginosa siderophores on C. elegans mitochondrial health.

Kelvin Liao
Rutgers University

My research uses the model organism C. elegans to determine the molecular function of the sma-10 gene within the context of the transforming growth factor-β-like pathway (TGFβ), a highly conserved signaling pathway essential for regulating cell growth and development in all animal phyla, including humans.

Joseph Marsili
Northeastern Illinois University

My research investigates the potential use of C. elegans as a biosensor, like drug-sniffing dogs, to detect tuberculosis infection in hopes of developing a quick, cost effective tool to provide diagnostic capabilities to those communities currently lacking the resources to fund laboratory diagnostic techniques.

Margaux Quiniou
University of Exeter

I am investigating the ability of cells to undergo direct cell fate conversion in the model organism C. elegans.

Anza Rivzi
Rutgers University

Our study of tbb-6 will further contribute to the scientific knowledge of how mutations in tubulin genes lead to neurodegenerative diseases called tubulinopathies.

Erika Rosenkranse
Marist College

My research investigates ways in which DNA damage is repaired.

Cyrus Ruediger
University of Colorado Berkeley

I study the contribution of the C. elegans kinase kgb-1 to protein folding stress resistance.

Mariya Stefinko
Northeastern Illinois University

I study cell signaling in C. elegans, specifically trying to identify novel components in an EGL-15 Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Signaling complex, using genetic and molecular biology methods.

Colson Tomberlin
University of Colorado Boulder

My research is broadly focused on characterizing neurodegenerative disorders with a specific emphasis on Alzheimer’s disease and ALS.

Carolyn Turcotte
Marist College

My research focuses on the genetic basis for DNA repair mechanisms.

Kathryn Weaver
Bethel College

My research uses a health rating scale to determine if C. elegans (a free-living nematode) is a useful model for studying the effectiveness of drugs used to treat soil-transmitted helminths (parasitic worms).

Curtis Wentz
Juniata College

I use the model organism C. elegans to investigate the role of sphingolipids in neurotransmission and aging.

Zoe Yeoh
Gettysburg College

We are looking at the relationship between SKN-1 and FSHR-1 in the C. elegans innate immune response, a broadly conserved defense mechanism inherent to nearly all multicellular organisms.