Capitol Graduate Research Summit 2020 winners announced
LAWRENCE — Four University of Kansas students received honors during the 17th annual Capitol Graduate Research Summit in Topeka at the end of February.
The event brings together top graduate student researchers from Kansas Board of Regents institutions from across the state and gives them an opportunity to present their research and discuss its effect on the state, the Midwest and the world. Thirteen students from both the Lawrence and Medical Center campuses were invited to present.
KU award winners:
Connor Chestnut, medical student in the School of Medicine, received a research award from BioKansas for the project “Targeting Bladder Cancer with Cinnamaldehyde and Trans-Cinnamic Acid.”
Olivia Provance, doctoral student in cancer biology, received a research award from the Office of Graduate Studies at the KU Medical Center for the project “Interferon Induced Transmembrane Protein-1 Plays a Vital Role in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer and Can be Targeted by the Naturally Derived Compound Parthenolide.” Provance also received a pharmacy-related research award from BioKansas, sponsored by MO Valley PDA.
Sal Rahmani, doctoral student in aerospace engineering, received a research award from the Office of Graduate Studies at the Lawrence campus for the project “Reduction of Supersonic Jet Noise by Modifying the Nozzle Exit Geometry.”
Swarnagowri Vaidyanathan, a doctoral student in bioengineering at the Lawrence campus, received a research award from BioKansas for the project “Development of Nanofluidic Device for Detecting Cancer.”
Graduate students from Kansas universities founded the Capitol Graduate Research Summit to showcase the quality and value of research to state legislators, education officials and the public.
Kansas Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers and members of the Kansas House of Representatives and Senate attended the Feb. 26 Research Summit. Two graduate students from each university campus received awards; one award from the student’s university campus, and the second award from BioKansas through a Labconco sponsorship. BioKansas also presented four additional awards, sponsored by MO Valley PDA, for students presenting pharmacy-related research.
BioKansas was founded in 2004 by the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute and the state of Kansas to unify Kansas' bioscience industry, academic research institutions and economic development organizations. Its goals are to enhance the business and research climates as well as to work with leaders from across the state to attract and retain bioscience talent, companies, and funding.