The Society of Toxicology (SOT) 2016 Perry J. Gehring Diversity Student Travel Award was presented to Lisbeth Perez-Castro by Jorge Naciff, Chair of the Committee on Diversity Initiatives (CDI), during the SOT Annual Meeting at the CDI Reunion. This event brings together the current year’s Undergraduate Program participants, past participants, and program volunteers.
Ms. Perez-Castro, an undergraduate student at the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey, received the award for her research abstract entitled “Mitochondrial Membrane Potential Changes in Response to Methylmercury-Induced Toxicity in Motor Neuron-Like Cells, NSC34 Cells: The Role of Dimethyl Fumarate in Neuronal Protection.” She conducted her research during her second summer internship at Michigan State University and was nominated for this award by her advisor Dr. William Atchison.
Ms. Perez-Castro was selected in 2015 to receive a travel award to participate in the Undergraduate Program at the SOT Annual Meeting; she returned to the 2016 Undergraduate Program to serve as a Peer Mentor to this year’s Undergraduate Program participants.
The Perry J. Gehring Student Travel Award is provided through the SOT Endowment Fund. This award recognizes Dr. Perry J. Gehring who served as SOT 1980–1981 President and made important scientific contributions, especially in biological modeling and evidence-based assessment. Dr. Gehring had a strong interest in encouraging individuals from groups underrepresented in the sciences to enter biomedical sciences and toxicology.
The Perry J. Gehring Diversity Student Award recognizes a student who participated in the SOT Undergraduate Program, is from a group underrepresented in toxicology, and is presenting an abstract at the SOT Annual Meeting. The award recipient is selected by the CDI and may be either a graduate student or undergraduate student.
We also recognize the previous Perry J. Gehring Diversity Student Travel Award recipients.
- 2015 Latisha T. Pryor
- 2014 Pamella B. Tijerina
- 2013 Alexandra Colón-Rodríguez
- 2012 Alba K. Gonzalez Rivera
- 2011 Eva A. Amouzougan
- 2010 Nygerma L. Dangleben
- 2009 Vanessa De La Rosa