Geneticist Glen Borchert is an Assistant Professor in Biology and Pharmacology at the University of South Alabama (USA). He has earned degrees from the University of Tennessee (B.S., Biology) and the University of Iowa (Ph.D., Genetics), with postdocs at Illinois State and UC Berkeley. His research focuses on identifying novel genetic regulators and defining their roles in oncogenesis, microbiology and speciation. Since starting his laboratory at USA in 2012, he has secured nearly $3,000,000 in external funding, including a National Institutes of Health R01 research grant and the National Science Foundation’s prestigious CAREER award. Among his many honors, he was named USA Junior Faculty Researcher of the year in 2016. Glen’s lab is home to around 25 undergraduate and graduate students, and he has been recognized as a Top Prof by the Azalea Chapter of Mortar Board three times since 2013. In addition to his research, Glen was a driving force behind USA starting a comprehensive recycling program in 2015, and has been a vocal advocate for sustainability, vaccinations and combating climate change.

Great news – we have finalized our March location and route with the City of Mobile!

Because of Traffic Safety staffing conflicts with the Infirmary Health Duathlon, we were required to push our time back by 30 minutes. Read on for details.

When

April 22, 2017 @ 10:30am
Program: Assemble 10-10:30am /  March 10:30am / Speakers 11am-12pm

Where

Bienville Square, Downtown Mobile. Route map below. REVISED: Total route is approximately .7 mile.

Our third announced speaker for the March for Science in Mobile is Leevones Gillespie Dubose-Fisher. She holds a Master of Education in Science with a Certification in Administration from the University of South Alabama, and is a retired science and math teacher for Mobile County Public Schools. She currently serves as Executive Director and Housing Coordinator for Bay Area Women Coalition, Inc. Her lifetime record of serving in various communities in Mobile and nationwide has brought her numerous awards for volunteerism. She continues to bring her tireless energy and leadership to extensive community gardening projects, STEM education advocacy, and community-based participatory research. Just a few of the boards she has served on include the Mobile Chamber of Commerce, Mobile Area Water and Sewer Service (chair), and the Board of Regents at Concordia College Alabama.

 

We’ve relaunched our t-shirt campaign on Bonfire, keeping our most popular colors and adding some new ones. If you didn’t get a chance to order previously, or if you need one for a gift, or want one in a second color, here’s your chance!

Keep in mind that these shirts will ship in May, so they will NOT be available for you to wear at the event on April 22nd.

NOTE: These shirts run small, so check the size chart and order up a size.

All funds raised from the sales of these shirts go to defray costs of the march, and if there is anything extra, it will be used to purchase science supplies for local schools.

We thank you for supporting March for Science in Mobile!

Our second announced speaker is Seema Singh, an Associate Professor of Oncologic Sciences at the University of South Alabama Mitchell Cancer Institute (MCI). She earned her Ph.D. in bioscience at Aligarh M. University in India, and came to the U.S. in 2001 with her husband Ajay Singh, who is also a research scientist at MCI. The Singhs are now U.S. citizens. Together, in the Health Disparities in Cancer Research Program, they are exploring the molecular factors at play in cancer health disparities. African-American women are more likely to develop an aggressive form of breast cancer and die from it than are Caucasian women. The same can be said of African-American men with prostate cancer — clinical findings that are especially relevant in the Deep South. Seema says, “We know that there are many factors at work, such as access to health care. However, we believe that not only those factors, but also biological factors, play a role.” Her research on the tumor microenvironment in breast cancer of African-American women is funded by a $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. Additionally, her work on skin cancer has resulted in a patent for sunscreen technology using silver nanoparticles.

In this “Meet the MCI Researcher” video, you can learn more about Seema’s research.