The Victoria Finnerty Travel Award supports conference-attendance costs for undergraduate GSA members who are presenting research at the Annual Drosophila Research Conference. Because the conference will be held virtually in 2021 from March 23–April 1, recipients will receive free registrations to #Dros21.
Victoria Finnerty, who died in February 2011, was a long-time member of the Genetics Society of America and served the Drosophila community and the genetics community at large in many capacities. A wonderful geneticist, Vickie’s ground-breaking work as a graduate student used high-resolution recombination analysis to dissect gene structure. This set the stage for a 35-year career in which she excelled as a gifted teacher as well as research scientist. Vickie was also a wise and compassionate mentor and teacher for whom interactions with her students was a constant joy. She constantly sought new ways to engage undergraduates in their genetics courses and in research; this travel fellowship fund continues Vickie’s stellar example.
Dabin Cho, Emory University
Transcription factor Pipsqueak localization to the histone locus body.
Nina Benites, Tufts University
I study the mechanisms by which cells protect their genomes from damage.
Vikas Rana, Brown University
The Zw gene in Drosophila melanogaster was annotated across multiple species to investigate the conservation of the products of alternative gene splicing.
Katrina Haas, UC Santa Cruz
Studies on the role of Abeta 17-42 in Alzheimer’s disease-associated neurodegeneration using Drosophila as a model.
Shaynie Segal, University of Colorado Boulder
We are studying the genetic basis for the regenerative properties of IR- resistant hinge cells in Drosophila melanogaster that translocate to the pouch of the wing disc and promote rapid regeneration after exposure to IR.
Corinne Croslyn, University of Evansville
My work investigates the roles of genes asteroid and Star in Drosophila oogenesis and DNA repair.
Amy Kwan, Washington University in St. Louis
I explore mircoRNA expression in the division of nurse and forager bees and test for alterations in behavior in transgenic Drosophila.
Ben Hinz, University of Iowa
I investigate how amino acid substitutions within lamins affect muscle physiology.
L. Amanda Xu, University of Michigan
Identifying the neurons and genes that mediate cold sensation in fruit fly larvae.
Alexis Perry, University of Massachusetts Boston
My research aims to identify novel protective proteins that prevent photoreceptor degeneration and preserve vision.
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