URA

She is a Biology major with a History and Chemistry minor and an URCADian*. She was also a presenter at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS). When she is not attending class or in Dr. Summers research lab, she is an Organic Chemistry Learning Assistant and Supplemental Instructor. Her future plans will include pursuing her MD/Ph.D. after obtaining her undergraduate degree.

Carly's research will explore the non-coding RNA molecules found in the 5’-untranslated region (5’-UTR) of mRNAs called RNA thermosensors (RNATs). RNATs are the regulated expression of the downstream gene as a function of temperature. She is interested in the RNAT found in the 5’-UTR of prfA, a transcriptional activator that regulates the expression of a number of virulence genes in Listeria monocytogenes, which is an important human pathogen. Other well-characterized RNATs, such as 4U, ROSE, and css, all have elucidated mechanisms. The stem of these RNATs gradually melts as a function of increasing temperature, resulting in a gradient of protein expression.

Read more about her abstract here...

*An URCADian is one who presents at URCAD.

The Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual Meeting is in Baltimore, Maryland, March 12-16, 2017. This is a special opportunity for students to participate in a large interdisciplinary science meeting at minimal cost. Undergraduate registration is complimentary and SOT will waive registration for faculty (non-SOT members) who accompany a group of undergraduates attending the meeting. A special program on Sunday, March 12, for undergraduates includes a special set of lectures and breakout sessions to introduce students to toxicology, graduate studies, and the opportunity to meet one-on-one with directors of academic toxicology programs and internship hosts. Although we especially encourage undergraduates to attend on Sunday, complimentary registration provides access at any time during the meeting.

She is an a Biological Sciences major with a minor in Statistics. She was also a presenter at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in 2016. Her project focused on measuring the binding interaction between small molecule ligands and the Core Encapsidation Signal of HIV-1 RNA as a potential drug target. Her future goal will to include obtaining her MD/PhD. She would like to open her own research lab, or have a teaching position at a university or be a clinical researcher. In her free time she is a member of the UMBC gospel choir and Learning Assistant for Biology 141.

Ugonna's research will focus on understanding how and in which orientation certain classes of ligands bind to the recently determined CES structure. Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) has become a worldwide epidemic with a high rate of infection. HIV attacks and destroys the infection-fighting CD4 cells of the immune system. Without treatment, HIV can gradually destroy the immune system and advance to AIDS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. The purpose of this project is to develop therapeutics that target functional RNA elements within the highly-conserved 5′-untranslated region (UTR). The core encapsidation signal (CES) was identified as a minimal region within the 5’- UTR that is independently capable of directing the packaging of the virus’s unspliced dimeric genome.

Read more about her research here…

Undergraduate Research Awards provide up to $1,500 to undergraduate students to support their research or creative work with a UMBC faculty mentor on an original project. 

UMBC students of all years and disciplines are invited to apply, as long as they will remain enrolled at UMBC long enough to complete the proposed work.

This is an award for all majors!  Visual artists, filmmakers, photographers-- we want your projects!

Apply Now!

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