Local biology majors win awards for research

PITTSBURG, KANSAS -

Two Pittsburg State University undergraduate students have won top awards for their research.

Blaze Heckert, a senior in biology from Pittsburg, Kan., and Kalee Woody, a senior in biology from Bronaugh, Mo., were singled out for recognition with the Best Poster Award at the annual Kansas Institutional Development Award Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (K-INBRE) symposium in January in Topeka. The event showcases the work of students from 10 campuses in Kansas and northern Oklahoma.

Faculty advisers said the PSU students' success won't go unnoticed as they pursue their academic careers.

Having awards such as these on their resumes helps undergraduate students immensely, said Santimukul Santra, assistant professor in PSU's Department of Chemistry and supervisor of the Nano-Bio-Tech Laboratory for targeted cancer therapy and infectious diseases where the students work. It reflects their outstanding knowledge and expertise in research and brings them to the first line when competing with other top tier schools in academia. This is particularly very important for undergraduates.

Heckert, who has already accepted early admission to the UMKC dental school, said the recognition confirmed for him that PSU students could compete with students from the big research universities in the state.

I was really surprised when students and faculty from KU Med showed interest in my work, Heckert said.

The students' research can seem a little intimidating. Heckert, for example, presented a poster on his research on Inhibitor-induced combination therapy of K-RAS driven NSCLC. Woody's poster presentation was on PSMA-receptor targeting magnetic nanoprobes: Novel nanotheranostics for the treatment of prostate carcinomas.

In simpler terms, the students were looking into treatments for lung and prostate cancer.

What, if any role this research may play in the treatment or cure of cancer is undetermined, but the Heckert and Woody both agree that the hands-on research opportunities they've received at PSU have inspired them in ways they didn't expect.

Original post:
Local biology majors win awards for research