WASHINGTON, PA (Nov. 28, 2012)—Five Washington & Jefferson College students presented their research at the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience-sponsored poster session at this year’s Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans, attended by nearly 30,000 people.
Posters by Emilie Castranio, Edvan Camelo Filho, Ian Kohler, Liz Lueptow, and Patrick Majurski were among the 163 presented at the session. The meeting was also attended by Associate Professor of Biology Ronald Bayline, Ph.D., who said more than 800 people attended the poster session itself, from smaller schools like W&J to large research universities, in fields of study from behavioral psychology to molecular biology.
“The students were able to interact with scientists from around the world and appreciate the fact they are part of the scientific process, generating new science and showing the world,” Bayline said. “For them, I hope it has been a transformative experience.”
Filho, who is at W&J as part of his native Brazil’s Science Without Borders program, said the opportunity was a “window into what we are going to do next.” He said he saw and talked with people from all over the world, including a professor from Brazil. He had the opportunity to network, he said, which is “essential to my career goals.” His research was sponsored by the Ministry of Health in Brazil.
Kohler is a senior whose research has focused on Alzheimer’s disease. He plans on applying to Ph.D. programs following graduation. He presented his research at a conference in Vancouver, but the neuroscience meeting was different because of the number of people in attendance and the variety of topics being covered.
“My education at W&J has provided me with so many incredible opportunities that will be immensely helpful in the future, Kohler said. “I have done research every summer I have been here.”
Castranio hopes to work in a hospital or obtain a Ph.D.
“Attending this conference was overwhelming, but the experience I am getting now is better than what others get as a graduate student.” Castranio said.
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