~ a post by Dr. Whisner ~ It isn't every day that you can say you had a first-time experience, but the last few months have brought about more than a few "firsts" for some of the Whisner Lab crew. Check them out below: 1. The lab group published their first review article, authored by myself and undergraduate student Luisa Castillo, a University of Texas at El Paso BUILDing Scholars student. This makes this accomplishment a trifecta of "firsts" as it was also Luisa's first ever article and the Whisner lab's first ever publication with an undergraduate author. You can check out the newest of our publications at this link: http://rdcu.be/xNep 2. Second year PhD student, Kiley Vander Wyst, was awarded her first grant from an ASU Initiative called Project Honey Bee. Funds from this grant will help her study whether a portable metabolism tracker can help pregnant women better manage their weight gain during pregnancy. Kiley has taken off like a rocket and has been meeting recruitment targets each month with a goal of finishing the project in one year! Go Kiley! 3. The lab has also welcomed its first international student, Carmen Ortega, from Spain. She is interested in a number of areas including the gut microbiome, vitamin and mineral metabolism and athletic performance. | Luisa and I at the Experimental Biology Conference in 2017, her first time to Chicago and her first scientific conference! Carmen Ortega, our newest PhD student is keeping herself busy with a few gut microbiome projects! |
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The Whisner Lab Group is made up of undergraduate and graduate students that all have various commitments beyond the activities of the lab. In order to become a closer knit group, we plan lab group activities outside of school and the lab, as a way for us to bond. These outings have included a group hike and volunteering in both our community and our school.
Exercise is a great stress reliever. It allows the opportunity to get away from the demands of life for a short amount of time while improving health. Being in Arizona, we are surrounded by gorgeous mountains and landscapes, especially during the fall and winter. As a lab group, we hiked Telegraph Pass Trail on South Mountain. This heavily trafficked trail was full of people – young and old – enjoying the year-round sunshine that Arizona offers. It was a great way for our group to get to know each other a little more. Giving back to the community by volunteering is a passion that each lab member holds dear. It is also a great way to earn experiences for future higher education and career applications. The Whisner Lab Group provided a meal for families staying at one of the three Ronald McDonald Houses in Phoenix, AZ. The Ronald McDonald Cambridge House allows families to stay, for free, while their child is receiving care at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. This house is located on the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Campus for easy access to the hospital. Their full time staff is amazing but the house (like many Ronald McDonald houses) depends on volunteers (like us!). We took a Friday evening to make a delicious fall dinner- turkey pumpkin chili and pumpkin cornbread – for the families. The experience was amazing and we definitely will be doing it again! Community involvement is only one component to professional success. Networking with other professionals who hold similar goals and challenge new and existing ideas is also necessary. The Biodesign Institute at ASU is comprised of various centers, one being the Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics (CFAM). The Whisner Lab has been a part of this center since its inception which has provided numerous collaborative opportunities among different people, groups, and departments at ASU. The Town Hall and After Hours event is an opportunity for center scientists, scholars and students to get together for institute updates, learn about colleagues’ research, and celebrate accomplishments. The Whisner Lab Group volunteered to help with the After Hours event to ensure that it was successful. During the event we were also able to catch up with other students and researchers from different labs that are members of the CFAM. It was a great evening and an amazing way to spend time together. Although we strived to forget about research and school for a little bit by participating in different activities. Our conversations naturally gravitated back to the topic of science. Catching up on how school was going, brainstorming ideas for improvements to our research, and talking about future aspirations and career goals were part of our conversations during these events. Science is a big part of our lives, and life in general. Whether it is our research, class, or state of health, as young scientists’ science transcends all aspects our lives. |
AuthorHere you will find exciting lab news, student entries and research announcements that relate to the Whisner Lab. Archives
February 2019
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