Biology students win big in NASA student research poster contest

Three Gallaudet Biology students won honors and cash prizes in this year’s NASA DC Space Grant Consortium’s student poster contest. Juniors Ashley Corcoran and Carter Johnson placed 2nd, and Andrew Crawford won an Honorable Mention. A review committee selected winners based on their research projects. The students were encouraged to enter by their mentor, Dr. Adebowale Ogunjirin, who oversaw their work in Gallaudet’s Drug Discovery Lab.

Gallaudet participates in the NASA DC Space Grant Consortium along with other higher education partners in DC: American University, the Catholic University of Washington, Georgetown University, the George Washington University, Howard University, Trinity Washington University, and the University of the District of Columbia. The consortium is primarily a workforce development program that provides students with authentic research experiences, connects local higher education institutions to NASA centers, and develops a pipeline of students to NASA and the broader aerospace industry. Their activities include running a student ambassador program and internships at NASA, some of which lead to full-time employment there. 

Winners presented their research and reflected on their experiences at an award ceremony on Zoom that took place on March 26th. Crawford conducted research to inhibit PLK1, a protein that impacts cancer cell proliferation. His results were not as expected, and he suspects this may be due to the change in location of the experiment, and possible degradation of his samples. He’s learned from this and has a plan to improve results for next time. Also working on PLK1, Corcoran and Johnson screened 46 different molecules for their efficacy in inhibiting a region of PLK1 called the Polo-box Domain, which can disrupt cancer cell growth. Building on their promising results, they plan to test the most successful compounds on cancer cells in their next experiment. Both projects stem from research that the students did in Dr. Tugba Kucukkal’s Drug Discovery Lab, which is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) and is focused on identifying potential drug candidates for cancer-targeted therapies.

As lead for the “wet,” or hands-on, laboratory work, Ogunjirin trains students in lab techniques, saying he helps them grow into researchers “who understand the ‘why’ behind the work and be prepared to contribute and lead in scientific communities like NASA, NIH, or graduate school.”

This was the first poster project for Corcoran and Johnson, while prior to this, Crawford had experience on a project with Dr. Gaurav Arora in his Accessible and Inclusive Biomedical Informatics and Data Science (AIBIDS) project.

Corcoran says she learned a lot about science communication through the process. “Creating a research poster required me to clarify complex information in a concise and visually appealing format that a diverse audience could understand,” she says. For Crawford, a key takeaway was the importance of documenting his work in detail. “It’s much harder to build a solid poster if you haven’t kept track of specific steps or results throughout your research,” he says. He also learned that preparing with interpreters is essential prior to a formal presentation. 

The students were also struck by how collaborative research can be. Corcoran points to her work with Johnson and her PI, Ogunjirin, saying they helped her see the value of teamwork in the scientific process. “Collaboration played a significant role in our success, whether it was troubleshooting an issue, refining our methods, or discussing how to present our results,” she says. Crawford, who is newer to the lab, agrees, saying the Drug Discovery Lab’s collaborative environment meant that his peers guided him through lab and organizational methods and skills. Working in the ASL-accessible lab environment provided him with direct and quick communication, and he sees the valuable lab etiquette mentoring as a strong foundation for future employment.

Johnson stressed the importance of having strong support while navigating various challenges in the experiment. “Our mentor helped us so much,” he says. “I’m not sure where we would be without him. He was able to help guide us — not just by telling us the answers, but by forcing us to do our own research – most of the time we had to figure out where we went wrong, but he would guide us through that process.” Johnson credits Ogunjirin for taking the time to show by example, provide feedback on analysis, and link their research to the bigger picture: on the cellular level, to body systems, and with relationship to drug development.  

And student research experiences can be transformative. Crawford feels more prepared for graduate school, saying the research shaped his new interests in cancer biology and epidemiology. Corcoran had planned to train to become an Occupational Therapist post-graduation, but says after a year of working in the lab, she’s come to appreciate scientific research and data analysis and is starting to explore graduate programs in pathology. 

“This experience has shown me that I thrive in a lab setting and want to pursue a career where I can contribute to research with real-world applications,” she says. Corcoran also has a message for other young women, especially Deaf young women: “We belong in science and CAN make meaningful contributions. Visibility matters.”