We are excited to announce that two undergraduate students, Kadesh Daniels and Meaghan Connolly, are the recipients of the 2020/2021 Marion Kramer Award!
The award was established in 2001 in honor of Dr. Marion Kramer who earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Boston University in 1963 and went on to a long and satisfying career in biology and medicine. This award provides support for high-achieving female juniors and seniors majoring in Biology.
Kadesh is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in Cellular Biology, Molecular Biology, and Genetics.
“As a young girl growing up in Guyana, I was always enthralled by science and one day hoped to be a part of scientific discovery. This opportunity finally arose during my freshman year at Boston University when I began to intern in Dr. Sean Mullen’s Evolutionary Genetics Lab under Dr. Mullen and Dr. Evan Kristiansen. For the next two and a half years, I would investigate the phenotypic basis of Batesian Mimicry in the Adelpha genus of butterflies. In 2018, I presented my concluding findings at the Boston University Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium and the Annual Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program Symposium. In an attempt to further expand my research skills, I was encouraged by my advisor, Dr. John Celenza, and referred by Dr. Mullen and Dr. Tom Gilmore, the director of BU SURF, to Dr. Trevor Sigger’s Systems Biology and Gene Regulation Lab. I am currently working on a review paper aiming to consolidate protein interactions responsible for global transcription control. Without the superb support and mentorship of my nominators Dr. Sean Mullen, Dr. Evan Kristiansen, Dr. John Celenza, Dr. Tom Gilmore, and Dr. Trevor Siggers, I would not have been granted this esteemed award, and my invaluable growth as a researcher.”
Meaghan is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in Biology and Psychology.
“I chose biology because I have always found the complexity of life deeply fascinating. I added psychology later because I thought it complimented my biology courses really nicely, especially my interest in neuroscience. I started working in the Cruz-Martin lab in 2019, and this past summer I did UROP. My project focused on the role of parvalbumin interneurons in the anterior cingulate cortex in the social behavior of mice. I used Deep Lab Cut to track mice in videos as they interacted with other mice and with objects, while neuronal activity was recorded simultaneously. I plan to explore my options in biology and psychology and potentially go to grad school.”
Congratulations, Kadesh and Meaghan!
Check out the Grad winners here.