Massachusetts Society for Medical Research

We promote and enhance biomedical and biological research, including the humane care and use of animals, for the improved health and well-being of people, animals, and the environment.

The goal of MSMR is to foster a better understanding of biomedicine by improving basic literacy in and enthusiasm for the biological sciences among the public, the media, and future generations.

Although we are a member organization, and membership services are of utmost importance, a great part of our work is directed to the public in general.

Education is necessarily a major component in the pursuit of our mission. We teach students; we train teachers; we develop curricula that increase science literacy and promote understanding of the importance of biomedical research to our lives.

Link to these Highlights

Introduction to Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees - On-line Training

MSMR's Student Poster Competition Winners

States United for Biomedical Research Award to Samantha Welu

The Award-Winning What A Year! Program for Students

For a Remembrance of Dr. Leslie Nader, go here.

Introduction to Institutional Animal Care

and Use Committees

On-Line Training Begins July 20

Are you a new IACUC community member? Are you thinking about becoming an IACUC community (non-affiliated) member?

Get the training you need to be most effective in your IACUC role!

MSMR will offer, starting July 20, a new on-line training program for you.

The program consists of six weekly lessons plus exercises that you submit for review by the instructor. Your instructor will be available for on-line office hours and group chats twice each week, to help you with the lessons and to facilitate discussions among classmates.

The program has limited space. And the fee is a modest $195. Upon successful completion of the program, participants will receive a Certificate attesting to their achievement.

To learn more, or to register, click here.

Student Poster Competition Winners!

Congratulations to these nine outstanding

science students

For the 18th year, students from across Massachusetts participated in our two annual competitions - one for middle schoolers and one for students in grades 9 - 12. The 2009 Poster Competition asked students to identify a recent research breakthrough and then create a poster that presented that advance accurately and compellingly. Posters were judged on criteria including technical detail, graphic design and clarity.

MSMR competitions are open to students in public, parochial, charter, private/independent schools and home-schooled students.

Students were recognized with cash awards, prizes and certificates at the MSMR Annual Meeting Reception & Dinner on June 18, where the winning posters were displayed.

Teachers/advisors to the winning students were also recognized with classroom grants. The 2009 MSMR Poster Competition was generously sponsored by Wyeth.

This year's winners are:

Place	Student	Level	Poster Title
First	Wayne Huynh	1	Adult Skin Cells to iPS Cells
Second	Peter Warren	1	Good Things Come in Small Packages
Third	Nicholas Michelangelo	1	Using Stem Cells to Treat Spina Bifida
Hon. Men.	Brooks Carter	1	Gold Nano Antennas Combat Cancer

First	Suvayan Roy	2	Benefits of Genetic Targeting in Lung Cancer Therapy
Second	Natalie Kingston	2	Huntington's Disease - Snipping the Diseased Allele
Third	Casey Coddaire	2	Nanoparticles Provide Hope in Cancer Detection and Treatment
Hon. Men.	Kris Boelitz	2	Innovative Method Identifies Potential Treatment for Glioblastomas
Hon Men.	Rachel Hamel	2	The Glucose Monitoring Tattoo

Samantha Welu Takes Home the

SUBR Award

Samantha Welu of Milroy, MN, won a special $1,000 award from States United for Biomedical Research for her science fair project The Prevention of Streptococcus Equisimilis and Staphylococcus Hyicus in Porcine Mastitis at ISEF, the International Science and Engineering Fair, in Reno, NV, on May 10 - 16. Samantha's project also earned second place in her overall category at the event, which drew nearly 1,600 student competitors from across the US and more than 50 other countries.

Making it a family affair, Samantha's brother Brady took first place in his division and their sister Taylor was a competition finalist. To read the complete story, click here.

What A Year!

Science is Everywhere!

Just look at the What A Year! archive, and you'll read about biomedical research breakthroughs from across the continent.

What A Year! is on its summer break, but will be back in the Fall with another slate of great stories. Our archive has all the monthly What A Year! stories from the last three school years. You cna check it out and enjoy the ones you missed. Just click here.

Visit our free student website called What A Year!

Each month you can learn about medical breakthroughs, what they might mean for future cures and treatments, and a little about the people who dedicate their lives to research.

We've also added an RSS feed, so you can subscribe to all our stories.

To go to What A Year! click here.