Student Researchers Share Their Findings at Symposium

5/31/2023

For Serena Sharma ’25, the Science Research Symposium was a time to breathe and bond.

“It was a great way to show off all the work that we have done throughout the year and also see posters from those who aren't in our research class," Sharma said.

Twenty-five upper school science research students participated in the symposium. They showcased their completed and upcoming research projects and celebrated eight seniors: Charlie Cooper, Ella Dundas, Angelica Lopez-Tucker, Nataliia Kulieshova, Stella Simonds, Vika Sokolenko, Jesse Xu and Tim Yang.

Kristina Gremski, science research program director, was pleased that families and faculty came to “support the students who may become future leaders in STEM fields.”

“The biggest highlight for me was to see a group of fifth graders attend,” Gremski said. “It was a good experience for the upper school students to try to adjust their presentations based on their audience.”

Research topics included environmental science, neuroscience, chemistry, behavioral and social science, animal science, astrophysics, and biomedical and health science.

Sharma’s interest in genetic defects and miscarriages led to the selection of her subject matter in cellular and molecular biology: “Investigating the Role of F-Actin in Chromosome-Specific Egg Aneuploidy.”

“I have a big interest in why genetic defects and miscarriages occurred and found Dr. Binyam Mogessie's lab at Yale University, so I asked if I could pursue my research in his lab and he said yes,” Sharma explained. “I will be continuing my research at Yale this summer studying the different meiotic proteins and discovering more solutions to aneuploid.”

Gremski noted the advantages of the program reach far beyond the lab or classroom. “Each student follows their own science interests and experiences what it’s like to carry out a long-term project. They also learn how to create a resume and write professional emails to scientists, how to persevere when their emails are not answered, how to present their research in front of experts, and how to defend their work by answering challenging questions.”