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Keynote Speaker: Dr. Davida Smyth
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Davida Smyth
Davida S. Smyth received her Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Dublin, Trinity College, Ireland, and completed her postdoctoral training at New York Medical College, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and New York University. She has served as Associate Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Natural Sciences in Mercy College’s School of Health and Natural Sciences, Assistant Research Scientist in Richard Novick's lab at NYU Langone Medical Center, Adjunct Lecturer for the online Masters in Bioinformatics program at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and Assistant Professor of Biology at New York City College of Technology (NYCCT).
Dr. Smyth is currently an Associate Professor at the College Of Arts And Sciences, Department of Life Sciences, at Texas A&M University, San Antonio, TX. Her research focus is on the field of microbial epidemiology and genomics and she has more than 20 original articles in peer-reviewed journals.
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Doctoral Student Speaker #1: Breanna Pence
Doctoral Student Speaker #1: Breanna Pence
Breanna Pence is currently a Doctoral student under the mentorship of Dr. Siddhartha Das at UTEP. She is looking for novel treatments against the parasite Giardia lamblia, a major cause of intestinal disease worldwide. She is working to isolate extracellular vesicles secreted by Giardia and learn how these vesicles facilitate the establishment of infection within the host and how the vesicles are involved in host-parasite and parasite-parasite communication. She is also testing the impact of synthetic compounds on extracellular vesicle release by Giardia in order to utilize the vesicles as a novel target for drug development. She began work in Dr. Das’s lab as an undergraduate student in 2016 as part of the Bridges to the Baccalaureate program, then continued under the LSAMP program and U-RISE program. She received her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from UTEP in 2019 and applied to UTEP’s Ph.D. program in Pathobiology in order to continue her research. Throughout her time in the laboratory, she has presented her work at multiple national conferences and is a co-author in one major publication. In the future, she plans to seek a post-doctoral position to broaden her knowledge in research. She then aspires to seek a research position in a government or industry laboratory setting combating infectious diseases.
Doctoral Student Speaker #2: Laura Montes
Doctoral Student Speaker #2: Laura Montes
Laura Montes is a native of El Paso, TX, who started her career as an undergraduate student in El Paso Community College (EPCC) where she was accepted into the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program to do research at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). This program facilitated her transition from EPCC to UTEP. As a UTEP student, she participated in the UT System Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (UT System LSAMP program) and Undergraduate Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement program (RISE programs). Altogether, these experiences nurtured her passion for biomedical research. She graduated with a BS in Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry with Cum Laude Honors. She was awarded the UTEP Academic and Research Excellence Departmental Award for her three years dedicated to researching the effects of different compounds with antioxidant properties in the brain. Currently, Ms. Montes is a Ph.D. candidate under the mentorship of Dr. Manuel Miranda, aiming to study the expression of the glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1) in the rodent brain to identify what type of cells express it and to elucidate glycinergic circuits. More specifically, her background research experience and ongoing work incorporate extracellular field recordings, transcardiac perfusions, intracranial stereotaxic surgeries, histology, microscopy, and high-spatial-resolution mapping. During her graduate studies, Ms. Montes obtained the National Science Foundation LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship and the Richard Westbrook Jr. Student Excellence Endowment. Additionally, she collaborated on a publication during her rotation in Dr. Anita Quintana’s laboratory, contributing to the studies of the hmgcs1 gene in red blood cell development. Looking ahead, Ms. Montes is striving to obtain a postdoctoral position, followed by a tenure track position in an institution where she can give back to the community by helping under representative minorities.
Doctoral Student Speaker #3: Soumya Nair
Doctoral Student Speaker #3: Soumya Nair
I, Soumya Nair, am a second-year student in the Ph.D. in Biosciences program. Originally from the picturesque state of Kerala, India, I have built a solid academic foundation encompassing multiple biological disciplines, that include biotechnology, genetics, bioinformatics, and molecular biology. My interest in these fields prompted me to pursue a Master of Sciences in Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering. During my master’s studies, I undertook a research-based project exploring the: “Activation of TGF-β in in-vitro wound model by the effect of Hemigraphis colorata”, wherein I investigated the effect of tender and mature aqueous leaf extract of H. colorata in accelerating the wound healing process concerning TGF-β in in-vitro cell line wound model system.
My fascination with the impact of exogenous compounds and drugs on living systems motivated me to pursue an MS in Pharmacogenomics from Manchester University, Indiana. My passion for understanding gene regulation and expression and their influence on disease manifestation and drug resistance brought me to the Ph.D. program at UTEP, where I currently work under the guidance of Dr. Sourav Roy. My research is focused on analyzing transcriptomic profiles in colorectal cancer. I aim to identify specific pathways within which differentially expressed genes are enriched. My project also addresses colorectal cancer health disparities in the Hispanic population.
As a part of the Roy lab, I had the opportunity to contribute to a review article on “Regulatory Roles of Noncoding RNAs in the Progression of Gastrointestinal Cancers and Health Disparities”. I was also selected to present a poster at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) conference held in Orlando, Florida, in April 2023, where I shared the findings from my research. Looking forward, I am committed to continuing my research in the field of cancer biology, focusing on the identification of potential biomarkers or pathways that can be targeted by drugs. I aim to contribute towards the identification of biomarkers as that would help in early diagnosis or screening and improve treatment modalities, thereby significantly impacting the fight against cancer.
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