Senior biochemistry major Mary Grace Flowers has been selected to attend the 19th annual ACC Meeting of the Minds Conference at the University of Pittsburgh on March 28-30th. Only 5 students from each university are chosen to attend.
The ACC Meeting of the Minds is an annual research conference celebrating undergraduate research and creative inquiry at the 18 Atlantic Coast Conference member schools, including Clemson University and seeks to highlight undergraduate excellence in research and creative scholarship across many fields.
Mary Grace will be presenting a poster titled “Examining the role of sex in bone remodeling using differential feeding stresses.” Her research investigates bone remodeling in the facial skeleton using a cichlid fish model because these fish have immense range of facial diversity and have shown a significant capability for craniofacial bone remodeling.
The University of Pittsburgh says, “The weekend of events is designed to provide students with the opportunity to share their work, connect with peers from other institutions, to learn from and with each other, and of course to have some fun!”
Everyone wish Mary Grace luck at the Meeting of the Minds later this month!
Elizabeth Caldwell, senior genetics major, has been selected as a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship, one of the most prestigious and selective major fellowships available to American college students.
The Rhodes Scholarship, a fully funded postgraduate award which enables talented young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford, is recognized worldwide as the oldest and most well-known scholarship for academic excellence. Rhode scholars are chosen based on those who demonstrate academic excellence, the energy to use their talents to the fullest, and attributes such as truth, courage, kindness, devotion to duty, moral force of character and instincts to lead.
Elizabeth, who researches rare diseases and advocates for the disability community, was recently announced as Clemson’s 5th Truman Scholar, a federally funded scholarship granted to U.S. undergraduate students for demonstrated leadership potential, academic excellence and a commitment to public service.
Elizabeth is also part of the National Scholars Program, Clemson’s most selective university-wide merit scholarship program. National Scholars are selected through a rigorous process that identifies students with the highest levels of intellectual vision and community engagement.
“A brilliant scientist and determined advocate, Elizabeth’s remarkable accomplishments are eclipsed only by her steadfast and inspirational commitment to making our campus, community, and society more welcoming and accessible,” said Sarah Winslow, inaugural dean of the Clemson University Honors College.
Elizabeth is actively engaged on campus and in the community. She is part of associate professor Michael Sehorn’s lab, which explores DNA repair pathways, serves as the only undergraduate student on Clemson’s Accessibility Commission, and founded Tigers 4 Accessibility, Clemson’s first and only student organization dedicated to creating a more inclusive and accessible campus culture and physical environment.
In addition, Elizabeth acts as a volunteer at the Clemson Free Clinic, a local medical center that provides health care to the area’s low-income population, where she created a Mobility Aid Program that raised $3,000 to offset medical equipment costs for patients.
Elizabeth is one of approximately 800 students nominated nationwide for the Rhodes Scholarship, competing for 32 spots. She is one of 15 finalists from the district representing South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina. She interviews for the award on November 15 and 16.
If chosen, Elizabeth plans to pursue a master’s program focused on genomic medicine, followed by a master’s degree in global health and epidemiology.
When senior genetics major Sofia Willey was in middle school, she began having abnormally intense joint pain, something doctors attributed to the rigor of competitive gymnastics and her 20 hour-a-week training schedule.
At first, doctors diagnosed her with hip dysplasia, but that didn’t account for the hypermobility symptoms, scarring and low bone growth. Her doctor then suggested Sofia may have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), specifically the hypermobile subtype. EDS is a rare genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue and can cause weak joints, affecting 1 in 5,000 people.
“I didn’t understand what was happening to me, and no one around me did either.”
Doctors’ limited knowledge of the disorder is due in part to the EDS being under-researched. This has inspired Sofia to pursue a degree in genetics and focus on research while in college.
“It becomes a lot of explaining your own problems to your doctor so they can prescribe or help you find what you need.”
This summer Sofia worked with the Norris Lab at the Medical University of South Carolina on a project related to the complement system and its biological importance in hEDS. Dr. Russell Norris a professor in the Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology. Norris lab is one of the preeminent labs researching EDS.
Sofia’s specific research aims at finding a diagnostic tool that could use specific protein levels in the blood to determine if a patient has EDS. She focused on changes in the immune system of patients with EDS compared to those without the disease, finding a few significant proteins that had different levels in subjects with EDS than in those without.
Sofia says her time in the Norris lab, which also included patient education, has helped her better understand her disease and problems in her own body. She hopes to change patients’ lives through knowledge of under-recognized diseases.
If you are looking for senior genetics major Kate Miller, you may find her in the classroom, sports concession stands, Dr. Powder’s lab or on Wednesdays, you’ll see her taking advantage of the $5 sushi deal at Publix.
Both Kate’s focus on community and STEM brought her to Clemson University.
“I came to Clemson because my first visit in middle school caused me to absolutely fall in love with Clemson’s tight-knit community and its emphasis on STEM programs.”
Kate chose her genetics major and her biological sciences minor because she wanted the ability to study both biology and chemistry on a deeper level. Kate says she hopes both her major and minor help in her pursuit of going to Pathologist Assistant school.
“The best part of being in the G&B department has been the personalized support from my mentors and advisors. As a smaller department, I have a strong network with the faculty who make me feel comfortable and supported with my academic and career questions.”
Kate loves working with the fish and notes that this opportunity has greatly enhanced her laboratory skills. Kate’s personal project from this summer explores the developmental effects of estrogen on facial structure.
“Endocrine disruptors such as estrogen have been found in the environment due to pollution, and this research will show what may happen to the facial development of humans if exposed, especially in utero.”
In addition to undergraduate research, Kate is a member and leader of BeakerBox, a CI project where we develop interactive lesson plans for middle school science classrooms in South Carolina. BeakerBox aims to engage 6th-8th graders in the life sciences by keeping science fun and interesting.
“After graduation I plan on going back to school to become a pathologist assistant. My favorite classes right now are Toxicology and Anatomy, which are both fascinating and helping to lay a solid foundation for my future career!”
In late October three junior biochemistry students represented the department at the annual Biomedical Engineering Society Meeting (BMES) in Baltimore, MD: James Marturano, Kathleen Doran and Addison Schaff (pictured left to right).
Established in 1968, BMES strives to be the professional home for biomedical engineers to assist you in navigating your career path and striving to make the work of biomedical engineering and those in allied fields, more visible. Their mission is to promote a collaborative and inclusive community to advance human health through education, discovery and translation, which drives their research and educational initiatives, including webinars, chapter programs and meetings.
Each student presented a poster of their research findings with their partner.
James Marturano, biochemistry “Single measurement of DUB activity in multiple myeloma to identity subpopulations based on enzyme activity”
Katleen Doran, biochemistry “Development of a 3D-Printed Device to Study How Bacteria Alters the 3D Migration of Breast Cancer Cells”
Addison Schaaf, biochemistry “Co-culture between ER + breast cancer and bacteria using a 3-D printed platform to recreate the tumor microbiome”
Sydney Huiet B.S. ’19, M.S. ’22 remembers being as young as an elementary schooler, visiting friends’ houses and running home to tell her parents that her friend got their nose or eye color from their mom or dad, or what similarities they shared with their siblings.
“I actually knew from a very young age that I was interested in genetics. Even though I didn’t understand what genetics was at that point, I was naturally drawn to it. So, deciding to attend Clemson and study genetics was basically a no-brainer for me!”
Sydney grew up in Summerville, SC and was a genetics major and an animal and veterinary sciences minor, graduating in 2019 with her bachelor’s degree. Starting her sophomore year, Sydney began working in Dr. Leigh Anne Clark‘s Canine Genetics Lab, whose research focuses on identifying and characterizing the genetic underpinnings of complex diseases in dogs.
“Working in Dr. Clark’s lab allowed me to grow my passion for genetics and understand some of the health, emotional, and financial implications of having genetic testing available.”
Sydney completed her undergraduate departmental honors thesis in Dr. Clark’s lab and enjoyed the work so much that she decided to continue her research and stay for graduate school. Sydney worked on a variety of projects, but her undergraduate and master’s theses were both on a dental anomaly in Shetland sheepdogs called lance canine, discovering this condition was associated with having a decreased body size and discovered two linked variants that were causing this size reduction and increased risk for lance canine.
“This work resulted in a cover feature publication in PNAS and the creation of a genetic test for lance canine! This work was extremely rewarding and sparked my desire to go into the field of genetic testing.”
Even though Sydney was confident that working in the genetic testing industry was where she wanted her career to go, she decided to try something a bit different after graduating with her masters in genetics in 2022.
“I figured if I didn’t try something new now, then when would I? So I actually decided to try out working in forensic science at first. I worked at the North Carolina State Crime Laboratory in Hendersonville, NC for nearly two years as a scientist in the forensic biology unit.”
This role involved generating DNA profiles from crime scene evidence, performing statistical analysis to compare any unknown profiles to known standards in the case and testifying to these findings in court when necessary.
“It was rewarding work, but after a few years I knew my passion still lied with genetic testing.”
Sydney’s next move was to her current position at GeneDx, an industry leader in exome and genome testing. GeneDx is a genetic testing company that was founded in 2000 by two scientists from the National Institutes of Health, Sherri Bale and John Compton. GeneDx’s mission is to deliver health insights that inform diagnosis, direct treatment, and improve drug discovery.
Sydney’s is an associate genomic analyst on the Primary Analysis team at GenDx, where she designs PCR primers and send amps to the lab for anything needing confirmation, analyzes the resulting sequencing data and makes calls on whether the variants are real and what the zygosity of each family member is.
“Having accurate and timely results can make a monumental difference in developing a treatment plan for a patient and can save their family much emotional and financial stress. I find this work extremely rewarding, especially as GeneDx is continuing to offer tests with faster and faster turn-around-times for these patients.”
Sydney lives just outside of Charlotte, NC with her high school sweetheart-husband, Evan and works fully remote for GenDx. She is excited about the growing opportunities this field offers.
“There is a lot of growth in this field and at companies like GeneDx, so there are endless opportunities for career advancement, which is exciting! Right now I’m just enjoying newly-ish married life with my husband, Evan, and our three dogs Scout, Obi, and Pippin.”
When junior genetics major and member of the Army National Guard Stephanie Toft got the call to come into work for hurricane Helene relief efforts, she didn’t hesitate.
“With the devastation that Hurricane Helene has caused the Carolinas, the need for assistance has been dire and that is one of the many reasons I chose to be in the military—to aid my state in moments of need.”
Stephanie works in the Aviation Unit in Greenville, which is always prepared and ready to assist with natural disasters being equipped with many aircrafts and well-trained pilots. Stephanie and her unit worked to rescue civilians and get tens of thousands of pounds of supplies transported to North Carolina.
“My official job title is an Aviation Operations Specialist, so I checked out equipment to the pilots going out to transport cargo and attempt rescues, communicated with them over the radio and made sure safety and success of the mission was the top priority.”
Overall, Stephanie and her unit accomplished many rescues of individuals trapped in isolated areas and their chinook aircrafts dropped 20,000lbs of supplies everyday as they went out to get food and water to those who desperately needed it. They even had aircrafts from New York and Florida come to their Greenville unit so they could head to North Carolina together to fully assist with relief efforts.
Stephanie was raised in Greenville, South Carolina and grew up having aspirations to follow in her sisters’ footsteps by joining the military.
“I have an immense passion for my job and aviation in general, and my goal is to complete my twenty years of service to retirement because I love my job so much!”
Stephanie is a transfer student, who after obtaining her associate’s degree, came to Clemson under a different major. However after hearing Dr. Alison Starr-Moss speak at the College of Science Open House about genetics as a major and career route, she switched paths.
“Dr. Starr-Moss explained it so well at the open house that choosing to pursue genetics at Clemson was a no-brainer. She explained how genetics takes biology and showcases life processes at such an in-depth level that I couldn’t help but want to get involved in research and explore what that meant.”
Stephanie currently works in Dr. Michael Sehorn’s DNA Cell Repair Lab. She just began working in the lab this semester and the excitement she has to learn more about the repair process and how homologous DNA repairs and breaks function is paramount to her aspirations to be involved in research in general.
Her plans after graduation are to attend graduate school and continue pursuing a genetics-related research career. Stephanie hopes to find some more amazing research opportunities to grow her lab experience and delve deeper into the fundamentals of genetics.
If you can’t find Stephanie working for the military or in a research lab, you can find her hiking, her favorite spot being Alaska!
“I may be a newbie to the world of genetics, but switching my major and joining the Clemson family absolutely was the right decision, and I feel as passionate about it as I do about joining the military!”
In the beginning, senior Hetvi Solanki was unsure if she wanted to major in genetics or biochemistry, the two often going hand-in-hand. One thing Hetvi wasn’t on the fence about was where to purse her higher education. She loves the small town feel of Clemson while there also being so many unique people around.
“Genetics was the right choice for me because I would be able delve deep into a specialized field and also relate it to human diseases.”
Hetvi feels at home in the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, knowing most of the people in all her classes, which is something she truly appreciates – being able to go through this major alongside a mini community within the larger Clemson community.
“Our professors are wonderful – some of my favorites have been Dr. [Jennifer] Mason and Dr. [Heidi] Anderson.”
On campus, Hetvi in involved in a few extracurricular activities, one of them being serving on the executive board of the Clemson University Period Project, a nonprofit organization that collects and donates period products by donation events as well as delivery drop-offs to various locations.
“We are a club dedicated to providing menstrual products to those in need as well as educating students on women’s health and period poverty.”
She is also a part of the Health Professions Advising Ambassador Program, where advisors prepare prospective and current students as well as alumni interested in pursuing careers in the chiropractic medicine, dentistry, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, physical assistant, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech language pathology fields.
“In this role I get to be a student guide for a physician at the annual Tigers on Call event and mentor other pre-medical undergraduate students.”
In addition to Hetvi’s extracurricular participation, she is also involved in Dr. Yanzhang Wei’s lab from Biological Sciences, where investigates a bifunctional fusion protein’s ability to prevent T-cell exhaustion and engage Natural Killer cells in tumors.
“I specifically work with a breast cancer cell line and my experience with this lab has really increased my confidence as a researcher and taught me valuable skills like cell culture, transfections and a number of different assays.”
With all this undergraduate experience, Hetvi plans to pursue a career in medicine.
“I am specifically interested in pediatrics at the moment but am open to exploring other specialties!”
Hetvi is from a small town in SC called Andrews near the coast and enjoys spending time with my family and friends and going to local coffee shops.
When senior biochemistry major Justyn Stevens was in high school, he started taking chemistry, biology and anatomy and immediately fell in love with life sciences. That passion coupled with his love of the campus and the knowledge that he wanted to go into the medical field made the biochemistry major at Clemson the perfect place for him.
“Clemson is also always investing in the sciences and helping students and professors with anything they need to help advance their research.”
For Justyn, the Genetics and Biochemistry Department has brought a sense of community with life-long friends and supportive professors. Justyn says his professors and advisors are always there to answer questions just talk about the future and how to prepare.
“If I had one piece of advice for any incoming or current G&B students, it would be to not be afraid to talk to people. Whether that’s professors or other students, you never know who you could meet. I have found some of my best friends in this major as well as some of my favorite professors.”
One of the professors that Justyn has found supportive is Dr. Lukasz Kozubowski. Justyn is currently working in Dr. Kozubowksi’s lab where he is studying Cryptococcus Neoforms. He works closely with Hannah Akahoho, a Ph.D. student in the lab, to better understand the CDC42 gene found in Cryptococcus.
“We are testing how different drugs interact with the organisms and seeing how they affect the budding/replication of Cryptococcus cells. This, in the grand scheme of things, will help our understanding of the CDC42 gene and how to prevent Cryptococcus from replicating and spreading.”
Justyn’s end goal is to go to medical school and become a cardiothoracic surgeon. After graduation, he plans to take a gap year, working as an EMT back in his hometown of Myrtle Beach, SC.
In his free time, Justyn enjoys anything sports related – golfing, throwing football/baseball or playing pickleball. He is studying for the MCAT to go to medical school after his gap year.
Yellow camellias are far rarer than white, pink and red, found only in south China and Vietnam. Senior biochemistry major Allen Gomez’s research aims to make propagation and growing of yellow camellias easier.
Gomez’s research is done through the Creative Inquiry + Undergraduate Research program with associate professor Dr. Haiying Laing, whose research focuses on the application of genetics and genomics to improve economically important traits in plants.
“I think it’s really interesting how gene editing and being able to modify and improve certain aspects of different organisms through genetics works,” said Gomez.
Working with first-year Ph.D. student Roger Zhang he has investigated the expression levels of auxin response factor (ARF) genes in Camellia nitidissima, aiming to determine how ARF genes were regulated in yellow camellias, possibly leading to the ability to determine a method to induce adventitious roots and develop a treatment method that would improve the rooting ability of yellow camellias.
Gomez’s end goal is to attend medical school and become a surgeon. He says the research he has done through this project gives him valuable research experience to bolster his medical school applications and allows him to hone skills he’ll use throughout his career in medicine.
“It shows that I am able to follow instructions step-by-step, take precise notes, solve problems, work with others, interpret data and know the importance of sterility. I’ll use those skills in medical school and as a surgeon,” he said.
Gomez’s desire to become a surgeon stems from a childhood experience. When Gomez was 10, he lived in Ecuador. After falling off monkey bars at the playground and breaking his wrist, it was four days before he could get the surgery he needed. That sparked his interest in surgery and a desire to help bring more medical services to rural areas in Ecuador.
“My experiences at Clemson helped solidify my belief that pursuing a medical career is the right thing to do.”
