Biology | Today at 乱伦视频 | 乱伦视频 /u/news Sun, 23 Aug 2026 23:50:07 -0400 en-US hourly 1 Advice for the Class of 2030: Student to student /u/news/2026/08/14/advice-for-the-class-of-2030-student-to-student/ Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:51:52 +0000 /u/news/?p=1053183

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As the Class of 2030 arrives on campus and begins their four years at 乱伦视频, current 乱伦视频 students offer their advice to the incoming class.

乱伦视频 will welcome more than 1,600 new students for the 2026-27 academic year, with the Class of 2030 moving to campus on Friday, Aug. 21.

Parker Sterling 鈥28

Major(s): Biology and History
惭颈苍辞谤蝉:听
Chemistry, Neuroscience, and Peace and Conflict Studies
Hometown:
Randleman, North Carolina
Campus Involvement:聽
Phoenix Racing Team (Business Lead), Residence Life (Senior RA), Center for Leadership (Leadership Ambassador), Glen Raven Biomechanics Lab (Lab Assistant)

Young woman in a green sleeveless top smiles while seated at a table with playing cards spread in front of her.
Parker Sterling 鈥28

Why did you choose 乱伦视频?

“I chose 乱伦视频 because I knew after the first tour that I couldn鈥檛 imagine myself anywhere else. I loved being able to have majors across disciplines, the campus, the dorms and all of the people I met.”

What did you wish you knew as a first-year student?

“I wish I knew how common it is to gain and lose friends in the first year. Everyone is discovering who they are and who they want to be, so it may take a while to find friends that you can rely on.”

What advice do you have for the incoming 乱伦视频 Class of 2030?

“Take every opportunity that presents itself; you never know who you will meet or what doors it will open.”

What surprised you most about college?

“I was most surprised by the bonds I鈥檝e built with faculty and staff. I didn鈥檛 have a high school teacher I felt was truly a mentor, but 乱伦视频 has given me so many people that I feel confident going to for advice.”

What is your favorite part about 乱伦视频?

“My favorite part about 乱伦视频 is the people. I am forever grateful to the amazing friends who have supported me and cared about me to no end. I don鈥檛 want to imagine what college would be like without them.”


Ari Verinder 鈥28

Major(s): Biology (Concentration: Biotechnology/Molecular Biotechnology)
惭颈苍辞谤蝉:听
Chemistry and Food Studies
Hometown:
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Campus Involvement:聽
Residence Life, Club Climbing and The Writing Center

Young man in a green shirt and necklace stands with his arms crossed, smiling slightly against a softly blurred indoor background.
Ari Verinder 鈥28

Why did you choose 乱伦视频?

“I chose 乱伦视频 for several reasons, including the campus’s beauty, the small class sizes, and the moment I first set foot on campus; I just knew this was where I wanted to spend my undergrad years. Another big pull was the Honors Program and the research opportunities that came with it.”

What did you wish you knew as a first-year student?

“I wish I had known to get more involved in my specific interests on campus sooner. There really is something for everybody at 乱伦视频; you just have to find it, get involved, and, best of all, enjoy it!”

What advice do you have for the incoming 乱伦视频 Class of 2030?

“Don’t be afraid to meet new people. 乱伦视频 is small enough that it’s easy to just stick with who and what you already know, so push yourself outside of your comfort zone. Honestly, chances are one of your friends is already friends with them anyway, so it’s not as awkward as it feels. And don’t be afraid to get off campus either. North Carolina has a ton to offer, and you don’t have to stay stuck in the “乱伦视频 Bubble” the whole time.”

What surprised you most about college?

“What surprised me most about college is how easy it is to just stay in your room working all the time. Don’t fall into that trap. There’s always something happening on campus, so get out and enjoy it. Schoolwork comes first, of course, but it’s good to take breaks too.”

What is your favorite part about 乱伦视频?

“My favorite part about 乱伦视频 is that it doesn’t just feel like a school; it feels like a community. Even on my hardest days, I’ve never felt alone here, and it’s a place I can rely on when things are down and have fun with when things are up.”

“Don’t be afraid to meet new people. 乱伦视频 is small enough that it’s easy to just stick with who and what you already know, so push yourself outside of your comfort zone.”

-Ari Verinder 鈥28

Ella Stewart 鈥27

Major(s): Dance Performance & Choreography, English (Concentration in Creative Writing)
Hometown:
Columbia, South Carolina
Campus Involvement:聽
Student Union Board (Brand Engagement Chair), New Student Orientation (Student Coordinator), Kappa Delta member and The Writing Center.

Barefoot dancer dressed in black balances on one leg while extending her other leg high against a white studio background.
Ella Stewart 鈥27

Why did you choose 乱伦视频?

“I chose 乱伦视频 because I knew I wanted to make close connections with my professors and classmates, which made the small class sizes very appealing, and 乱伦视频 has a strong Performing Arts department, which aligns with my future career goals of being a professional dancer. I also knew I wanted to study abroad and 乱伦视频 offers so many opportunities to study around the world. Additionally, I was drawn to the College Fellows program, which is a scholarship program where I conduct a research project within my major throughout my time at 乱伦视频.”

What did you wish you knew as a first-year student?

“I wish I had known that not every moment of college is going to be absolutely perfect. It’s easy to have high expectations that everything will go smoothly all the time, and while there will be plenty of great experiences and memories, there will also be challenges. It’s completely normal to struggle sometimes, and you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.”

What advice do you have for the incoming 乱伦视频 Class of 2030?

“My biggest piece of advice is to put yourself out there! I made my closest friends at 乱伦视频 by just inviting myself to hang out with them. It can feel awkward and scary at first to ask people to hang out with you, but it really makes a difference. If there is someone in your class who you think you’d get along with, ask them to lunch or coffee! You can also meet people by getting involved in clubs and organizations, so sign up for what interests you. Getting involved helped me find my place on campus, so be open to trying everything, because that is how you can find your community.”

What surprised you most about college?

“I was most surprised by the amount of independence and freedom I suddenly had. It can be hard to adjust to being away from your family and the comfort of home, but you also start learning how to manage your own time and responsibilities. My schedule looked a lot different than it did in high school, and I became the one in charge of how to spend my time. This shift surprised me at first, but overall it helped me grow into my independence and become more confident doing things on my own.”

What is your favorite part about 乱伦视频?

“My favorite part about 乱伦视频 is the people I’ve met through my majors and leadership experiences, especially the mentors who have supported me along the way. The staff and faculty here are so kind and encouraging to each individual student, and their guidance has helped me grow in my academics and in my leadership. 乱伦视频 has given me a tight-knit community of peers and mentors I can rely on, and I have met so many people who have shaped me into who I am today.”

Lealand Oakes 鈥27

Major(s): Psychology
Hometown:
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Campus Involvement:聽
New Student Programs,聽Women’s Club Rugby
Sigma Kappa,聽乱伦视频 1010 Peer Educator,聽Psi Chi and Psychology Honor Society

Young woman laughs with her eyes closed outdoors, with long brown hair and sunlit trees blurred in the background.
Lealand Oakes 鈥27

Why did you choose 乱伦视频?

“I chose 乱伦视频 because they genuinely care about every student, even if they haven’t fully invested in 乱伦视频 yet. They put so much care into just the admissions process and first-year experience to ensure people feel cared about and seen. Of course, it doesn’t stop there; professors are always there to help and support their students, get to know them beyond the surface level, and truly want to see them succeed.”

What did you wish you knew as a first-year student?

“I wish I knew that sometimes the hard parts of transitioning to college don’t hit you immediately. They look different for everyone and can range anywhere from after the first month has passed to the start of the second semester and beyond. Everyone has their own experiences, so it is important to know your resources on campus and have people you can go to when those bumps in the road happen.”

What advice do you have for the incoming 乱伦视频 Class of 2030?

“Get out of your room, do new things, be involved. This can look different for everyone, but it’s so helpful for finding your people in this new chapter. I would also say that taking care of yourself is so important. Holistic wellness goes a long way in college. If you are taking care of one aspect of wellness that can bleed into another area. Do things that make you happy, take care of your body and use your resources.”

What surprised you most about college?

“I was surprised that I was still able to get the same support in class and out of class that I had the opportunity to receive in high school. I was worried that as soon as I got to college, everything would be on me. I can say with full confidence that I have not needed to shoulder everything all on my own. 乱伦视频 has so many resources that cover a wide range of aspects of college life.”

What is your favorite part about 乱伦视频?

“My favorite part about 乱伦视频 is that there are so many people from so many different places. Coming to 乱伦视频, I didn’t really know many people, and I am so happy that was the case. It was nerve-racking for sure, but it meant that I have learned so much and met so many people I wouldn’t have met otherwise.”
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Alex Roberts ’27 and Rivera-Serrano publish commentary on immune responses to cancer-targeting viruses /u/news/2026/08/14/alex-roberts-27-and-rivera-serrano-publish-commentary-on-immune-responses-to-cancer-targeting-viruses/ Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:55:07 +0000 /u/news/?p=1053099 乱伦视频 undergraduate researcher Alex Roberts 鈥27 and Assistant Professor of Biology Efra铆n Rivera-Serrano have published a commentary in the Journal of Cancer Immunology examining the complex role of the immune system in oncolytic virotherapy, an emerging cancer treatment strategy that uses viruses to selectively infect and kill tumor cells.

The article, 鈥,鈥 explores a central challenge in the field: the same immune defenses that protect cells from viral infection can also influence whether a cancer-targeting virus succeeds as a therapy. Strong antiviral responses may stop a virus before it can spread through and destroy a tumor, while those same responses can help recruit immune cells, improve recognition of cancer cells and promote longer-lasting antitumor immunity.

Rather than simply maximizing viral replication or suppressing antiviral immunity, Roberts and Rivera-Serrano propose that effective therapies may depend on identifying a 鈥減roductive immune window鈥 in which enough viral replication occurs to kill tumor cells while preserving the immune activation needed to generate a broader anticancer response. The commentary highlights mammalian reovirus as an example of how viral genetics, tumor cell type and antiviral signaling may work together to determine therapeutic outcomes.

Conceptual model illustrating how the magnitude and timing of innate antiviral immunity can shape the effectiveness of oncolytic virotherapy. Taken from Roberts and Rivera-Serrano, 2026, Journal of Cancer Immunology.

The topic directly complements Roberts鈥 ongoing undergraduate research in the Rivera-Serrano Lab. His project investigates whether targeting antiviral pathways, including type I interferon signaling and the antiviral protein PKR, can enhance the ability of reovirus to infect and kill human fibrosarcoma cells.

Roberts has received external funding for his research, recently completed 乱伦视频鈥檚 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, and presented his research at the 2026 annual meeting of the American Society for Virology in Minneapolis. He will continue the project during his senior year as the Rivera-Serrano Lab works to better understand how the interactions between viruses, cancer cells and the immune system can inform the development of more effective oncolytic virus therapies.

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乱伦视频 faculty join national Computational Biology Peer Mentor Network /u/news/2026/08/12/elon-faculty-join-national-computational-biology-peer-mentor-network/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:03:33 +0000 /u/news/?p=1052822 Associate Professor of Mathematics Hwayeon Ryu and聽Assistant Professor of Biology Andrea Perreault recently participated in the three-year NSF-funded Computational Biology Peer Mentor Network (CompBioPMN), connecting faculty from primarily undergraduate institutions who teach and conduct research at the intersection of biology, mathematics and computing.

The 2026鈥2029 CompBioPMN brings together more than 20 faculty members from primarily undergraduate institutions across the United States. The program seeks to strengthen participants’ connections to the computational biology community, reduce the professional isolation that faculty can experience at smaller institutions, and provide strategies and resources to support career advancement.

Ryu and Perreault participated in the network’s first in-person workshop Aug. 3鈥4 at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. The workshop introduced participants to the network, provided opportunities to build relationships with peers, and highlighted resources for teaching and undergraduate research.

A central component of CompBioPMN is the development of sustained peer-mentoring relationships. During the 2026鈥27 and 2027鈥28 academic years, participants will meet regularly in small “Alliance” groups of approximately four to six faculty members. These groups are designed to provide ongoing mentorship, accountability and community while helping participants establish and make progress toward individual professional goals.

The program also provides opportunities for participants to exchange educational resources and approaches for teaching and mentoring undergraduate research at the intersection of biology, computer science and mathematics.

Participation in CompBioPMN complements 乱伦视频’s commitment to interdisciplinary teaching, scholarship and undergraduate research. Through the network, Ryu and Perreault will have opportunities to develop new collaborations with faculty at other undergraduate-focused institutions, exchange ideas for integrating computational approaches into computational biology education and research, and bring new resources and perspectives back to the 乱伦视频 community.

The CompBioPMN Program is organized by Anna Ritz, Margaret Oakley Dayhoff associate professor of bioinformatics at Reed College, and is supported by the National Science Foundation through the Division of Biological Infrastructure (Award #2527521 to Ritz).

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$500K National Science Foundation Grant funds interdisciplinary mathematical biology research at 乱伦视频 /u/news/2026/08/07/500k-national-science-foundation-grant-funds-interdisciplinary-mathematical-biology-research-at-elon/ Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:37:59 +0000 /u/news/?p=1052381 The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Associate Professor of Mathematics Hwayeon Ryu and Assistant Professor of Biology Efra Rivera-Serrano a three-year, $500,138 grant to study viral myocarditis, an inflammatory heart disease caused by viral infection. The project combines mathematical modeling with laboratory experiments to better understand how immune responses shape disease progression while providing 乱伦视频 undergraduate students with hands-on interdisciplinary research experiences in mathematics and biology.

Viral myocarditis is a potentially serious condition in which a viral infection triggers excessive inflammation that damages the heart. When the body detects the virus, it activates an immediate defense system called the innate immune response. That response is necessary for controlling the infection, but if it is too strong, lasts too long or occurs at the wrong time; the resulting inflammation can also damage heart tissue. Their project seeks to understand why the immune response sometimes protects the heart and, at other times, contributes to injury.

A mathematical model allows Ryu and Rivera-Serrano to create a simplified, virtual representation of what is happening inside the infected heart in ways that are currently impossible to achieve using biology and experiments alone. They will use equations to describe how the amount of virus changes over time, how different heart and immune cells respond, how those cells communicate through signaling molecules, and how those interactions influence inflammation and tissue damage.

Headshot of Hwayeon Ryu wearing a navy sweater.
Associate Professor of Mathematics Hwayeon Ryu

鈥淥ur goal is to develop a mathematical model that integrates several biological processes occurring during viral myocarditis, including viral replication, infection and death of heart muscle cells, activation of antiviral defenses, recruitment of immune cells, inflammatory signaling and longer-term tissue damage,鈥 said Ryu, associate professor of mathematics.

This will be a highly interdisciplinary project. Ryu, as a principal investigator, will lead the development, simulation and mathematical analysis of the model, while Rivera-Serrano, as a co-principal investigator, will provide expertise in virology, cell biology and innate immunity and will lead the experimental component.

鈥淭he mathematical and laboratory work will inform one another鈥攅xperimental findings will help us make the model more biologically realistic, while predictions from the model will help us decide which biological interactions and hypotheses should be tested in the laboratory with undergraduate researchers here at 乱伦视频,鈥 Ryu said.

The project combines computational research, led by Ryu, with hands-on laboratory experiments, led by Rivera-Serrano.

鈥淚n the laboratory, we will grow heart and immune cells to examine how viral infection changes the behavior and biochemical signals produced and received by these distinct cell types,鈥 Rivera-Serrano said. 鈥淲e will measure outcomes such as viral infection and replication, cell survival or death, and the production of antiviral and inflammatory signaling molecules鈥.

Headshot of Efrain Rivera-Serrano wearing a pink button up shirt.
Assistant Professor of Biology Efrain Rivera-Serrano

These experiments will provide currently unavailable data that can be incorporated into the mathematical model and used to evaluate whether the model accurately reflects biological behavior. The process will also work in the other direction: if the model predicts that a particular cell type, signaling molecule or time point has an especially strong effect on inflammation, they can design experiments to test that prediction. Rather than treating the laboratory and mathematical components as separate projects, Ryu and Rivera-Serrano see them as a continuous feedback loop.

This research is important because the body needs a strong enough response to control the virus, but excessive or prolonged inflammation can weaken the heart, interfere with its electrical activity, and contribute to heart failure or other serious complications. Although many aspects of viral myocarditis have been studied, it remains difficult to understand how the different cardiac and immune cells communicate and how their interactions collectively shape disease progression over time.

鈥淏y combining mathematical modeling with laboratory experiments, we can gain insights into the immune response that neither approach could achieve independently,鈥 Ryu said. 鈥淭his allows us to integrate existing knowledge, identify the most influential biological mechanisms, and determine which questions are the most important to investigate experimentally. Ultimately, our goal is to provide researchers with a better roadmap for understanding when inflammation is protective and when it begins to damage the heart. That knowledge could guide future studies aimed at developing safer and more effective treatments for viral myocarditis.鈥

By the end of the project, Ryu and Rivera-Serrano hope to have developed and experimentally evaluated a mathematical framework that explains how viral replication, antiviral immunity, inflammatory signaling, and communication among heart and immune cells shape the progression of viral myocarditis.

Undergraduate research will be a central component to this project. Students from biology, mathematics, engineering and related STEM disciplines will be able to contribute according to their interests and expertise while also learning how researchers communicate and collaborate across disciplinary boundaries.

Students may help review scientific literature, design the model, estimate biological parameters, write and analyze computer simulations, conduct cell biology and biochemical experiments, analyze experimental data and compare laboratory findings with model predictions. They will also gain experience communicating their work through research presentations, national conferences and scientific publications.

鈥淎 particularly valuable aspect of the project is that students will not be limited to one narrow role,鈥 Rivera-Serrano said. 鈥淎 biology student may learn how experimental observations are converted into equations, while a mathematics or engineering student may learn how assumptions in a model correspond to actual cellular processes. Learning to communicate across disciplines is one of the most valuable skills students can develop for today鈥檚 biomedical research, where many important problems require expertise from multiple fields.鈥

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Dave Gammon presents vocal mimicry research to Animal Behavior Society /u/news/2026/07/30/dave-gammon-presents-vocal-mimicry-research-to-animal-behavior-society/ Thu, 30 Jul 2026 19:36:44 +0000 /u/news/?p=1052042
Dave Gammon, professor of biology

乱伦视频 Professor of BIology Dave Gammon recently attended the of the in Cincinnati, Ohio. He presented research he began while working in the summer of 2025 with a SURE student, Virginia Campbell 鈥26.

The research project Gammon presented at ABS centers on the evolution of vocal mimicry in the taxonomic family that includes the , , and the . He specifically compared the mimicry of these three species and found that mockingbirds mimic five times as much as the other two species. Counterintuitively, he also found that the diversity of mimicry is similar between the three species.

One of his most intriguing findings is that each mimic species puts its own ‘vocal stamp’ on the sounds of the species they imitate. For example, even though normally repeat their syllable phrases four or five times, catbirds don’t repeat wren phrases at all, thrashers repeat them just twice, and mockingbirds repeat them three or more times. These numerical differences match acoustic differences already found in the nonmimetic sounds of these three mimic species, suggesting that copying models perfectly is less important than following species-specific rules for how to sing.

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乱伦视频 biology professor and students present research at annual virology meeting /u/news/2026/07/29/elon-biology-professor-and-students-present-research-at-annual-virology-meeting/ Wed, 29 Jul 2026 16:15:24 +0000 /u/news/?p=1051921 Assistant Professor of Biology Efra铆n Rivera-Serrano and undergraduate researchers Ryder Hutchinson 鈥28 and Alex Roberts 鈥27 received travel awards from the American Society for Virology to attend and present their research at the organization鈥檚 2026 annual meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Rivera-Serrano, Hutchinson and Roberts represented 乱伦视频 at the 45th annual meeting of the , held July 27鈥30 at the University of Minnesota鈥揟win Cities.

Rivera-Serrano received a Teacher of Undergraduates Travel Award, while Hutchinson and Roberts each received Undergraduate Travel Awards. The awards supported their participation in the national meeting, where all three presented posters highlighting research conducted in the Rivera-Serrano Lab.

Rivera-Serrano presented 鈥淒evelopment of Laboratory Modules in Virology Suitable for the Undergraduate Classroom.鈥 The project focuses on developing accessible laboratory activities that allow undergraduate students to investigate fundamental concepts in virology, including viral infection, replication and interactions with host cells. The modules are designed particularly for institutions where opportunities to incorporate experimental virology into the undergraduate curriculum may be limited.

Three conference attendees stand in front of a research poster while its presenter gestures and explains the project. The poster, titled Development of Laboratory Modules in Virology Suitable for the Undergraduate Classroom, includes diagrams, charts and text describing undergraduate virology education and laboratory activities.
Assistant Professor of Biology Efra铆n Rivera-Serrano presents 鈥淒evelopment of Laboratory Modules in Virology Suitable for the Undergraduate Classroom鈥 at the 2026 American Society for Virology annual meeting.

Hutchinson presented 鈥淩eovirus Reassortants Reveal Context-Dependent Oncolytic Phenotypes Across Epithelial Cancer Cell Lines.鈥 His poster highlighted findings from a recently published study examining how genetically diverse reoviruses infect and kill different epithelial cancer cell models. The work demonstrated that the anticancer properties of individual reovirus strains can vary depending on the type of cancer cell being studied, emphasizing the importance of both viral genetics and cellular context when identifying potential cancer-targeting viruses.

 A student presenter stands beside two scientific research posters, explaining the findings to an attendee wearing a light blue backpack during a poster session at an academic conference.
Ryder Hutchinson 鈥28 presents research examining how genetically distinct reoviruses vary in their ability to infect and kill epithelial cancer cells.

Roberts presented 鈥淭argeting Immune Pathways to Enhance the Oncolytic Potential of Reovirus Against Fibrosarcoma Cells.鈥 His research explores whether disrupting antiviral immune pathways within fibrosarcoma cells can improve the ability of reovirus to infect and kill the cancer cells. Roberts recently completed 乱伦视频鈥檚 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience under Rivera-Serrano鈥檚 mentorship and will continue his research during his senior year. Roberts鈥 project has received support from the North Carolina Academy of Sciences, North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities (NCICU) and 乱伦视频鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Program. His recent聽NCICU Undergraduate Research Award application received the highest rating among the 2026 award recipients in recognition of the project鈥檚 scientific merit, feasibility and broader significance.

A student presenter stands beside a scientific research poster, listening as an attendee gestures with one hand while asking a question during a conference poster session.
Alex Roberts 鈥27 presents research exploring whether targeting antiviral immune pathways can improve the cancer-killing properties of reovirus against fibrosarcoma cells.

Participation in the ASV meeting provided Hutchinson and Roberts with opportunities to communicate their research to virologists from across the United States and abroad, receive feedback from experts in the field and learn about current advances in virology. The experience also reflects the Rivera-Serrano Lab鈥檚 commitment to involving undergraduate students in collaborative biomedical research and supporting their development as independent scientists.

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Thomas Gress 鈥27 works to find therapy for 鈥榚lusive chronic disease鈥 in undergraduate research /u/news/2026/07/20/thomas-gress-27-works-to-find-therapy-for-elusive-chronic-disease-in-undergraduate-research/ Mon, 20 Jul 2026 13:18:32 +0000 /u/news/?p=1051562 A smiling person wearing an apron labeled 鈥淎ntico Frantoio Sorrento鈥 holds a freshly baked pizza
Thomas Gress 鈥27 during a Study Abroad experience in Italy

For his first undergraduate research project at 乱伦视频, Thomas Gress 鈥27 is looking to make an impact on people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, including his own brother.

鈥淏efore I started this, he鈥檇 been suffering for four years, and there seemed to be no end in sight,鈥 said Gress, a biology major from Savannah, Georgia. 鈥淪o, this was something small that I could do to be of use.鈥

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a serious and often long-lasting illness that keeps people from doing their usual activities. It makes physical and mental exertion difficult, and symptoms include trouble thinking, severe tiredness and other symptoms.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a bit of an elusive chronic disease,鈥 Gress said. 鈥淭here are no pharmacotherapies available and there are no biomarkers for confirmed disease, so all we can do is experiment with lifestyle, and a big part of that is exercise.鈥

Exercise is the focus of Gress鈥 research, working with Professor of Exercise Science Eric Hall to design a four-week study to compare two different approaches to exercise. Before the study begins, each participant undergoes a walking test to determine their comfortable walking distance. Most participants are expected to walk between 10 and 20 minutes, although no one is expected to walk for more than 45 minutes.

Participants are then divided into two groups: graded exercise therapy and pacing therapy. The study focuses on the concept of an 鈥渆nergy envelope,鈥 a term used to describe the amount of physical activity a person鈥檚 body can comfortably perform. One approach suggests that people may benefit from gradually pushing beyond their usual limits, while the other suggests that people should stay within their comfort zone and adjust activity levels based on how they feel.

During the study, participants use their baseline walking time to set weekly goals. In the first week, they are asked to walk for 80% of their baseline time. This increases to 90% in the second week, 100% in the third week and 110% in the fourth week. However, there is an important difference between the two groups. Participants in the graded exercise therapy group are required to follow this schedule exactly. Participants in the pacing therapy group are encouraged to follow the schedule but have the flexibility to adjust their activity based on their energy levels and personal needs.

Five people stand arm in arm in a narrow stone alley lined with historic buildings and shuttered windows. The alley opens to a view of terracotta rooftops and a church tower in the distance, suggesting a European city setting.
Thomas Gress 鈥27 (second from right) during a study abroad experience in Italy.

Gress will present his research at the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) presentations on July 23 in the Snow Family Grand Atrium. Students apply to the annual research symposium, which usually takes place during the summer before the junior or senior year. It is one of several opportunities for students to showcase undergraduate research, a cornerstone of the 乱伦视频 education and one of the five聽乱伦视频 Experiences. Students are also able to present scholarly work at the聽Spring Undergraduate Research Forum.

Gress hopes this research will reveal which approach is more effective at helping participants stay committed to the program and whether either method leads to lower levels of fatigue, hopefully helping people with CFS.

鈥淔or all of these patients, there’s no other option,鈥 Gress said. 鈥淭here are no drugs available, only a few supplements with very little efficacy. So, it seems the best option is experimenting with lifestyle. And if not this, then there is nothing.鈥

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Rivera-Serrano Lab publishes study on cancer-targeting viruses across epithelial cancer cells /u/news/2026/06/30/rivera-serrano-lab-publishes-study-on-cancer-targeting-viruses-across-epithelial-cancer-cells/ Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:38:32 +0000 /u/news/?p=1050141 乱伦视频 undergraduate student Ryder Hutchinson 鈥28, high school student Owen Carter, 乱伦视频 alumna Charlotte Dagli 鈥25 and Efra铆n Rivera-Serrano, assistant professor in the Department of Biology, have co-authored an article published in the journal Viral Immunology.

The article, 鈥,鈥 continues the Rivera-Serrano Lab鈥檚 work exploring the potential of reoviruses as cancer-targeting agents. The study examined a panel of genetically distinct reoviruses across three epithelial cancer cell models. The work found that different reovirus strains showed cell line-dependent patterns of infectivity and cancer cell killing, with some reassortant viruses showing enhanced activity compared with parental strains. The findings suggest that the effectiveness of reovirus-based cancer-targeting approaches may depend not only on viral genetics, but also on the specific cancer cell context.

Reoviruses are being studied as potential oncolytic agents, or viruses that preferentially infect and kill cancer cells. While much of the field has focused on one prototype strain, the 乱伦视频 study highlights the importance of exploring broader reovirus genetic diversity. Because reoviruses contain segmented genomes, different strains can exchange genome segments through a process known as reassortment, generating viruses with new combinations of traits that may influence infection, replication and cytotoxicity.

Virus-infected epithelial cancer cells imaged as part of the Rivera-Serrano Lab鈥檚 work examining how genetically distinct reoviruses behave across tumor cell models. Green/yellow cells are infected with reovirus, whereas uninfected cells appear as red only. The nuclei of each cell was counterstained with DAPI. Scale bar = 200 碌m

The article reinforces the value of comparative screens in cancer virotherapy research. The study found that viral infectivity and cancer cell killing did not always fully overlap, suggesting that efficient infection alone does not necessarily predict how strongly a virus will reduce cancer cell viability. Instead, the findings point to a more complex relationship among viral entry, replication, antiviral responses and cell death pathways.

The project builds on ongoing research in Rivera-Serrano鈥檚 laboratory, where undergraduate students use cell biology, virology and immunology approaches to understand how viral genetics influence cancer cell susceptibility. Hutchinson, the article鈥檚 first author and Nursing major, contributed to experimental work and data analysis as part of his mentored research experience in the lab for three semesters and participation in 乱伦视频鈥檚 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience.

Three students work in a science laboratory as one performs an experiment inside a biosafety cabinet while two classmates observe nearby.
Members of the Rivera-Serrano Lab study how reoviruses interact with cancer cells, including models of lung adenocarcinoma and oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Carter, who performed research as a visiting high school student in the summer of 2025, contributed to data analysis, highlighting the lab鈥檚 broader commitment to expanding access to biomedical research experiences beyond the undergraduate level. Dagli, who recently co-authored a related study in Virus Genes on reovirus reassortants with enhanced activity against fibrosarcoma cells, also contributed to the current work as part of the lab鈥檚 continuing effort to evaluate how viral genetic diversity shapes oncolytic potential.

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Merricks & Bitting publish reflective writing rubric in Journal of College Science Teaching /u/news/2026/06/03/merricks-bitting-publish-reflective-writing-rubric-in-journal-of-college-science-teaching/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:27:07 +0000 /u/news/?p=1049533
Jessica Merricks (left) and Kelsey Bitting (right)

Jessica Merricks, associate professor of biology, and Kelsey Bitting, assistant professor of environmental studies, recently published the article 鈥溾 in the聽Journal of College Science Teaching.

Reflection as a process helps students better understand themselves with respect to content and experiences they encounter in required science courses taken to fulfill distribution requirements, making that content more meaningful and more likely to shape students鈥 thinking and engagement in science-related topics as citizens. However, students may not arrive in the science classroom with the skills and habits of mind that lead to transformative insights via the reflective process, and tracking that skill development can allow instructors to tailor instruction about reflection according to students鈥 current understanding and practice. Nonetheless, Merricks and Bitting discovered that existing reflective writing instruments lacked the nuance to detect subtle shifts in students鈥 development across units in a single semester.

Using a dataset of students鈥 end-of-unit reflections in an introductory-level environmental science course serving mostly non-majors, Merricks and Bitting developed a refined rubric that recognized and codified incremental differences in student reflective thinking along the path to reflective writing. This analysis revealed that students frequently expressed personal connections to content and noted shifts in their perspective, even as they were still working to master the details of related scientific concepts.

The authors believe this instrument can help science instructors communicate about the goals and levels of reflection to students and allow them to recognize and encourage increasing reflective depth in student work across the progress of a single semester.

Support was provided by 乱伦视频鈥檚 Center for Writing Excellence via a CWE Pedagogy Grant to Merricks in 2021 and a writing residency completed by Merricks in 2023.

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乱伦视频 student receives Undergraduate Research Award /u/news/2026/05/26/elon-student-receives-undergraduate-research-award/ Tue, 26 May 2026 15:00:04 +0000 /u/news/?p=1048338 Alexander Roberts 鈥27 is the recipient of the 2026 Undergraduate Research Award from North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities (NCICU). In addition to the award, he was also recognized as the applicant with the highest rating award for the merit of his research and his ability to clearly communicate the creativity, feasibility and broader significance of the work. In total, 11 students were chosen for their work in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and psychology.

Headshor of Alexander Roberts 鈥27
Alexander Roberts 鈥27

Roberts, a biology major from Charlotte, North Carolina, studies how a cancer, fibrosarcoma, can be stopped by a virus, the reovirus. His project explores how genetic editing can be used to decrease the cancer cells鈥 immune responses, and in turn increase the virus鈥檚 infection rate and decrease the cancer cells鈥 viability.

鈥淐ancer cells have altered immune responses which can be exploited by viruses to infect and replicate in those cells,鈥澛燫oberts said.

By studying these pathways, his work aims to better understand how to improve the anti-cancer properties of oncolytic viruses.

The NCICU funding will support the purchase of key reagents needed to study the role of protein kinase R (PKR), a cellular protein, which cells use to fight viral infections and whether Roberts and Rivera-Serrano can enhance the cancer-killing properties of viruses by disrupting PKR.

Virus-infected HT-1080 cancer cells taken by Alex Roberts using immunofluorescence staining.
Virus-infected HT-1080 cancer cells taken by Alex Roberts using immunofluorescence staining.

Roberts’s mentor is Efrain Rivera-Serrano, assistant professor of biology.

鈥淲hile being awarded the grant reflects the scientific merit of my project, it is also a recognition of the help Dr. Serrano has given me in mentoring and designing my project,鈥 Roberts said. 鈥淗e has been an amazing help with his depth of scientific knowledge, and I love that I have the opportunity to work in his lab.鈥

As part of the NCICU Undergraduate Research Program, Roberts will present his work at the 2026 State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium for Fall 2026.

He also received funding from the American Society for Virology (ASV) through a competitive Undergraduate Student Award to attend and present his research at the ASV annual meeting in July, marking the first time an 乱伦视频 student will attend this national meeting.

Roberts will participate in 乱伦视频鈥檚 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience and was recently awarded a J. Nathan Grant Endowed Grant to support his research.

鈥淭o have one of my students receive this grant is incredibly meaningful because it recognizes the quality of undergraduate research at 乱伦视频 and the strong potential of our students to contribute to meaningful scientific questions, particularly in the biomedical sciences,鈥 said Rivera-Serrano. 鈥淭hese awards are competitive across NCICU institutions, so Alex鈥檚 selection highlights both the strength of his proposed work and the level of research training that 乱伦视频 students receive. This opportunity also gives students important experience communicating their work beyond campus, networking with peers and faculty from across the state and developing the confidence to see themselves as scientists.鈥

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