MONDAY,AJG.19,2002
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 7D
Laurie Sisk/Kansan
American Society for Microbioley fellow Ashley Meagher searches for a correlation between the genes of people with HIV to those with out. ASM awarded Meagher $4,000 last summer for her research. Laurie Sisk/Kansan
Gene research focuses on HIV
By Lauren Beatty Kansan staff writer
Speaking in front of 15,000 people might be nerve-wracking, but for Ashley Meagher it was something she applied to do.
In May, Meagher, Golden, Colo., junior, attended the American Society for Microbiology's annual general meeting. The meeting is a week-long event packed with presentations, discussions and lectures. Meagher was chosen by ASM to be one of the speakers during the event.
The ASM general meeting took place May 18 to 23 in Salt Lake City. Not only was Meagher a chosen speaker, she was one of the few undergraduates in attendance. Mostly professionals, faculty and graduate students attend because of the cost. Meagher said she enjoyed the meeting so much sheried to pack everything in.
"It was a really fun, busy week." Meagher said. "Everyone could tell I was a 'first-timer' because I wanted to go everything - every talk, every lecture."
Meagher also participated in poster displays in which attendees turn their research presentations into poster boards. This way people can come around to see them and ask questions.
questions.
Because she was chosen to give an oral presentation, ASM paid for Meagher's stay in Salt Lake City. She said the meeting was a valuable experience and planned on attending next year.
Meugher began working with Sandra Quackenbush, assistant professor of molecular biosciences, her freshman year.
Her attendance at the meeting was a stipulation of a research fellowship she won from ASM last summer. After an extensive application process, Meagher won the $4,000 to go to the University of California at Davis and conduct research on gene expression in HIV patients.
Meagher said her research was based on analyzing genes of people with the HIV virus and genes of people without the virus.
"She's accomplished a lot." Quackenbush said. "She has done good work in my lab and on research projects. She went to Davis on an ASM fellowship which I encouraged wholeheartedly. Research in a different atmosphere is critical for the development of a student."
After graduation, Meagher said she wants to continue to work in the microbiology field, but she doesn't know specifically what branch.
Contact Beatty at lbeaty@kansan.com. This story was edited by Mike Gilligan.
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