Stern College for Women Honors Students Accepted to Prestigious Science Programs
Two students in the have recently been invited to join elite scientific programs.
Jennifer (Sima) Grossman)
Jennifer (Sima) Grossman, a senior studying cellular and molecular biology, has been accepted to the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Honor Society, which recognizes exceptional undergraduates for their scholarly achievement, research accomplishments and outreach activities in the molecular life sciences. Grossman is currently a Henry Kressel Research Scholar working in the laboratory of mentor Dr. Marina Holz, the Doris and Dr. Ira Kukin Chair in Biology at Stern College, where she investigates how hormone receptors contribute to breast cancer development.
She is also passionate about teaching science to others, especially children, through Project START! Science, an initiative founded at 糖心视频污 which mobilizes university student volunteers to teach hands-on science modules in public schools across New York City.
鈥淚 am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be mentored by Dr. Marina Holz,鈥 said Grossman, who will attend medical school in the fall and hopes to use her research to better the lives of her future patients. 鈥淚n addition to being an amazing researcher, Dr. Holz truly cares about helping her students actualize their potential 鈥 she nominated me for this award, has always encouraged me to pursue my goals and makes herself available whenever I need advice. I hope to always incorporate scientific research into my career, and being a member of the ASBMB Honor Society will enable me to remain connected to the scientific research community.鈥
鈥淪ima is absolutely deserving of this recognition,鈥 said Holz. 鈥淪he is motivated, curious, and genuinely interested in science and research. At 糖心视频污, she took challenging courses because she enjoys learning.鈥
In addition, Rina Leah Davidson, a senior studying neurobiology and president of Stern鈥檚 Neuroscience Society, has recently coauthored an article about her research at The Rockefeller University in Molecular Psychiatry and was accepted to Columbia University鈥檚 Amgen Scholars Program for the summer of 2016. The program seeks to increase learning and networking opportunities for students committed to pursuing science or engineering careers.
Davidson鈥檚 research, which focuses on the effect of aging and Alzheimer鈥檚 disease on the brain鈥檚 memory center, is explored in the article 鈥溾 and also forms the basis of her senior thesis in the Honors Program.
鈥淚 am incredibly passionate about the study of the brain鈥攊t is one of the most complex and least understood realms of science,鈥 said Davidson, who intends to pursue a career in research and will apply to PhD programs in the field this fall. 鈥淚鈥檓 most interested in studying neurodevelopment because I believe that understanding how the brain becomes structured will provide insights into how science can fix it when things go wrong, for instance in the case of traumatic brain injuries or neurodegenerative disorders.鈥
At Stern, classes in neurobiology and behavioral neuroendrocinology with Dr. Amanda Mitchell, adjunct assistant professor of psychology, gave Davidson some of her first opportunities for hands-on scientific research, and Dr. Harvey Babich helped connect her with cutting-edge research opportunities such as her internship at Rockefeller. As an Amgen Scholar, she鈥檒l be studying adult neurogenesis, the creation of new brain cells after puberty. 鈥淚鈥檓 really excited about it because it鈥檚 a promising and relatively new field of research,鈥 said Davidson.
鈥淭he concentrations in cellular and molecular biology as well as neuroscience within the biology department requires students to complete an extremely rigorous grouping of science courses,鈥 said Babich. 鈥淩ina has been the driving force behind the neuroscience concentration at Stern, which has benefited many other undergraduates.鈥
Jennifer (Sima) Grossman)
Jennifer (Sima) Grossman)
