May 2, 2006 - Junior Wins Microbiology Research Fellowship

Giselle Sylvester, a junior biochemistry major at Rider University, has won a competitive Microbiology Undergraduate Research Fellowship that includes a $3,500 stipend for summer research.

The fellowship, which targets minority students who have strong potential for a post-baccalaureate career in research, is very competitive and only about 20 percent of applications are approved for funding.

“I am extremely excited about winning this fellowship,” Sylvester said. “It's a great feeling to see my hard work pay off in some way, a great feeling of accomplishment.”

Sylvester has assisted Dr. Kelly Bidle, an assistant professor of biology, with her research for a year and a half.

A resident of Christiansted in the Virgin Islands, Sylvester emphasized how much she liked working with Bidle. “The research I am working on with Dr. Bidle involves the reaction of certain bacteria to particular cancer drugs,” she said. “Working with Dr. Bidle is really fun and laid back. She is a great person and professor.”

Sylvester’s fellowship is to do research for ten weeks in the summer. She will receive a $3,500 stipend for her work, as well as some funds from Rider’s Marvin Talmadge Fellowship Fund. Marvin Talmadge was a long-time biology faculty member and microbiologist at Rider who retired in 1991. Following his passing in 2001, his daughter, Mary Talmadge-Grebenar, donated $10,000 in her father’s name as fellowship money to award students interested in microbiology.

“Giselle will examine the effect of chemotherapeutic drugs on enteric bacteria,” said Dr. Bidle. “Enteric bacteria are the bacteria naturally found in your guts and intestines.” Sylvester’s work with Dr. Bidle will continue beyond this summer and carry on throughout her senior year.

“We are doing this work in collaboration with Jonathan Karp (associate professor of biology). His area of expertise and research focuses on the effects of chemotherapeutic drugs on the immune system and health,” explained Dr. Bidle. “We want to add in the component about how they are affecting your gut bacteria because that will also affect your immune system and health.

“We are taking the micro angle to look at this topic,” said Dr. Bidle. “The idea is that Dr. Karp will take our findings and apply them to his models on the effects of drugs.”

After graduation in May 2007, Sylvester plans to attend graduate school for biomedical engineering.