SLU ASBMB Hosts a Research Symposium for High School Students
04/01/2025
The SLU American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Chapter organized its third High School Research Symposium Outreach Event on Saturday, March 29, 2025.
The purpose of this event is to merge research and presentation experience for high schoolers in the Saint Louis area so that they are exposed to scientific research. Fifteen students from five different high schools in the greater St. Louis metropolitan area were selected and constructed either a literature review or a compilation of lab work with which they are currently involved.
At the research symposium all fifteen students gave a poster presentation, and five students were chosen to give an oral slideshow presentation.
On the day of the symposium, there were two poster sessions where students presented to a panel of judges. This panel consisted of SLU Medical Sciences professors Uthayashanker Ezekiel, Ph.D., and Rita Heuertz, Ph.D., and student judges were ASBMB E-board members Jessica Michael, Ashwin Pillai, Angela Lee, Leah Keswani, Srushti Godhani, and Riley Kruse.
Five of these students then participated in an oral slideshow presentation session and were judged by the same panel of judges.
Gift cards were given to the top presenter in the poster session and the top presenter in the oral slideshow presentation.
The following students received awards:
Poster Presentation Session
- First place: Brendan Hunt (Saint Louis University High School) and Justin Jachna (Saint Louis University High School)
- Second place: Amaya Kowalczyk (Visitation Academy of St. Louis)
- Third place: Emily Leyland (Mary Institute and Country Day School)
- Honorable Mention: Josie Duke (St. Joseph’s Academy) and Jack Williamson (Saint Louis University High School)
Oral Slideshow Presentation:
- First place: Noemi Crall (Mary Institute and Country Day School)
- Second place: Brendan Hunt and Justin Jachna (Saint Louis University High School) and Nicole Green (Mary Institute and Country Day School)
The presentation session was followed by a tour of south campus, including the Doisy Research Center, Allied Health Building laboratory spaces, and cancer research and microbiology labs of Ezekiel and Heuertz.
Organizers for the event were:
- ASBMB Executive Board President: Jessica Michael
- Vice President: Ashwin Biju Pillai
- Vice President of Event: Leah Keswani
- Secretary: Lilly Anthony
- Treasurer: Angela Lee
- Public Relations: Cassidy Tang
- Historian: Allie Brizendine
- Faculty Advisor: Uthayashanker Ezekiel, Ph.D.