The American Society for Cellular Biology conference was eye opening and impactful. I learned so much and am grateful to have experienced it with the other students and Dr. Walsh. Each day consisted of symposia, where we heard from top scientists in the field, and free time to explore the conference and meet new people. This conference was a fun and educational experience that I will hold with me in the future. I learned a lot and am proud to have presented and faced my fears of public speaking. I am lucky to have experienced something most undergraduates will never have the chance to and I did not take any of it for granted.

There was a film premier about fat and why it is essential to our bodies. This was one of my favorite parts of the conference. After the film there was a panel and Q&A with the scientists who produced it. My favorite talk was with Juergen A. Knoblich, a researcher from the lab that originally developed “mini brains” from stem cells to study microcephaly. Mice are usually excellent model organisms for studying brain development, however microcephaly cannot be studied in mice because mice cannot get microcephaly for some unknown reason. Being able to visualize and grown actual brains in petri dishes is revolutionary and has the potential to help tons of people with ranges of neurodegenerative diseases. Having the opportunity to hear him speak was incredible because we talked about mini brains and listened to an NPR segment about this researcher and his lab in my English class last semester. As a Biology major, I never expected something from my English class to feel so relevant in my life. Liberal arts at its finest.

Top photo: Paxton Sickler, Dr. Walsh, Ashley Becker.

Bottom photo: Annamarie Bryant, Ashley Becker, Paxton Sickler, Matt Volk.

The past three days at the American Society for Cellular Biology conference in San Francisco, California has been incredible. My mind is filled with science and I have been learning so much from the speakers. I am grateful to have taken Cellular Biology at Rollins because it has given me the knowledge to follow along with so much of what is being spoken about. Without it, I am not sure I would be able to take in as much science as I am. Today I (right) presented my research in a poster presentation with Paxton Sickler (left).

The presentation was nerve wracking at first, but we became more comfortable and confident as we spoke to more people. I have always been terrified of speaking in front of people and this presentation helped build my self-confidence. I am proud of myself, and Paxton, for doing as well as we did. Fellow educators had questions for us and applauded our research. The conference was filled with undergraduates/graduates/educators/and scientists. It was interesting to talk to each kind of attendee and hear their approaches towards the poster.

There was an interesting talk geared towards undergraduates at the conference about animation and learning. The woman who spoke discussed her journey through college and grad school as a molecular biologist who fell in love with art and animations and now designs animations for biology. Animations and videos have been a huge part of my learning throughout college. Being able to visualize what is happening at a molecular level is a huge help in understanding the complex processes. She animated how HIV infects cells and shared with us an email from one of her viewers with HIV about how informative and helpful it was for her to see what is happening in her own body. This showed me how impactful and powerful science can be to the rest of the community, and as one who is pursuing a career in the medical field, I hope to make a difference too.