School of Natural and Social Sciences

Jorge Acuna

I am a senior biology major. I received my associate’s degree from Rockland Community College (RCC) where I was vice president of my chapter of the beta beta beta Biological Honor Society. After my bacteriophage research experience with Dr. James Daly in the Purchase College Bridges Program, I used two new bacterial research models using M. marinum and M. aeruginosa with my colleagues at RCC. My M. marinum research focused on a fish pathogen related to M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis and my M. aeruginosa research focused on cyanobacterial blooms. Last year, I worked with Dr. Daly to continue research on bacteriophages and Renibacterium salmoninarum, a fish pathogen that causes bacterial kidney disease. This past summer I participated in the Summer Undergraduate Internship Program at the University of Pennsylvania, where I conducted research on detecting mouse hepatitis virus RNA in infected macrophages. This year, I am working with Dr. Elliott Abrams studying molecular processes functioning during early development using Tetrahymena thermophila. After graduating from Purchase, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Virology.

Mennefer Blue

I am a senior psychology major. I am currently a learning assistant for Research Methods I, a tutor at the Einstein Corner, and the president of the Psychology Club. Last year, I worked with Dr. Yanine Hess on a research project focused on intrapersonal and interpersonal responses to social rejection. This past summer I worked at the University of Michigan in Dr. Ethan Kross’s lab on a research project focusing on how knowledge about the duration of a painful or unpleasant experience can affect emotions during such experience. I am currently working on my senior thesis with Dr. Christopher Williams, examining the cognitive underpinnings of individuals’ objectification of sexualized women. I am also investigating the correlation between this tendency and predictors of sexual violence. My interests include understanding the causes of sexual violence and developing appropriate interventions to reduce it. After graduation, I plan to gain an international perspective on these issues in a lab abroad and then return to pursue a doctorate degree in clinical psychology.

Jennifer Paulino

I am a junior biology major. I graduated with my associate’s degree in Mathematics and Science with a concentration in Health Science from Westchester Community College where I was also a Phi Theta Kappa member. In summer 2018 I participated in the Bridges to Baccalaureate program in Dr. James Daly’s lab, where I worked with the bacterium Aeromonas salmonicida. We investigated the S layer of this bacterium and its role in the formation of biofilm.  This past summer, I participated in the Summer Research Undergraduate Program at the University of Pittsburgh in Dr. Penelope Morel’s lab. My project focused on identifying where AKT phosphorylates hnRNP L in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, a factor important in T regulatory cell differentiation. This year I am working in Dr. Stephen Harris’s lab. My project will use metagenomics to characterize host-pathogen interactions. Currently, I am a learning assistant for Cell Biology. My future goals are to graduate with my bachelor’s degree in biology and pursue an MD/PhD. My fields of interest are the human gut microbiome, microbiology, and immunology.

Elizabeth Bardwil-Lugones

My academic career began at Westchester Community College where I received associate degrees in Engineering Science and Liberal Arts and Sciences/Mathematics and Science. Currently I am a junior and Biology/Biochemistry double major. This past summer I participated in the Bridges Program at Purchase College where I tested for antifungal properties in sage and a derivative of curcumin. I will be presenting my findings from this research at the Annual Biomedical Conference for Minority Students in November. This year I am working with Dr. Stephen Harris on a genomic sequencing and bioinformatics project. I am interested in pursuing a Ph.D. related to infectious diseases, but am approaching my next two years at Purchase with an open mind to explore other topics and fields of study as well.

Angelique Malcolm

I am a senior majoring in Biochemistry. I came to Purchase College after completing its Bridges to the Baccalaureate summer research program. I worked with Dr. Mark Jonas researching how genome-wide methylation affects responses to elevated carbon dioxide in the model flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana. During my first year in the MARC U*STAR Honors Program, I worked with Dr. Elliot Abrams comparing various genotyping techniques for zebrafish mutants. The purpose of this research was to investigate a novel gene, brambleberry, and offer insights to other researchers about several PCR-based genotyping strategies. This past summer, I worked in Dr. James R. Alfano’s lab at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln investigating the involvement of Arabidopsis MAP65s in plant immunity against Pseudomonas syringae. For my senior year, I will continue my research with Dr. Elliot Abrams, creating CRISPR-Cas9 knockouts brambleberry-related zebrafish. After receiving a bachelor’s degree at Purchase College, I plan to pursue a Ph.D in Biochemistry.