2020 Virtual Cancer Research Award Banquet
Student Honorees
1. In honor of the Lori Kautzman Family
Roger Abernathy: Effect of Tick saliva from Amblyomma americanum on cancer cell proliferation
Mentor: Kristopher Silver, Entomology
2. In honor of John & Jennie Haymaker
Courtney Johnson: Microfluidic-based single cell analysis for the examination of rare cells indicative of early stages of cancer or chemotherapy resistance: the development of an integrated heating element to maintain cell viability during high-throughput single-cell analysis
Mentor: Chris Culbertson, Chemistry
3. In honor of Midge Jones
Molly Leyda: Hypoxic macrophage phenotypes in placentas and tumors
Mentor: Sherry Fleming, Biology
4. In honor of Karen Eileen (Jones) Prevette
Joshua Lingo: Biodistribution of novel B2-Glycoprotein I peptide
Mentor: Sherry Fleming, Biology
5. In honor of Veterans of Foreign Wars
Ashley Bartels: Constructing Blood-Brain Barrier Penetrant Agents: Correlating the Effects of Physicochemical Properties as a Function of Transport and Accumulation
Mentor: Ryan Rafferty, Chemistry
6. In honor of the Beth Montelone Family
Emma Francis: Studying the effect of viral genetics on tissue tropism using a potential oncolytic virus
Mentor: Rollie Clem, Biology
7. In honor of Wayne & Nancy Cottril
Carolina Bueno: Guanine metabolism in C. difficile, an important bacterial pathogen that affects cancer patients in hospitals and healthcare settings
Mentor: Revathi Govind, Biology
8. In honor of the Lindquists & Tachas
Megan Campbell: Sulfhydryl oxidation and cancer pathophysiology: Defining viral oxidoreductase substrates
Mentor: Lorena Passarelli, Biology
9. In honor of Michael Lukert
Ariana Cecil: The differential role of 5MP1 and 5MP2 in cervical cancer
Mentor: Katsura Asano, Biology
10. In honor of David R. & Janice W. von Riesen
Lydia Waner: The Role of Tumor-Suppressor Gene Lhx5 During Stem Cell Proliferation and Neuronal Migration in the Developing Zebrafish Forebrain
Mentor: Thomas Mueller, Biology
11. In honor of Warren R. Rolf
Jacob Cindrich: DNA-Branched Amphiphilic Peptide Capsule Complexes in Saline Solutions
Mentor: John Tomich, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
12. In honor of Fraternal Order of Eagles
Lake Winter: Regulated expression of decapping enzymes in oncolytic vaccinia virus
Mentor: Zhilong Yang, Biology
13. In honor of Warren & Jean White
Whitney Pepper: Identification of cancer driver mutations in 5MP1 and 5MP2
Mentor: Katsura Asano, Biology
14. In honor of Don Marrs & Kansas Postmasters
Mayme Loyd: Purification and characterization of LPS-like factor from Chlorella cell wall membrane
Mentor: Masaaki Tamura, Anatomy & Physiology
15. In honor of Jerome D. Lueers
Tanji Lewis: Cell-based Evaluation of Copper-activated Drugs Against Pancreatic Cancer
Mentor: Stefan Bossmann, Chemistry
16. In honor of Smoky Valley Chiropractic
Benjamin Epp: Policies & Practices Related to Physical Activity in Kansas Middle Schools
Mentor: Richard Rosenkrantz, Food, Nutrition, Dietetics & Health
17. In honor of Phil & Margaret Howe
Baltazar Claro-Martinez: Tissue distribution of BAP-magnetic nanoparticles in control and tumor bearing mice
Mentor: John Tomich, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
18. In honor of Dale H. & Joan Evans Nordstrom
Megan Goeckel: Coordination of cell signaling pathways through the cytoskeleton in a yeast model system
Mentor: Greg Finnigan, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
19. In honor of Varena Mechsner
Emma Hawkins: Development of Heterogenous Spheroids of Colon Cancerous and Non-Cancerous Cells
Mentor: Annelise Nguyen, Diagnostic Medicine & Pathobiology
20. In honor of Helen L. Graves
Abdulrahman Naeem: Production of omega-3 fatty acid-containing healthy oils that have positive effects in cancer prevention and treatment
Mentor: Ruth Welti, Biology
21. In honor of Mason’s Wish
Brittany Funk: The Evolution of Natural Products: From Total Synthesis, Elaboration into Delivery Vehicles, and Combinational Applications as Anticancer Agents
Mentor: Ryan Rafferty, Chemistry
22. In honor of Steven Cutright
Madelyn Hilgers: Role of c-Myc and 5MP oncogenes in aberrant mRNA translation in colorectal cancer
Mentor: Chingakham Ranjit Singh, Biology
23. In honor of Regenia M. Hudiburg
Paige Cote: Study of Euglena anti-tumor factor-dependent granulopoiesis
Mentor: Masaaki Tamura, Anatomy & Physiology
24. In honor of Gailand Bartlett
Carmen Del Real: Screening for modifiers of protein phosphatase function in collective invasion to reveal cancer mechanisms
Mentor: Jocelyn McDonald, Biology
25. In honor of Coach Bill Snyder & 580 WIBW AM
Johnathon Moses: Technical feasibility assessment of using directional microwave ablation applicators for treating spinal tumors
Mentor: Punit Prakash, Electrical & Computer Engineering
26. In honor of Gwendolyn Tinklin
Jared Newell: A Behavioral Paradigm and Computational Infrastructure for Imaging Neurophysiological Processes in Zebrafish Models of Cancer
Mentor: Thomas Mueller, Biology
27. In honor of American Legion Auxiliary, Unit 17
Marta Stetsiv: Cancer-promoting roles of NUAK and Stv in the context of protein aggregation
Mentor: Erika Geisbrecht, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
28. In honor of Ken & Rosemary Visser
Joshua Spradlin: Establish cell lines expressing inducible decapping enzymes of oncolytic vaccinia virus
Mentor: Zhilong Yang, Biology
29. In honor of George S. Bascom
Michelle Coca: Examining the role of protocadherins in collective cell invasion and cancer
Mentor: Maureen Gorman, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
30. In honor of the Pink & Purple Polyester Party & Elena Guthals
Ethan Kallenberger: gC1qR as an Emerging Therapeutic Target for Breast Cancer
Mentor: Brian Geisbrecht, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
31. In honor of Dale Augustine
Hannah Coggeshell: Examining the role of protocadherins in collective cell invasion and cancer
Mentor: Jocelyn McDonald, Biology
32. In honor of Dr. John R. Massey
Elizabeth Riforgiate: Contribution of Beta-Human Papillomavirus E6 and Mitotic Errors to Skin Cancer
Mentor: Nick Wallace, Biology
33. In honor of Mahlon & Patricia Wheeler
Caroline Gambill: Cancer Prevention Coverage in Kansas Middle and High School Health Education Curricula
Mentor: Richard Rosenkrantz, Food, Nutrition, Dietetics & Health
34. In honor of Rob Regier
Samantha Goetting: Preventing inflammation by limiting the innate immune system in disease
Mentor: Erika Geisbrecht, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
35. In honor of Roy & Catherine Johnson
Adeline Chang: Molecular Characterization of multidrug resistant AcrB efflux pump in Staph aureus (MRSA), a frequent pathogen in Cancer Patients.
Mentor: Govind Veddiyappan, Biology
36. In honor of James R. & Elizabeth Circle Garver
Diana Najera: Alternative pathways for cellular iron uptake
Mentor: Maureen Gorman, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
37. In honor of James & Susan Ryan, Sr.
Gage Wright: Development of an Electronic Chip for Rapid Cancer Diagnosis
Mentor: Jun Li, Chemistry
38. In honor of Rodney A. Nemechek
Amanda Currie: In silico screening and synthesis of inhibitors to carcinogenic NTMT1
Mentor: Ping Li, Chemistry
39. In honor of Marvin D. & Myrtle M. Jones
Joseph Hammer: Gated Nano-Carriers for Controlled Release of Anticancer Drugs
Mentor: Stefan Bossmann, Chemistry
40. In honor of Myrtle & Evelyn Bryan
Abigail Parker: The role of a tafazzin homolog in lipid metabolism and the cellular life cycle
Mentor: Ruth Welti, Biology
41. In honor of Philip D. “Woody” Woodward
Seth Peery: Flavonoid anticancer compounds and associated transcriptional regulators in green algae
Mentor: Kathrin Schrick, Biology
42. In honor of Kaw Valley Rodeo Association
Kyle Thompson: A novel transcriptional activation domain with relevance to gene expression in cancer cells
Mentor: Kathrin Schrick, Biology