Early Summer 2025 Travel Award Recipients

Tue, 07/01/2025

Nicole Suchy

Bell Travel Awards

Saeideh Nasiri (Antunes Lab), Bren Ng (Ferreira Lab), and Great Udensi (Antunes Lab) each received a Bell Travel award to attend the 2025 American Society of Microbiology (ASM) Microbe conference held in Los Angeles, CA, on June 19-23, 2025.

Nasiri said “I had the privilege of giving a talk titled “Gut microbiome-derived compounds modulate Vibrio cholerae interactions with host cells” at the ASM conference. This was a great opportunity to show our findings to other great researchers, exchange ideas with them, and make new connections. I really appreciate the travel award from the Department of Molecular Biosciences that provided me with this invaluable opportunity.”

Saeideh Nasiri presents research at conference

Bren Ng was also grateful for the opportunity to attend the ASM Microbes conference thanks to the Bell travel award. Ng added “I presented an in-depth oral presentation titled “Determining the role of C. acnes, S. lugdunensis and S. hominis in mixed-species biofilms”. The conference was a wonderful avenue for me to be able to present my work to experts in the field and contribute to Cutibacterium and polymicrobial interactions research as a whole. I also had the opportunity to network with other researchers that share the same interests, as well as figures in the industry. I was extremely grateful to be awarded the travel fund by the MB travel fund committee.”

From left to right: Dr. Kat Milligan-McClellan (University of Connecticut), Dr. Erick Motta (Texas A&M University), Karoline Dittmer (University of Illinois Chicago), Dr. Nichole Broderick (John Hopkins University), Bren Ng, Dr. Ravikumar Patel (Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station), Dr. Mark Mandel (University of Wisconsin-Madison).

Great Udensi presented a poster titled “Bioactive Small Molecules from the Human Gut Microbiome Modulate Salmonella enterica Invasion Gene Expression” at the conference. He mentioned that “attending the ASM conference was a truly enriching experience and a valuable milestone in my scientific journey. As one of the premier events in microbiology, the conference provided an outstanding platform to share my research, engage with leading experts, and connect with fellow researchers in the field of microbiology”.

He further added “I had the opportunity to participate in a variety of sessions focused on key areas such as the basic science of pathogen biology during human infection, host-pathogen interactions, and microbiome profiling and its influence on host physiology. These discussions broadened my perspective and deepened my understanding of emerging trends in the field. I was also honored to present my research on the role of gut microbiome-derived compounds in regulating Salmonella enterica invasion gene expression. The feedback I received from attendees was insightful and constructive, offering new ideas to enhance the scope and impact of my work. I am sincerely grateful to the Molecular Biosciences Travel Award Committee for selecting me as a recipient of this award and making it possible for me to attend this transformative event. Thank you for supporting my growth as a scientist.”