GSSM alumna published in National High School Journal of Science
The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics (GSSM) is pleased to announce that research conducted by Abbie Bowman, class of 2017, has been accepted for publication in that National High School Journal of Science (NHSJS), a peer-reviewed journal for original research done by high school students.
Though GSSM’s Scientific Investigations (SI) program, Bowman researched the use of C. elegans to model the effects of Cystic Fibrosis and treatments.
“Being able to study Cystic Fibrosis means a lot to me because someone very close to me has Cystic Fibrosis and is impacted by it every day,” said Bowman. “It is still hard to believe that my research is being published in NHSJS, but it shows how hard work and perseverance can go a long way.”
“Promoting student research and providing research opportunities for students are core values at GSSM,” said Randy LaCross, VP for Outreach & Research. “The opportunities are provided through summer research partnerships and most recently through the Scientific Investigations program during the academic year.”
SI is a two or more-semester elective course in which GSSM students develop and execute original, scientific research on the GSSM campus during the school year. An SI research project is designed by the student with guidance from GSSM faculty to address a novel research question. The research question is driven by student interest and curiosity.
In the first semester, students learn about the research process and design their research project with GSSM faculty. In the following semesters, students conduct the designed research project on campus with the guidance of their faculty mentor and often with collaboration from outside researchers. Students present the results of their research to the GSSM community.
Bowman’s research was conducted at GSSM with guidance from Dr. Jennifer Taylor, a microbiologist at GSSM and founder of the SI program.
“We are delighted about the opportunity that Abbie and several other students from GSSM had to engage in research at our institution as we develop our own in-house research programs,” said Dr. Hector Flores, GSSM President.
Now attending Johns Hopkins University, Bowman is double majoring in neuroscience and molecular and cellular Biology. Her research experiences at GSSM helped her secure a position as a research student in the John Kim Lab where she is working with C. elegans, CRISPR, and RNA sequencing.
“We are proud of Abbie’s accomplishments and excited that her research experiences are opening doors for her,” said LaCross. “She has a promising research career ahead of her.”
To read Abbie’s full research paper, visit: nhsjs.com/2017/using-c-elegans-to-model-the-effects-of-cystic-fibrosis.
