We are incredibly proud to announce the remarkable achievements of our undergraduate researchers, Eva Rickardson, Anastasia Martinez, and Ari Wilson, who presented their groundbreaking work at the 2025 Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (SURCA) at WSU!
This year’s SURCA featured an impressive an impressive 233 posters at SURCA. The highly competitive Molecular, Cellular, and Chemical Biology category was the single largest category at SURCA. Our students stood out with their innovative research:
Eva Rickardson presented her compelling research on decoding gene expression and regulation related to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Her work has yielded promising results in identifying new regulatory mechanisms, offering potential insights into the causes of these debilitating conditions.
Anastasia Martinez, a MARC scholar, shared her proposed research on the transcription factor NRF1. Her work explores NRF1’s potential for auto-regulation based on its binding site position, aiming to build upon our understanding of position dependency in transcription factor function.
Ari Wilson, a MIRA scholar, presented her proposed research on creating artificial transcription factors. By strategically swapping transactivation and DNA binding domains, she seeks to elucidate how these domains contribute to overall transcription factor function.
Presenting at a prestigious event like SURCA is a significant accomplishment. We commend Eva, Anastasia, and Ari for their dedication, hard work, and the exceptional quality of their research. Their contributions highlight the outstanding talent and potential within our undergraduate research community.
Congratulations again to Eva, Anastasia, and Ari! We are excited to see where their research takes them next.