Theresa Meickle
Theresa Meickle's research focus is in marine natural products. She is currently working on isolating novel biologically active compounds from marine cyanobacteria collected along the coast of Florida and throughout the Caribbean. In addition to finding molecules with a potential biomedical use, Theresa works closely with researchers at the Smithsonian Marine Station in Fort Pierce, FL to investigate possible ecological effects of the isolated molecules.
Patrick Cosme
Patrick Cosme is a second year Chemistry graduate working under Dr Guodong Sui. His research focuses on the application of Microfluidic systems to the synthesis ofnanoparticles. Current projects include nanosized liposomes for drug delivery and titanium dioxide nanoparticles for environmental decontamination and battlefield applications. For the GK-12 Fellowship Program;he has worked with Palm Beach County teacher Tony Fanego of Lake Worth High School.
Raul Vargas
Raul is a fourth year Mechanical Engineering Ph D. graduate student, working with his advisor Dr Chi-Tay Tsai . His research focuses on the selection of the best market dental adhesives used in restorations under a photopolymerization process. For the GK-12 fellowship program, he has worked with Chemistry teachers Tyrone Mosely and Antonio Fanego at Lake Worth Highschool, West Palm Beach, Fl.
Percy’s research involves the study of structure-function of glycosyltransferases by means of protein engineering, with an emphasis on enzyme-substrate interactions and catalytic mechanism. Among the over 90 glycosyltransferase families, her research has been focused on the α-1,3 Galactosyltransferase family which includes bovine α-1,3 galactosyltransferase, human histo-blood group A and B glycosyltransferases, canine Frossman glycolipid (Gb5) synthase, and rat isogloboside 3 (iGb3) synthase in mammals. Her most recent research has been extended to the study of homologous enzymes in bacteria and phages. Her goal is to gain a better understanding on substrate specificity and catalysis of these enzymes. She believes this research will serve as the basis for engineering of glycosyltransferases which may be used in the synthesis of novel glycoconjugates.
Matthew Rowan
Matt is a second year PhD student in the Biomedical Science Dept. at Florida Atlantic University, working under Dr. Wen Shen. His research is in neurophysiology, with a focus on neuronal signal transduction and network communications within the retina. His research may have broad implications in the visual sciences and general neurological sciences as well. For the GK-12 program he has previously worked under teachers Tyrone Mosely and Tony Fanego at Lake Worth High School in Palm Beach County.
Jonathan is a 4th year physics Ph.D. student working with Dr. Warner Miller in the FAU Spacetime Physics (FAUST) group. His research focuses on extending the framework of simplicial spacetimes, particularly on howto incorporate non-gravitational fields in simplicial lattice spacetimes for use in models of emergent spacetimes and quantum gravity.
Vanessa Seamon
Vanessa is a fourth-year Integrative Biology graduate student working under Dr. Ana Maria Azzarolo in the College of Biomedical Sciences. Her research focuses on studying the hormonal and genetic influences on Sjogren’s Syndrome using an ovariectomized animal model of the disease to study the levels of cytokines, chemokines, apoptosis, and lymphocytic infiltration in the lacrimal gland at different time points. For the GK-12 fellowship program she has previously worked with Palm Beach County teacher, Antonio Fanego of Lake Worth Community High School.
Sanaz Dovell
Sanaz is a fourth year graduate student working under Dr. Frank Mari. Her research focuses on the isolation and characterization of peptide toxins from the venom of marine snails, called Cone Snails. Isolated conopeptides are characterized by peptide sequencing, mass spectrometry, and their three dimensional structures solved with the aid of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The therapeutic potential of these conopeptides is then assed by various biological assays.
Cidya Grant
Cidya Grant is a third year chemistry graduate student working under the supervision of Dr. J. W. Louda. She is studying nutrient and photic flux influences on organic carbon, protein and carbohydrate biomass of algal groups in the Florida Everglades. She will determine the relationships of these biomass indices with chlorophyll a. This is her first year in the GK-12 program and she will work with Palm Beach County teachers, Kathy Roberts and Katie Groszek in AP Environmental Chemistry at Boca Community High School.
