The fourth annual Biochemistry Summer Symposium convened by the Biochemistry Graduate Student Society was held on August 13, 2014, at the Fluvarium. The Symposium was the largest yet, with more participants, talks, and posters than in previous Symposia.

Gathering early in the morning, some fifty participants were welcomed by Associate Dean of Science, Dr. Andy Foster, to a stimulating day of scientific research presentations. Six Master’s and six Doctoral students each gave 15 minute presentations on their research. This year for the first time, graduate students were competing for the L.M. Stead Oral Competition Award for Best Oral Presentation. This award was generously donated by Dr. Lori Stead and by Dr. René Jacobs, both alumni of the department.

During breaks in the graduate student oral presentations, participants viewed posters prepared by fourteen undergraduates on their summer research in the department. The posters were adjudicated by graduate students in the department. Awards for best poster were supported in part through the generosity of Bio-Rad and Fisher Scientific.

At lunchtime, the keynote address was delivered by Dr. Alain Nepveu, Professor of Biochemistry, and a member of the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Centre, at McGill University who spoke on “A Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: CUX1, a haploinsufficient tumour suppressor gene overexpressed in advanced cancers.”

Following further oral presentations, and poster judging in the afternoon, the formal proceedings concluded. Participants adjourned to Bitters for the Symposium Social, and to learn who the successful oral and poster award recipients would be.

Dr. Mark Berry, our new Head of Department, presided over the ceremony, and presented awards to:

Competition	Student		Supervisor
Best Undergraduate Poster	Kennedy Nmecha		Dr. S. Cheema
Runner up	Alexander Brannan		Dr. V. Booth
L.M. Stead award for best MSc talk	Nikitha K. Pallegar		Dr. S. Christian
Runner up	Jessica Besaw		Dr. V. Booth
L.M. Stead award for best PhD talk	Kayode Balogun		Dr. S. Cheema
Runner up	Matthew Nosworthy		Dr. J. Brunton & Dr. R. Bertolo

 

                 

 Dr. Mark Berry presents Kayode Balogun with the certificate for the L.M Stead Oral Competition Award for the best PhD talk

Nikitha Pallegar, winner of the L.M. Stead award for best M.Sc. Presentation

Kennedy Nmecha, winner of the best undergraduate poster award.

Runners-up Alexander Brannan and Jessica Besaw

Runner-up Mark Nosworthy receives his certificate from Dr. Mark Berry

The Biochemistry Graduate Student Society thanks Bio-Rad and Fisher Scientific for their generous support of the Symposium, as well as contributions from MUNSU, the GSU, the School of Graduate Studies, the Faculty of Science, and the Department of Biochemistry. The Society also thanks Betty Ann Lewis, Christine Squire, and Anne Sinnott for administrative help.