More Than 400 Attend Biology Conference on Campus
By Emmi van Zoest
Cal State San Marcos welcomed more than 400 participants to campus on April 12 for the 48th annual West Coast Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference.
The conference – planned by CSUSM biology professors Jane Kim, Sergio Nigenda-Morales and Carlos Luna Lopez – is one of the oldest events for undergraduates to present their research.
Some of the conference talk sessions included subjects such as microbiology, neurobiology and physiology. Svasti Haricharan, who started an independent lab focused on non-canonical roles of DNA repair proteins in promoting treatment responsiveness at Sanford Burnham Prebys in La Jolla in 2018, was the event's keynote speaker. Haricharan recently moved to San Diego State as an associate professor of biology to continue her research. She is also a full member of the Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego.
The goal of the conference is to provide a forum for undergraduate researchers to present original data that they've generated in the fields of biology, biochemistry, biophysics and related fields, and to foster intercollegiate interactions among students and faculty who share a commitment to undergraduate research in the biological sciences.
“CSUSM, President Ellen Neufeldt, CSTEM Dean Jackie Trischman and the Office of the Provost supported this conference from the beginning, allowing the planning team to have the time to prepare for the conference,” Luna said. “This further demonstrates CSUSM’s commitment to undergraduate research and to form a supportive scientific community.”
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