BMB Assistant Professor ChangHui Pak recently published her research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), showing how a rare, single-gene mutation impairs the release of neurotransmitters in the brains of patients with schizophrenia. Samples of cell specimens from schizophrenia patients with the same genetic variant – the deletion of neurexin 1 (NRXN1) – were found to have a major decrease in neurotransmitter release and synaptic signaling. While this mutation is known to predispose people to a range of neurodevelopmental disorders, Dr. Pak’s research provides insight into what cellular pathways are perturbed among people with schizophrenia to help narrow the search for the root cause of the disease. The Pak Lab plans to continue this research, supported by a five-year, $2.25 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health.

Eugenia Roberts, a recent BMB alumna, was named as a UMass Rising Researcher for the Spring 2021 semester. Eugenia was only 17 when she came to UMass Amherst from her home country of Nicaragua. Working with Sloan Siegrist, assistant professor of microbiology, Eugenia has developed a new, much faster way to detect bacterial bloodstream infections. Last fall, the technology received a $100,000 seed grant from the UMass Amherst Manning/IALS Innovation Awards program.

Two BMB seniors will be honored as 21st Century Leaders during Undergraduate Commencement. This award honors the exemplary achievement, initiative, and leadership of some of its most talented and accomplished graduating seniors. AnnMarie Marquis, a BMB and BDIC double major in CHC, is a firefighter and EMT for the Amherst Fire Department’s Student Force. Her self-designed thesis research in immuno-engineering focuses on reprogramming immune cells to prevent tumor progression in cancer, and she plans to continue her education in healthcare, science and engineering. Hannah Guard, a BMB and Public Health double major in CHC, is an executive board member of Students to End Alzheimer’s Disease. Her research explores the relationship between bisphenol A (BPA), an environmental chemical, and inflammatory makers in breast milk of nursing mothers, and she will begin the master’s program in epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health next fall. 

Two groups of BMB faculty and staff were accepted as Inclusive Excellence (IE) Fellows for the 2021-2022 academic year. This fellowship supports faculty and staff leaders in the College of Natural Sciences (CNS) to implement projects that foster the inclusion of all undergraduate students in CNS.

A group of lecturers from three CNS departments, including BMB, will use this fellowship to gain a deeper understanding of growth mindset and its relationship to diversity and equity in higher education. Their goal is to develop an introductory class module on addressing misconceptions surrounding fixed notions of intelligence that can be shared with instructors throughout CNS to increase a sense of student belonging and support student success.

The BMB Advising Team will use this fellowship to help grow a student mentoring program aimed at addressing feelings of disconnect and imposter syndrome among students in the major, as well as providing support for students’ academic concerns. This program will not only increase support for first and second year students, but will also provide mentoring experience for third and fourth year students and increase connections among students who have had a predominantly virtual college experience.