Summer Science Day Strengthens Connections
Photo: Steve McCaw/NIEHS
More than 150 posters lined the Rodbell Auditorium, lobby and surrounding hallways at Research Triangle Park in North Carolina—home of NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)—for the institute’s Summer Science Day. The July 31 event served as both a celebration of discovery and a chance to strengthen the institute’s research community.
Graduate students, early-career trainees, research fellows, biologists and staff scientists shared projects spanning molecular biology, toxicology, epidemiology and structural biology—reflecting the collaborative, multidisciplinary nature of environmental health research at NIEHS.
For postbaccalaureate fellow Maty Mbye, Summer Science Day provided a welcome opportunity to discuss her research on the hidden perils of botanicals, specifically how some herbal supplements can harm liver cells. Since March, Mbye has been working in the Mechanistic Toxicology Branch.
Postdoctoral fellow Dr. Ruchir Bobde also appreciated the chance to present. Bobde is a structural biologist studying a layer of the placenta that’s crucial for exchanging nutrients between mother and fetus. His work focuses on understanding how a protein called syncytin drives the fusion of cells to form this layer. Disruptions in this process can lead to pregnancy complications.
Many presentations explored the environmental underpinnings of complex health conditions. Dr. Farnaz Fouladi, staff scientist in the constrained statistical inference group, presented findings from a study examining how the gut microbiome may influence susceptibility to HIV infection. Her analysis revealed distinct microbial patterns and interactions linked to inflammation and disease progression in men who became HIV positive.
Fouladi said she enjoyed hearing about the breadth of research underway across NIEHS. The event, she said was a great opportunity to network.
In addition to specific research projects, the event’s presentations also featured various NIEHS resources and core facilities, such as the Pathology Support Group, which plays a behind-the-scenes role in many research projects.
Renee Fisher, supervisory biologist in the Comparative and Molecular Pathology Branch, and her team offered guidance along the way, from project planning to publication. They helped researchers navigate complex scientific challenges because collaboration is key to advancing discovery.
Summer Science Day was sponsored by NIEHS’s Office of Fellows’ Career Development (OFCD), the Division of Intramural Research and the Division of Translational Toxicology.