Twenty nine student-researchers applied for The American Physiological Society (APS) award, which recognizes excellence in undergraduate research. Judges chose the four winners from among 12 finalists who presented their research at the Experimental Biology 2006 (EB) conference earlier this month in San Francisco.
The winners receive $500 and a certificate. The 2006 Bruce award winners are as follows:
The award is named for David S. Bruce, a Wheaton (IL) College physiology professor who was dedicated to encouraging undergraduates to become involved in scientific research and pursue science careers. Bruce attended the Experimental Biology conference each year, usually with a student who presented his or her research during the poster session.
Bruce was active in APS, where he served as chairman of the Teaching Section. He died in 2000 of complications following a kidney transplant.
To be eligible for a Bruce award, the students had to be the first author of the research study, had to carry out the bulk of the experiment themselves, and had to submit an abstract of the study for presentation at EB. The Bruce award candidates also submitted a letter explaining the study and its significance. The students also had to have an interest in pursuing a career in a physiology, or a related field, including a biomedical career
The winners were chosen based on their abstracts, letters, and the presentation of their research at the poster sessions and to APS judges. The judges consider the
Please go to http://www.the-aps.org/press/aps/06/06bruce.htm for a list of the 12 Bruce finalists.
The American Physiological Society was founded in 1887 to foster basic and applied bioscience. The Bethesda, Maryland-based society has more than 10,500 members and publishes 14 peer-reviewed journals containing almost 4,000 articles annually.
APS provides a wide range of research, educational and career support and programming to further the contributions of physiology to understanding the mechanisms of diseased and healthy states. In May 2004, APS received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.