UK students earn top rankings for scientific research presentations

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 23, 2022) — Six University of Kentucky students ranked among the top scorers for research presentations given at the Kentucky Academy of Science’s 2022 Annual Meeting in November.

More than 700 students and professional scientists from across the state attended the annual meeting, which was held Nov. 10-12, at Morehead State University. Panels of scientists who judged students’ research presentations designated top-tier presentations as “Thoroughbreds.” 

UK students who earned the “Thoroughbred” designation include:

• Bruno Athie Teruel and Sydney Chapman for a presentation on "Development of an Image Registration and Blending Process to Produce Cohesive Images of the Herculaneum Scroll 118." Teruel is a computer science and anthropology senior and Lewis Honors College member from Avaré, Brazil. Chapman is a computer science senior from Goshen, Kentucky.

• Austin Morris for a presentation on "Pose Tracking for Public Speaking while in Virtual Reality." Morris is a computer science senior and Lewis Honors College member from Pewee Valley, Kentucky.

• Amro Abd (KY-INBRE program) for a presentation on "Investigating the role of estrogen receptor signaling in regulating re-entrainment of activity rhythms in female mice." Abd is a pre-medical laboratory sciences freshman from Somerset, Kentucky.

• Bethany Ison for a presentation on "The effect of Doxapram, a K2p channel blocker, on proprioceptive neurons: Invertebrate model." Ison is a neuroscience and Spanish senior and Lewis Honors College member from Cincinnati, Ohio.

One UK winner chose to remain anonymous.

“This year’s presentations made clear that Kentucky’s next generation of scientists are already making significant contributions to scientific research,” said Amanda Fuller, executive director of the Kentucky Academy of Science. “Giving students opportunities to conduct research and present their findings gives them guidance and encouragement to pursue even greater achievements in the world of science.”

The Kentucky Academy of Science is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1914. Its mission is to catalyze scientific communication and collaboration that will improve research, education and evidence-based public engagement within the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

University of Kentucky faculty, staff and students may become members of the Kentucky Academy of Science at no cost. For more info, go to www.kyscience.org.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $501 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.