UGA CURO, or the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunity, allows PharmDawgs in the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences(BSPS) program explore their research potential. Earlier this semester, CURO hosted their capstone annual event, the Student Symposium, which offers undergraduates an opportunity to share their research to the broader community. Naturally, the PharmDawg Nation was well represented! Here are highlights of some of the BSPS students who participated.

Arjan Sandhu, Maya Cornish, Kirsten Raulerson presented a poster abstract titled “Analysis of Liver Illness Symptoms in Uninsured Patients from Athens, Georgia” at the CURO event. Their research was conducted at the Athens Wellness Clinic under the guidance of the undergraduate research elective (PMCY 4960/4970) taught by Dr. Brian Seagraves. The research highlighted the positive health impacts of receiving viral hepatitis C therapy and finding a cure in the uninsured population in Athens. Ultimately, the research will help many indigent patients infected with hepatitis C.  Sandhu said of his research, “I think a big part of our project was the discovery that treatment doesn’t always translate 100% to individuals who do not have the same level of access to healthcare. Doing more research in fields like this is a necessary and important part of healthcare.”

Miranda Fortunato presented a poster titled “The Regulation of HCV Core protein and MAPK P38 Expression Using Intracellular Antibodies.” Her faculty mentor was Dr. Neil Grimsey, Assistant Professor in PBS. She is pictured with members of the Grimsey Group.

Neha Marupudi presented a paper, “Genetic Targets and Applications of Iron Chelators for Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation.” Her faculty mentor was Dr. May Xiong.

Tucker Lesperance had a Summer Fellowship with CURO in 2023 and presented his poster from that experience in collaboration with his lab mate, Somayeh Ghasemi. The poster was titled “2,4-diaminoquinazolines as anti-cancer agents.”