Genetics majors Daniel Stroud and Amy Stark and nearly 40 other students will represent the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the 11th Annual Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression on April 11 in Memorial Union from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Undergraduates from all academic disciplines will share their research with the university community and other guests through conference-style oral or poster presentations.

Students from all areas of the college will present topics ranging from brain cell regeneration to helping children cope with immigration stress to searching for a cure for amyotrophic laterals sclerosis (ALS).

Daniel Stroud ('17 genetics) worked with Donald Sakaguchi, professor in the Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, to grow adult stem cells from the brain. These neural stem cells have the potential to differentiate into multiple neural cell types. The cells were grown on very thin filaments, or microfibers, of polycaprolactone, a plastic that acts like a scaffold.

Stroud will graduate in May and apply for medical school in the fall.

Amy Stark is part of one small step progressing toward a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Stark ('19 genetics) will explore a different area of genetics research this summer at an undergraduate research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in cardiac regenerative medicine before returning to the same Iowa State lab next fall.

Please read complete article in LAS News.