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Kimberly Elicker's Work Nationally Recognized for Genetic Research
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., Nov. 12, 2007 -- Kimberly Elicker, member of the Williams College class of 2009, was awarded the prestigious undergraduate student poster presentation award by the American Association of Anatomists in recognition of her work on the "Characterization of the Zebrafish Small Heat Shock Protein Family." She was awarded the distinction during the annual meeting of the Society of Experimental Biologists. Her research with Lara D. Hutson, assistant professor of biology, was published in the November journal Gene.
Elicker's research focuses on the small heat shock family of proteins which are produced by cells in response to environmental stressors such as sudden temperature elevation, infection, heavy metal or alcohol exposure, or excess UV light. Humans have 10 known heat shock proteins, but many of the exact functions of these genes remain unknown. Although her research aims to address human diseases, Elicker and her research partners, Tomoki Kurihara, class of 2007, and Assistant Professor of Biology Lara Hutson, have used the zebrafish in order to closely examine these genes. As Elicker explains, "we use zebrafish because their embryos are transparent, so we can stain them and analyze them in real time without the need to fix or section." Elicker presented the results of her research at the Experimental Biology meeting on April 31, 2007 where she received the poster presentation award.
For Kim Elicker, exploring the heat shock proteins of one species of fluorescent fish is more than an academic interest. Elicker says, "my uncle was recently diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT)," a human neurodegenerative disease linked to one of the human body's heat shock proteins. For Elicker, this family connection inspires her "to delve deeper into the mystery of these genes, their function, and their mechanism of causing human disease." Because of this drive, Elicker has decided to continue her research this academic year in Professor Hutson's lab as a Williams College Undergraduate Research Fellow.
When she's not in a classroom or biology laboratory, Kimberly Elicker spends her time leading a new student group known as the Williams Organization for Cancer Awareness and Prevention (WOCAP) which hosted Williams' first Relay for Life on October 12. She also plays the French horn in the symphonic winds and the mellophone in the marching band. Elicker finds time to promote environmental activism as an active member of the Thursday Night Group as well.
Elicker was born and raised in York County, Penn. She attended South Western High School before joining the Williams student body in fall 2005. Elicker was drawn to Williams for its integrated science program but has come to most appreciate the college's emphasis on undergraduate education. She says, "I've attended conferences where [me and my fellow Williams students] were the only undergraduate students present. The graduate students that we talked to were amazed that we were only undergraduate freshman. It's then when [I] realized just how lucky [I was] to be an undergraduate at Williamsââ,¬Â¦ the opportunities are just wonderful."
Kimberly Elicker is a junior biology and mathematics double major.
END
Founded in 1793, Williams College is the second oldest institution of higher learning in Massachusetts. The college's 2,000 students are taught by a faculty noted for the quality of their teaching and research, and the achievement of academic goals includes active participation of students with faculty in their research. Students' educational experience is enriched by the residential campus environment in Williamstown, Mass., which provides a host of opportunities for interaction with one another and with faculty beyond the classroom. Admission decisions are made regardless of a student's financial ability, and the college provides grants and other assistance to meet the demonstrated needs of all who are admitted.
To visit the college on the Internet:www.williams.edu
News: Megan Brankley
Elicker's research focuses on the small heat shock family of proteins which are produced by cells in response to environmental stressors such as sudden temperature elevation, infection, heavy metal or alcohol exposure, or excess UV light. Humans have 10 known heat shock proteins, but many of the exact functions of these genes remain unknown. Although her research aims to address human diseases, Elicker and her research partners, Tomoki Kurihara, class of 2007, and Assistant Professor of Biology Lara Hutson, have used the zebrafish in order to closely examine these genes. As Elicker explains, "we use zebrafish because their embryos are transparent, so we can stain them and analyze them in real time without the need to fix or section." Elicker presented the results of her research at the Experimental Biology meeting on April 31, 2007 where she received the poster presentation award.
For Kim Elicker, exploring the heat shock proteins of one species of fluorescent fish is more than an academic interest. Elicker says, "my uncle was recently diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT)," a human neurodegenerative disease linked to one of the human body's heat shock proteins. For Elicker, this family connection inspires her "to delve deeper into the mystery of these genes, their function, and their mechanism of causing human disease." Because of this drive, Elicker has decided to continue her research this academic year in Professor Hutson's lab as a Williams College Undergraduate Research Fellow.
When she's not in a classroom or biology laboratory, Kimberly Elicker spends her time leading a new student group known as the Williams Organization for Cancer Awareness and Prevention (WOCAP) which hosted Williams' first Relay for Life on October 12. She also plays the French horn in the symphonic winds and the mellophone in the marching band. Elicker finds time to promote environmental activism as an active member of the Thursday Night Group as well.
Elicker was born and raised in York County, Penn. She attended South Western High School before joining the Williams student body in fall 2005. Elicker was drawn to Williams for its integrated science program but has come to most appreciate the college's emphasis on undergraduate education. She says, "I've attended conferences where [me and my fellow Williams students] were the only undergraduate students present. The graduate students that we talked to were amazed that we were only undergraduate freshman. It's then when [I] realized just how lucky [I was] to be an undergraduate at Williamsââ,¬Â¦ the opportunities are just wonderful."
Kimberly Elicker is a junior biology and mathematics double major.
END
Founded in 1793, Williams College is the second oldest institution of higher learning in Massachusetts. The college's 2,000 students are taught by a faculty noted for the quality of their teaching and research, and the achievement of academic goals includes active participation of students with faculty in their research. Students' educational experience is enriched by the residential campus environment in Williamstown, Mass., which provides a host of opportunities for interaction with one another and with faculty beyond the classroom. Admission decisions are made regardless of a student's financial ability, and the college provides grants and other assistance to meet the demonstrated needs of all who are admitted.
To visit the college on the Internet:www.williams.edu
News: Megan Brankley
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