ASSIP will impact more than our 51 partici- pants this year. Ed Mathieu was the first sec- ondary school teacher to participate in AS- SIP and enrich his professional experiences. With guidance from Dr. Pat Gillevet, Mathieu performed laboratory experiments to build and enhance a curriculum for a high school biotechnology class, which he will implement in spring 2013. It has been a successful year for the ASSIP alumni and their mentors. Fifteen of the for- mer participants were co-authors on twelve journal articles, abstracts and book chapters published since 2011. Additionally, art work created by the 2011 Aspiring Scientists was displayed at the Science Museum of Vir- ginia from May to August 2012. A novel Lyme disease research project origi- nally conceptualized by Temple Douglas, a 2009 and 2010 alumna, translated into a clinical trial at Inova Fairfax Hospital sup- ported by Ceres Nanosciences. This unique test measures proteins from the bacterium Borrelia burgdoferi that causes Lyme dis- ease. The trial has accrued 60 patients to date. ASSIP alumni have landed exciting jobs and internships. Some recently graduated from college and entered graduate school or the job market. Others were awarded impressive scholarships or full rides to attend college this fall. One established a non-profit organi- zation, myTwoBites, which assists expecting mothers to maintain a well balanced diet. ASSIP SEPTEMBER, 2012 FALL 2012 ISSUE Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program Mentor Spotlight 2 Student Research- ers Gain Teaching Experience 3 2012 Aspiring Scientists 4 ASSIP Alumni 6 HS Science Teacher in the Lab 8 Intersection of Art and Science 9 Student Publications 10 Poster Session 11 Local Jobs & Internships 11 From the Editors’ Desk & Sponsors 12 Inside This Issue ASSIP expanded once again! Students in the past six years have made ground breaking discoveries in a variety of scientific disci- plines. This summer students also gained experience in bioengineering and applied mathematics at Mason and one student par- ticipated in veterinary research at the Vir- ginia Tech Marion DuPont Scott Equine Medical Center. This expansion encom- passed nine new mentors who assisted the Aspiring Scientists to investigate carbon nanotubes, build prosthetics, and model fluid structure interaction to create more efficient unmanned aerial vehicles. Kind donations from local companies and individuals have continued to support AS- SIP. These donations allow the program to provide cutting edge internship opportuni- ties for high school and undergraduate stu- dents year after year. We would like to thank our sponsors who are committed to investing in future Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) leaders. 2012 Highlights ASSIP Participants One hundred sixty-three students have par- ticipated in ASSIP since its inception in 2007. Some have participated for 2-3 years.
Transcript
ASSIP will impact more than our 51 partici-
pants this year. Ed Mathieu was the first sec-
ondary school teacher to participate in AS-
SIP and enrich his professional experiences.
With guidance from Dr. Pat Gillevet,
Mathieu performed laboratory experiments
to build and enhance a curriculum for a high
school biotechnology class, which he will
implement in spring 2013.
It has been a successful year for the ASSIP
alumni and their mentors. Fifteen of the for-
mer participants were co-authors on twelve
journal articles, abstracts and book chapters
published since 2011. Additionally, art work
created by the 2011 Aspiring Scientists was
displayed at the Science Museum of Vir-
ginia from May to August 2012.
A novel Lyme disease research project origi-
nally conceptualized by Temple Douglas, a
2009 and 2010 alumna, translated into a
clinical trial at Inova Fairfax Hospital sup-
ported by Ceres Nanosciences. This unique
test measures proteins from the bacterium
Borrelia burgdoferi that causes Lyme dis-
ease. The trial has accrued 60 patients to
date.
ASSIP alumni have landed exciting jobs and
internships. Some recently graduated from
college and entered graduate school or the
job market. Others were awarded impressive
scholarships or full rides to attend college
this fall. One established a non-profit organi-
zation, myTwoBites, which assists expecting
mothers to maintain a well balanced diet.
ASSIP S E P T E M B E R , 2 0 1 2 F A L L 2 0 1 2 I S S U E
Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program
Mentor Spotlight 2
Student Research-
ers Gain Teaching
Experience
3
2012
Aspiring
Scientists
4
ASSIP Alumni 6
HS Science
Teacher in the Lab
8
Intersection of Art
and Science
9
Student
Publications
10
Poster
Session
11
Local Jobs &
Internships
11
From the Editors’
Desk & Sponsors
12
Inside This
Issue ASSIP expanded once again! Students in the
past six years have made ground breaking
discoveries in a variety of scientific disci-
plines. This summer students also gained
experience in bioengineering and applied
mathematics at Mason and one student par-
ticipated in veterinary research at the Vir-
ginia Tech Marion DuPont Scott Equine
Medical Center. This expansion encom-
passed nine new mentors who assisted the
Aspiring Scientists to investigate carbon
nanotubes, build prosthetics, and model
fluid structure interaction to create more
efficient unmanned aerial vehicles.
Kind donations from local companies and
individuals have continued to support AS-
SIP. These donations allow the program to
provide cutting edge internship opportuni-
ties for high school and undergraduate stu-
dents year after year. We would like to
thank our sponsors who are committed to
investing in future Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math (STEM) leaders.
2012 Highlights
ASSIP Participants
One hundred sixty-three students have par-
ticipated in ASSIP since its inception in 2007.
Some have participated for 2-3 years.
Dr. Kylene Kehn-Hall, a highly sought mentor, re-
ceives numerous requests to volunteer in her lab.
When offered the opportunity to become an ASSIP
mentor in 2010, she kindly accepted recognizing it as
a focused, well organized program that provides a
wonderful way to select qualified candidates who are
genuinely interested in performing biodefense re-
search.
Kehn-Hall’s lab focuses on elucidating the host re-
sponse to viral infections caused by three different
pathogens, Rift Valley Fever Virus (RVFV), Venezue-
lan Equine Encephalitis Virus (VEEV) and HIV.
RVFV and VEEV are naturally occurring emerging
infectious pathogens and potential biological weapons
with no treatment options. “By understanding the
host response to infection, we aim to identify
specific host proteins that can be therapeutically
targeted. We are also interested in improving
diagnostic assays for RVFV and VEEV through
the use of nanoparticle and microfluidic tech-
nologies,” Kehn-Hall comments.
This summer, Kehn-Hall’s team of eight was com-
posed of two ASSIP undergraduates, two Masters De-
gree students including one ASSIP alumni starting her
MS in the fall, three PhD students, and one technician.
Kehn-Hall is very enthusiastic about having the stu-
dents in her lab and acknowledges that they are
“critical” to the research she is conducting.
When asked why she feels students benefit from
working in her lab, she replies, “Working in my lab
for the summer gives students hands-on experi-
ence, which is critical to fully understand bio-
logical research. They have the opportunity to
address a real life scientific question, not just
one you would see in a laboratory class.” Addi-
tionally, she recognizes that the Aspiring Scientists
benefit from interacting with other students in her lab
who inspire them to go further with their research.
Kehn-Hall values the importance of a mentor’s role in
students’ development. She cites her MS and PhD
mentor, Dr. Fatah Kashanchi, as an important influ-
ence in the way her life was shaped. She reflects, “He
personally worked with me and taught me how to per-
form many protein based assays. He also worked with
me away from the bench on experimental design and
critical interpretation of my data.”
“It is obvious that Dr. Kehn-Hall is a dedicated,
influential mentor. The Aspiring Scientists have
truly enjoyed their experiences in her laboratory
and have been very successful as well,” com-
ments ASSIP director Amy VanMeter Adams. 2010 ASSIP alumni, Lee Dean is currently pursuing a
MS in forensic science and is a research assistant at
Virginia Commonwealth University. 2011 ASSIP par-
ticipants Chelsea Pinkham and Annalise Schoonmaker
were co-authors on research articles published this
year. Mason student, Pinkham recently graduated and
entered Kehn-Hall’s lab as a MS student this fall.
Kehn-Hall recognizes the important contributions AS-
SIP sponsors make to the program. These companies
are certainly inspiring future scientific leaders! Kehn-
Hall is incredibly thankful for the supplies she re-
ceives for her participation as a mentor. She notes,
“Providing students the opportunity to learn in a lab
based setting requires not only dedicated time, but also
money. The supplies really help to lessen the financial
responsibilities of mentoring ASSIP students.”
2 September 2012 ASSIP
Mentor Spotlight: Kylene Kehn-Hall
Mentor Kyelene Kehn-Hall (right) and Aspiring Scientist
Alexandra Johnson (left) discussing experimental results
and planning further experiments. Photo courtesy of Ma-
son Creative Services.
http://assip.cos.gmu.edu/ 3
High school, undergraduate, and graduate students in
Dr. Ted Dumas’ Physiological and Behavioral Neuro-
science in Juveniles (PBNJ) lab, located in Mason’s
Krasnow Institute tackled important neuroscience is-
sues this summer. Researchers in the lab explored how
memory develops and investigated physiological and
molecular substrates responsible for memory. Break-
throughs in the PBNJ lab will lead to better under-
standing of the neural bases of learning and the neural
pathologies associated with congenital and neurode-
generative disorders. This summer, eight ASSIP stu-
dents were involved
in these research
activities.
Dumas paired the
Aspiring Scientists
with experienced
student researchers
who guided them
through the scien-
tific process and
trained them to pro-
duce reliable scien-
tific results. Robert
Gardner, graduate
student, and Sarah
Albani, 2009 and
2011 ASSIP
alumna, were two
such mentors who
exercised their
teaching skills this
summer.
Gardner mentored 2011 and 2012 Aspiring Scientists
Himika Rahman and Alexa Corso and 2011 partici-
pants Man-Hua Zhu and Akshay Deverakonda. He
considers his participation as an ASSIP mentor benefi-
cial to both his short and long term professional goals.
After completing his PhD at Mason, Gardner aspires
to conduct and supervise original basic scientific re-
search. His work conducted with the team of four As-
piring Scientists is currently being prepared for publi-
cation. Gardner is thankful for the students’ contribu-
tions and is impressed by their “sound educational
foundation” and “motivation to learn new concepts
and techniques.”
Similarly, Albani considers mentoring to be a reward-
ing experience, especially when working with such
bright and inquisitive students. "It has kept me on my
toes, brushing up on information and details that I may
have forgotten or procedures that have become second
nature in order to be able to convey it to someone else
in depth and breadth. I try to make an extra effort to
break the layers down when I’m teaching or training
others to help them build a more salient and complete
picture," she remarks.
As a prior Aspiring Scientist, Albani appreciates the
value of ASSIP. “What
I learned through my
work in the lab, I guar-
antee, I could never
have learned from text-
books or class lectures.
Nothing equates to be-
ing immersed in a set-
ting and having to trou-
bleshoot through prob-
lems in real time, which
makes this learning ex-
perience much more
profound, not to men-
tion applicable.”
The Aspiring Scientists
also enjoy the presence
of these mentors in the
lab and are benefitting
from the experience.
Corso is enthusiastic
about her work with memory which is a passion in-
spired by the Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore
movie "50 First Dates" and the story of Clive Wear-
ing, a British conductor who suffered from amnesia.
She describes the lab setting as "a fun atmosphere."
Not only does she enjoy performing experiments her-
self, but is also intrigued by learning more about the
research conducted by the large team of students and
scientists in the PBNJ lab. Corso compliments Gard-
ner as a “great teacher and mentor” and notes that Dr.
Dumas is a “brilliant scientist.” In return, Dumas
states, “I am impressed by the quality of students the
ASSIP program recruits. I feel better about the future
of science in the U.S. when engaged in programs like
ASSIP.”
Stepping up to the Plate: Student Researchers Gain Teaching Experience
Himika Rahman (left) and Alex Corso (right) performing experi-
ment to understand the transition from attentive to automatic navi-
gation. Photo courtesy of Mason Creative Services.
2012 Aspiring Scientists
Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular
Medicine
Dr. Alessandra Luchini & Dr. Ruben Magni
Neal Saini (Clemson University)
Dr. Claudia Fredolini & Mrs. Virginia Espina
Chandler King (Osbourn Park High School,
Governor’s School @ Innovation Park)
Mrs. Isela Gallagher & Mrs. Virginia Espina
Zachary Chapman (Battlefield High School,
Governor's School @ Innovation Park)
Ms. Yagahira Castro Sesquén & Dr. Lance Liotta
Nina Saini (College of Charleston)
Volgenau School of Engineering
Dr. Amarda Shehu
Scott Jordan (W.T. Woodson High School)
Dr. Carolina Salvador Morales
Dhruv Bansal (Thomas Jefferson High School)
Dr. Nathalia Peixoto & Dr. Padmanabhan Seshaiyer
Archis Bhandarkar (Thomas Jefferson High School)
Dr. Siddhartha Sikdar
Jayanth Devanathan (Thomas Jefferson High School)
Dr. Vasiliki N. Ikonomidou
Ahmed Skaljic (McLean High School)
Emily Wood (Osbourn Park High School)
“My ASSIP experience was unique in that
my mentor really took the time to teach
me what I needed to know and then let me
do cutting-edge research on my own. I
learned a lot about not only the scientific
content of my research but also about the
practice of scientific research itself. This
summer at the lab has convinced me to
continue pursuing biological research as
an undergraduate to build upon the strong
basis I formed this summer.”
— Suhas Gondi
4 September 2012 ASSIP
Virginia Tech Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical
Center, Leesburg, VA
Dr. Jennifer Barrett
Lauren Marfurt (George Mason University)
Krasnow Institute
Dr. Nadine Kabbani
Pierce Eggan (Thomas Jefferson High School)
Dr. Ted Dumas
Alexa Corso (Oakton High School)
Carolina Barriga (Robert E. Lee High School)
Chloe Siebach (Thomas Jefferson High School )
Christina Lee (The College of William & Mary)
Himika Rahman (Thomas Jefferson High School )
Megan Yetman (Battlefield High School, Governor's
School @ Innovation Park)
Penelope Petersen (University of Southern Queensland)
Nayan Lamba (University of Virginia)
National Center for Biodefense & Infectious
Diseases
Suhas Gondi (right) and Mason PhD student,
Srividya Chandramouli Iyer (left) viewing nerve
cells under the fluorescent microscope. Photo cour-
tesy of Mason Creative Services.
Dr. Aarthi Narayanan & Dr. Fatah Kashanchi
Brian Hetrick (George Mason University)
Dr. Kylene Kehn-Hall
Alexandra Johnson (Stonewall Jackson High School,
Governor's School @ Innovation Park)
Katherine Fite (George Mason University)
Dr. Ramin Hakami
Kuan Yao (George Mason University)
http://assip.cos.gmu.edu/ 5
School of Systems Biology
Dr. Ancha Baranova
Arpan Neupane (George Mason University)
Dr. Daniel Cox
Saniya Suri (Thomas Jefferson High School)
Suhas Gondi (Thomas Jefferson High School)
Dr. Gita Sudama & Dr. Jim Willett
Danial Khan (George Mason University)
Dr. Iosif Vaisman
Anand Prasanna (Thomas Jefferson High School)
Hong Myung Lim (Osbourn Park High School)
Ji Hun Kim (Thomas Jefferson High School)
Martha Shields (Thomas Jefferson High School)
Prabhu Tewari (Thomas Jefferson High School)
Tavish McDonald (Loudoun Valley High School)
Dr. Monique van Hoek
Hunter Batchelder (University of Toronto)
Chemistry and Biochemistry Department
Dr. Barney Bishop
Daniel Matson (Thomas Jefferson High School)
Oriana Bughi (George Mason University)
Dr. Robin Couch
Brandon Schweibenz (Temple University)
Karen Villarroel (Osbourn Park High School)
Richard Young (Thomas Jefferson High School)
Environmental Science and Policy
Dr. Patrick Gillevet & Dr. Masoumeh Sikaroodi
Manjot Nagyal (Manassas Park High School,
Governor’s School @ Innovation Park)
Sanchita Gupta (Bishop O' Connell High School)
Ed Mathieu (High School Teacher at Flint Hill
School)
Mathematical Sciences
Dr. Padmanabhan Seshaiyer
Alexandra Zeller (George Mason University)
Joseph Renaud (George Mason University)
Rohan Banerjee (Thomas Jefferson High School)
Sang Yun Kim (Stonewall Jackson High School,
Governor’s School @ Innovation Park)
Department of Physics, Astronomy and
Computational Sciences
Dr. Rob Cressman
Devin Williams (The Madeira School)
Patrick Dinh (Thomas Jefferson High School)
Schyler Pa (Thomas Jefferson High School)
Dr. Jason Kinser
Nicholas Haliday (Thomas Jefferson High School)
Jacob Kinser (Brentsville District High School)
2012 Aspiring Scientists
2012 Aspiring Scientists. Photo courtesy of Mason
Creative Services.
“ ASSIP gave me am incredibly rewarding opportu-
nity to work in an environment not usually offered
to high school and undergraduate students. This
amazing program provided hands-on experience
working with prestigious scientists in their chosen
field and has opened new and previously unknown
academic and career paths.”
— Katherine Fite
Dennis Wang Thomas Jefferson High School (2008)
Mentor: Dr. Daniel Cox
Dennis is a junior at Yale University majoring in molecular
biophysics and biochemistry and global affairs. He spent this
summer in Rwanda evaluating health related projects for the
non-profit organization, Spark MicroGrants. He plans to
apply for the 5 year BS/MPH program this semester.
Katherine Cardiff UCLA (2008)
Mentor: Dr. Victor Morozov
Katherine graduated magna cum laude from UCLA in 2010
with a B.S. in neuroscience. After working at the National
Cancer Institute from July 2010-November 2011, she was
hired as a Research Assistant at the University of Maryland
School of Medicine Neurotrama laboratory.
6 September 2012 ASSIP
ASSIP Alumni: Where Are They Now?
The Aspiring Scientists program was developed with a key goal in mind—to give young students the opportunity
to perform hands-on, real-world science research. One hundred and ninety nine participants have applied their ac-
quired knowledge to not only pursue science careers, but to thrive in those environments as well. Many former
students have noted how participating in ASSIP helped build their research backgrounds and prepare them for the
future. See what exciting things some of our former students are up to now:
Trish Ike Stonewall Jackson High School (2009, 2011)
Mentor: Dr. Robin Couch
Trish participated in the Howard Hughes Research Fellows
Program at Duke University’s Department of Medicine and
Pathology this summer researching sickle cell anemia. She is
a sophomore at Duke University studying evolutionary an-
thropology and minoring in chemistry. She is also working
toward a certificate in human development.
Anirudh Mohan Thomas Jefferson High School (2008, 2009)
Mentor: Dr. Barney Bishop
Anirudh is a junior at Duke University and an AB scholar
studying electrical engineering, economics and physics. He
has conducted biomaterials research since his freshman year
at the university and submitted a first author manuscript to
Applied Physics Letters. He worked as a program manager
at Microsoft this summer and also created a start-up organi-
zation, myTwoBites.
Meng-Yang Chen Thomas Jefferson High School (2007)
Mentor: Dr. Robin Couch
Meng-Yang graduated summa cum laude this spring from
Duke University with a B.S.E. in biomedical and electrical /
computer engineering. He will be working as an Innovation
Fellowship Engineer for 1 year at Beckman Coulter.
Amanuel Shitaye Thomas Jefferson High School (2009, 2010)
Mentor: Dr. Julie Wulfkuhle and Dr. Troy Anderson
Amanuel is a sophomore at The College of William &
Mary. Thanks to an Howard Hughes Medical Institute
(HHMI) grant he received during his freshman year,
Amanuel is continuing to work in a yeast genetics lab exam-
ining cdc48 and ufd1 interaction with SUMO-targeted Ubiq-
uitin ligases.
Nishant Trivedi Thomas Jefferson High School (2007)
University of Virginia (2009)
Mentor: Dr. Weidong Zhou
Nishant graduated in spring 2012 from UVA with a BA in
biology. He plans to spend the next year working in the re-
search and medical field while applying to medical schools.
Nishant was co-author on a book chapter published in Meth-
ods in Molecular Biology in January 2012.
Arjan Kool James Madison High School (2008)
Mentor: Dr. Weidong Zhou
Arjan is a senior at UVA majoring in chemical engineering.
He is currently working as an undergraduate research assis-
tant in the Chemical Engineering Department at UVA and
will be presenting his research project at the 2012 Annual
American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AiCHE) confer-
ence.
Tiffany Chen George Mason University (2011)
Mentor: Dr. Myung Chung
Tiffany graduated with a M.S. in biotechnology from
Georgetown University. She was awarded the National Insti-
tute of Health Intramural Research Training Award and is
working in the Genetic Engineering Section of the Lab of
Viral Diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infec-
tious Diseases (NIAID).
Lauren Andres Osbourn Park High School (2010)
Mentor: Ms. Isela Gallagher
Lauren earned an advanced studies and biotechnology di-
ploma from Osbourn Park High School in spring 2012. She
was awarded a Navy ROTC Scholarship and is attending
Catholic University of America on a full ride studying nurs-
ing.
http://assip.cos.gmu.edu/ 7
Sarah Neale Osbourn Park High School (2009)
University of Virginia (2010)
Mentor: Dr. Myung Chung, Dr. Robin Couch
Sarah is a senior majoring in biology at UVA. She has been
working in a cell biology laboratory at the university since
her sophomore year. After graduating in spring 2013, Sarah
plans to join the Peace Corps and pursue a graduate degree
in public health.
Kiran Toor Hylton High School (2009)
Virginia Commonwealth University (2011)
Mentor: Dr. Alessandra Romano, Dr. Jessica Gill
Kiran performed research this summer as an intern at the
National Cancer Institute. She returned to the honors college
at VCU this semester as a junior majoring in biology and
minoring in chemistry and mathematics.
Myra Jehangir George Mason University (2010)
Mentor: Dr. Barney Bishop
Myra graduated from the biology program with honors at
George Mason University in spring 2012. She is currently
studying at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.
After receiving her DDS, Myra plans to pursue oral maxillo-
facial surgery.
Chelsea Pinkham George Mason University (2011)
Mentor: Dr. Kylene Kehn-Hall
Chelsea received a B.S. in biology from George Mason Uni-
versity in August 2012. She is currently pursuing a M.S. in
microbiology and infectious diseases at Mason. She will
perform her thesis research in Dr. Kehn-Hall’s laboratory.
Christine Franzel Agnes Scott College (2010)
Mentor: Dr. Paul Cooper
Christine is a senior at Agnes Scott College double major-
ing in chemistry and mathematics and minoring in Spanish.
She is a recipient of the 2012 Goldwater Scholarship, which
is a national scholarship awarded to outstanding math, sci-
ence and engineering undergraduates. This summer Chris-
tine participated in the Naval Research Laboratory’s Naval
Research Enterprise Internship Program.
Kevin Boehm Thomas Jefferson High School (2010)
Mentor: Dr. Antonella Chiechi
Kevin is a sophomore at Yale University majoring in bio-
medical engineering. He is conducting research in the De-
partment of Diagnostic Radiology at the Yale School of
Medicine and at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine,
which is a joint collaboration between Harvard Medical
School and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Akshay Deverakonda Thomas Jefferson High School (2011)
Mentor: Dr. Ted Dumas
Akshay is a sophomore at the College of William & Mary
majoring in environmental science and international rela-
tions. He is currently working at the EPA via a College of
William & Mary/D.C. study program.
Lily Yang George Mason University (2011)
Mentor: Dr. Yuntao Wu
Lily graduated this spring with a Bachelor’s degree in biol-
ogy and concentration in microbiology from George Mason
University. She is interested in pursing a career in scientific
marketing. Lily is currently working as a marketing assistant
and plans to pursue a Maters degree in public health.
8 September 2012 ASSIP
Ed Mathieu is a secondary school teacher who joined
ASSIP this summer as a way to apply his knowledge of
biotechnology and develop a hands-on laboratory
course for his students in spring of 2013. Mathieu dis-
covered ASSIP while working towards a certificate in
Biotechnology from Northern Virginia Community
College, which will complement his BS in biology and
MA in biology and environmental science.
Drs. Pat Gillevet and Masoumeh Sikaroodi, Mathieu's
mentors, warmly welcomed him into the scientific re-
search environment. Mathieu’s goals were to become
familiar with laboratory equipment and test experimen-
tal protocols including DNA extraction, DNA diges-
tion, PCR, gel electrophoresis, bacterial transformation,
protein purification and protein isolation. He will be
translating this knowledge to develop a hands-on high
school biotechnology laboratory course that covers cur-
rent protocols in research. Mathieu also desires to de-
velop a more advanced biotechnology class in the fu-
ture for students to progress from guided to open inves-
tigation.
This will be Mathieu 's 33rd year of teaching high
school science and his fourth year as the Science De-
partment Chair at Flint Hill School in Oakton, Virginia.
When asked if he would encourage teachers to enroll in
a similar summer program Mathieu replied, "There is
no doubt that any number of teachers would enjoy the
opportunity to spend some time in a research laboratory
during their summer. This laboratory experience was
helpful to provide examples of the skills, processes,
protocols, patience and effort needed to do science in
the “real world.” The benefit a cohort provides is the
ability to share ideas and information." He also remi-
nisced about a previous experience in a pharmacokinet-
ics laboratory at Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals
in Danbury, Connecticut. The opportunity influenced
his teaching style to encourage students to engage in
more independent lab work and analysis.
“I was delighted to hear that Ed wanted to implement a molecular biology class at Flint Hill School. I said
to myself, this is like teaching 100 ASSIP students at one time and he will be doing all the work.”
— Dr. Pat Gillevet
“It is always good to refresh your content knowledge and see
where the researchers are taking the science. Techniques have
changed and the ability to bring quite sophisticated lab activi-
ties to high school students is quite exciting.” — Ed Mathieu
High School Science
Teacher Masters Lab
Skills During the
Summer
Dr. Masoumeh Sikaroodi (left) and Ed Mathieu (right)
“I feel like it is due to the fact that I explored my re-
search project through an art sculpture that I had a per-
fect opportunity to learn even more about the compo-
nents of the GC-FID," comments Sara Bellakbira, a
2011 ASSIP alumna who worked in Dr. Robin Couch's
biochemistry laboratory. Bellakbira's art was an inter-
pretation of the physics principles behind the mechan-
ics of a gas chromatography mass spectrometer.
Her primary goal was to create a figure that both lay-
men and scientists understood while demystifying the
machine that was so fundamentally important to her
research. She chose an old globe that recog-
nized the USSR, which represented her work
in biodefense. As she discovered more about
the GC-FID's elements, she chose the other
components. Bellakbira reflects, "I found
new ways to express the elements of my re-
search by incorporating it into my sculpture.
This helped me to emphasize my research in
a fun way." She also remarked that the
"lengthy process" to analyze each piece of
the sculpture could be similarly compared to
scientific research.
The 2011 ASSIP alumni's art collection,
The Intersection of Art and Science
inspired by Rebecca Kamen's speech on the intersection
between art and science, was displayed in the Science
Museum of Virginia this summer alongside Kamen's
"Making the Invisible, Visible" exhibit.
Judges Frank Heller, Laura Hughes, and David Hagan
from the Science Museum of Virginia also attended the
2012 ASSIP Poster Session to view this class’ art pro-
jects. Frank Heller, Manager of Artistic Development
remarked “The high level of creativity and prowess
exhibited by these students to express complex scien-
tific concepts is most impressive.” The 2012 ASSIP art
projects will be displayed at the Science Museum of
Virginia in summer 2013.
When considering new strategies to inspire secondary
school students to get excited about science, a similar
art project may have a place. It is an excellent way to
promote scientific exploration, creative thinking, and
fun in the classroom. Supporting this concept, secon-
dary school teacher Ed Mathieu commented, "The art
project for the ASSIP student interns is an interesting
way for the students to explore new ways of thinking.”
http://assip.cos.gmu.edu/ 9
2011 ASSIP art work displayed at the Science Museum of
Virginia. Photo courtesy of Science Museum of Virginia.
Dr. Robin Couch (left) and 2011 ASSIP participants Sara Bellakbira
(middle) and Trish Ike (right) loading samples into the mass spectrome-
ter. Photo courtesy of Mason Creative Services. Sculpture (right) cre-
ated by Sara Bellakbira representing the components of a mass spec-
trometer. Photo courtesy of the Science Museum of Virginia.
Art created by: Schyler Pa, Devin Williams, and Patrick Dinh
10 September 2012 ASSIP
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Douglas T Tamburro D, Fredolini C, Espina B, Lepene BS, Ilag L, Espina V, Petricoin EF,
Liotta LA, Luchini A. The use of hydrogel microparticles to sequester and concentrate bacterial
antigens in a urine test for Lyme disease. Biomaterials. 2011 Feb; 32(4):1157-66.
Manes NP, Dong L, Zhou W, Du X, Reghu N, Kool AC, Choi D, Bailey CL, Petricoin EF 3rd,
Liotta LA, Popov SG. Discovery of mouse spleen signaling responses to anthrax using label-
free quantitative phosphoproteomics via mass spectrometry. Mol. Cell Proteomics. 2011
Mar;10(3):M110.000927.
Dixon E, Clubb C, Pittman S, Ammann L, Rasheed Z, Kazmi N, Keshavarzian A, Gillevet P,
Rangwala H, Couch RD. Solid-Phase Microextraction and the Human Fecal VOC Me-
tabolome. PLOS1. 2011 Apr; 6(4):e18471.
Tamburro D, Fredolini C, Espina V, Douglas TA, Ranganathan A, Ilag L, Zhou W, Russo P,
cles: Discovery of Previously Invisible Biomarkers. Journal of the American Chemical Society
2011 Nov.
Iyer SC, Wang D, Iyer EPR, Trunnell SA, Meduri R, Shinwari R, Sulkowski MJ, Cox DN. The
RhoGEF Trio Functions in Sculpting Class Specific Dendrite Morphogenesis in Drosophila
Sensory Neurons. PLoS ONE 2012 Mar;7(3):e33634.
11. Kehn-Hall K, Narayanan A, Lundberg L, Sampey G, Pinkham C, Guendel I, Van Duyne R,
Senina S, Schultz KL, Stavale E, Aman MJ, Bailey C, Kashanchi F. Modulation of GSK-3β
2011-12 Student Publications ASSIP participants have significantly contributed to scientific research projects at Mason. Many have become co-authors on
scientific peer reviewed journal articles and their work has and will be presented at local and national scientific conferences.
Twenty-eight participants have been published since the program’s inception.
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Douglas T, Tamburro D, Fredolini C, Espina B, Lepene BS, Ilag L, Espina V, Petricoin EF 3rd, Liotta LA, Luchini A. The
use of hydrogel microparticles to sequester and concentrate bacterial antigens in a urine test for Lyme disease. Biomaterials.
2011 Feb; 32(4):1157-66.
Manes NP, Dong L, Zhou W, Du X, Reghu N, Kool AC, Choi D, Bailey CL, Petricoin EF 3rd, Liotta LA, Popov SG. Dis-
covery of mouse spleen signaling responses to anthrax using label-free quantitative phosphoproteomics via mass spectrome-
