Undergraduates get national exposure as research presenters
Focused on alcohol and addiction, VCU’s Institute for Research on Behavioral and Emotional Health prepares students for graduate school with opportunities such as conferences and networking.
Developing graduate school-ready future researchers is just one of the VCU Institute for Research on Behavioral and Emotional Health’s goals, and there’s no better practice than presenting at a conference.
Ten VCU undergraduate students attended the American Society for Microbiology’s Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS) in November, with eight presenting scientific posters.
The students – seven psychology majors, one each from social work and biology, and one double major in psychology and African American studies – attended other presentations throughout the conference, along with professional development and networking sessions.They learned how to write strong personal statements, received professional headshots and met with recruiters from graduate schools and post-baccalaureate programs across the country.
“One of my most memorable experiences was getting the chance to listen to guest speakers from all over the country talk about their research in a wide range of disciplines,” says Voisava Bokciu, a senior biology major.
IRBEH is an interdisciplinary institute with the mission of advancing scientific understanding in the area of behavioral and emotional health, and applying this knowledge to support mental health and wellbeing at VCU and the broader community. IRBEH features innovative coursework, research, programming and collaborations.
Two signature undergraduate research and training opportunities are available through IRBEH, focusing on behavioral sciences. Both involve research methods training, followed by research training experiences with a VCU faculty mentor. One program takes place in fall and spring, the other in summer.
“The long-term goals of these training programs are to increase the number of scientists in alcohol and addictions research who come from diverse backgrounds,” says IRBEH’s director, Karen Chartier, Ph.D., who is also an associate professor in the VCU School of Social Work. “These are excellent undergraduate students, and we want them to have foundational experiences that will propel them forward in their research careers.
“We want them to have the experiences they need to get into graduate school, but also to have a great experience at a conference, practice presenting their work, and learn about other opportunities that are available to them as they continue in their careers.”
The conference attendees included two students from the academic-year program (fall/spring) and eight from the summer session. ABRCMS, held in Pittsburgh, attracted more than 6,000 attendees.
“All of our fellows worked so hard on their research projects with faculty mentors, so it was great that many were able to share their work with a national audience,” says Rebecca Smith, Ph.D., IRBEH’s undergraduate research director and a research instructor in the School of Social Work. “Attending and presenting at scientific conferences is such a great experience that will make our students more competitive candidates when applying for graduate school.”
Bokciu presented a poster titled “Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Mixture Interactions on Drug Choice in Male and Female Sprague Dawley Rats.” Her research is focused on pharmacology and knowledge translation in health care settings.
“The information sessions that the conference held were very important, as they gave academic and professional advice to help foster a successful future in research,” she says. ”I also had the opportunity to network with different schools and programs where I gained insights into different M.D. and Ph.D. programs. This really helped me with planning how I can align my educational journey with my career goals. My next steps involve gaining more clinical and research experience during my gap year and going for my M.D. or M.D./Ph.D.”
Bella Lenzini, a senior social work major, says she benefited from attending: “… Seeing other researchers who looked like me was very important to me because I think it kind of cemented or affirmed for me that I belonged there. I feel like throughout my education I only saw and was exposed to researchers who looked a certain way, and it almost felt like, for me at least, that if you did not look that way then maybe research was not for you.”
Lenzini says while her research interests are still forming, she is drawn to mental health in children and adolescents. “I think my next steps as a researcher are still to be determined. I definitely want to continue with research in one way or another, but I think after graduation, I may put a pause on that and take a gap year to really figure out what I want to do.”
PARTICIPATING STUDENTS
Valerie Fernandez Rivera, psychology
Voisava Bokciu, biology
Llorielle Gregory-Jerome, psychology
Jason William Bonilla-Landers, psychology & African American studies
Oscar Daniel Bermejo-McGee, psychology
Galilea Gallardo-Mena, psychology
Lauren Hinton, psychology
Nia Symone Warren, psychology
Bella Lenzini, social work
Adam Hvitfeldt-Matthews, psychology
