Poster session highlights graduate students' interdisciplinary health, disease research efforts

The recent Health and Disease: Science, Technology, Culture and Policy Research Poster Session showcased more than 100 graduate student presenters from colleges across campus.

The event was sponsored by the colleges of Health and Human Sciences, Agriculture, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Pharmacy, Science, Veterinary Medicine, Purdue Polytechnic Institute and Purdue Libraries. The annual poster session aims to foster new interdisciplinary collaborations across a diverse spectrum of disciplines, and to enhance student communication and professional skills.

Posters from six categories (neuroscience; obesity; inflammation, immunology and infectious diseases; cancer; prevention and wellness; other) were evaluated based on the significance of the results and quality of the student’s presentation. The winners for each category are:

Neuroscience and Neurodegenerative Diseases   
* First place: MeeJung Ko, Medicinal Chemistry/Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy (mentor: Richard Van Rijn).
* Second place: Keturah Kiper, Health Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences (mentor: Jennifer Freeman).
* Third place: Brandon Coventry, Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering (mentor: Edward Bartlett).

Prevention and Wellness/Obesity and Related Diseases   
* First place: Swetha Ramadesikan, Biological Sciences, College of Science (mentor: Claudio Aguilar).
* Second place: Elizabeth Stremke, Nutrition Science, College of Health and Human Sciences (mentor: Kathleen Hill Gallant).
* Third place: Brian Sullivan, Health and Kinesiology, College of Health and Human Sciences (mentor: Tim Gavin).

Cancer   
* First place: Violet Kiesel, Nutrition Science, College of Health and Human Sciences (mentor: Dorothy Teegarden).
* Second place: Stephen Miloro, Biological Sciences, College of Science (mentor: Kari Clase and Jenna Rickus).
* Third place: Alix Dieterly, Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine (mentor: Tiffany Lyle). 

Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Diseases   
* First place: Nader Abutaleb, Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine (mentor: Mohamed Seleem); Elizabeth Phillips, Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering (mentor: Jacqueline Linnes).
* Second place: Alan Hsu, Biological Sciences, College of Science (mentor: Qing Deng); Rusha Pal, Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine (mentor: Mohamed Seleem).
* Third place: Deepansh Mody, Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine (mentor: Mohamed Seleem); Xingjian Bai, Food Science, College of Agriculture (mentor: Arun Bhunia)  

Other - Basic Science   
* First place: Jeffrey Nielsen, Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy (mentor: Philip Low).
* Second place: Mingding Wang, Chemistry, College of Science (mentor: Philip Low).
* Third place: Shawna Cook, Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine (mentor: Kari Ekenstedt).

Other - Human Behavioral   
* First place: Ting Zhang, Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering (mentor: Brad Duerstock and Juan Wachs)
* Second place: Ashleigh Kellerman, Human Development and Family Studies, College of Health and Human Sciences (mentor: AJ Schwichtenberg)
* Third place: Lucas Rooney, Health and Kinesiology, College of Health and Human Sciences (mentor: Laura Claxton); Clare Jensen, Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine (mentor: Marguerite O'Haire)