We must share the many achievements of our faculty, students and alumni!
SPOTLIGHT
Biochemist’s Research Improving Breast Cancer Treatment by Targeting Tumor-Initiating Cells
A K-State professor’s research on breast cancer stem cells may help improve survival rates by preventing cancer recurrence and metastasis — the major causes of death among patients.
Anna Zolkiewska, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics, has received a four-year $1.245 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to study a promising breast cancer marker called ADAM12. The grant is titled “ADAM12 in breast tumor initiating cells.”
Read the full story from K-State Communications & Marketing.
MORE FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS
Brian Lindshield, human nutrition, was recognized for co-writing a top 5 most-cited article of 2009-2011 in Archives of Biochemistry & Biophysics: “Are the health attributes of lycopene related to its antioxidant function?”
Jeroen Roelofs, biology, and colleague published “Reconfiguration of the proteasome during chaperone-mediated assembly” in the prestigious scientific journal Nature. (K-State news release)
Dorith Rotenberg, plant pathology, has been awarded the Kansas State University Distinguished Faculty Award for Mentoring of Undergraduate Students in Research. (K-State news release)
Susan Sun, grain science & industry, leads a research team that won a $5.08 million grant from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture for biofuel research. (news story)
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS
Jenny Barriga, Dodge City, junior in biochemistry and chemistry working in Stefan Bossman‘s lab in chemistry, has won a prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship. She plans to get a PhD in biochemistry and do research on cells and cell function. (K-State news release)
Phuoc Bui, Dodge City, senior in microbiology working in Mark Weiss’s lab in anatomy & physiology, is the recipient of the Kansas State University Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Student in Research. (K-State news release)
Brianne Pierce, Wichita, junior in microbiology and pre-medicine working in Jeroen Roelof‘s lab in biology, earned an Honorable Mention in the national Barry Goldwater Scholarship competition. She plans to earn an MD/PhD in oncology & conduct research & medical care. Brianne was also one of only 10 students selected to represent K-State at the Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol in Topeka.
Christine Spartz, Ellington, Conn., sophomore in chemistry working in a crystal engineering lab with Christer Aakeroy, chemistry, was nominated for the Barry Goldwater Scholarship.
Brandon Pfannenstiel, Olathe, junior in microbiology working in Richard Todd‘s lab in plant pathology, won third place in the undergraduate poster presentation competition at the K-State Research Forum.*
Terrahn Wall, Olathe, senior in biology and pre-pharmacy working in Masaaki Tamura‘s lab in anatomy & physiology, won second place in the undergraduate oral presentation competition at the K-State Research Forum.*
Damien Downes, Australia, doctoral student in the interdepartmental genetics graduate program working in Richard Todd‘s lab in plant pathology, won first place in session two of the biological sciences oral presentation competition at the K-State Research Forum.* Damien, who studies genetics using a fungus, also won a Student Poster Prize at the 10th International Aspergillus Meeting and a Best Student Poster Award in the Functional and Comparative Genomics and Gene Regulation category at the 27th Fungal Genetics Conference.
Naomi Ohta, Japan, master’s student in biomedical sciences working in Masaaki Tamura‘s lab in anatomy & physiology, won third place in the biological sciences poster presentation competition at the K-State Research Forum.*
Prashant Wani, India, doctoral student in biochemistry mentored by Jeroen Roelofs in biology, won first place in the biological sciences poster presentation competition at the K-State Research Forum.*
Emily Archer Slone, Manhattan, doctoral student in microbiology working in Sherry Fleming‘s lab in biology, won first place in session one of the biological sciences oral presentation at the K-State Research Forum.
ALUMNI
Josh Umbehr, MD, Wichita, has been named a 2013 Top Doc in Concierge Medicine by Concierge Medicine Today, which selects only a few U.S. physicians in the concierge medicine and/or direct pay business model environment each year for this honor–only 15 this year. Josh graduated from K-State in human nutrition in 2003 and then attended KU School of Medicine. While at K-State, he was a Cancer Research Awardee and studied the effects of vitamin A on lung cancer. In 2012, he received the College of Human Ecology’s Young Professional Award.
Please report achievements to Marcia Locke at marcia@k-state.edu.
*The 18th Annual K-State Research Forum included oral and poster presentations from more than 89 graduate students and 18 undergraduate students from across disciplines.
We bid farewell to our assistant to the director Jan Galitzer, who is retiring in June. Jan joined the center in 1997, when it was directed by Dr. Terry Johnson, who passed away just four years later. She was very instrumental in building the center’s success…and even its current facility. She successfully managed its operations and transition to a new director after Dr. Johnson’s death. Her dedication to the center has been very evident and her years of valuable service much-appreciated.