Thursday, November 20, 2025

On November 19, 2025, eight students associated with the Iowa Sciences Academy presented their research at the Fall Undergraduate Research Festival (FURF). Congrats to all eight students for a great job!

NameProgramMajorTitlePhoto
Braden CarneLatham FellowPhysics, Astronomy, Math

Electron Behavior Across the Alfvén Surface: Recent Findings from Parker Solar Probe      

Mentor(s):  Jasper Halekas (Physics & Astronomy)                                    

photo of Braden Carne
Seren CastellanoScience AllianceBiology and Anthropology

Unraveling Ribbon Worm Diversity: Biodiversity and Systematics of Antarctic Nemertea               

 Mentor(s):  Maurine Neiman (Biology)                      

Seren Castellano poster at FURF
Vamsi ChallaScience AllianceBiomedical Sciences and Physics

GDF15 Signaling Through GFRAL Mediates Metabolic Improvements in Response to Mitochondrial Stress     

Mentor(s):  Renata Pereira (Internal Medicine) | Ayushi Sood  (Internal Medicine)                                                        

Vamsi Challa poster at FURF
Emily FormellaScience AllianceBiomedical Engineering

The role of mechanotransduction pathways in chorioretinal cell response to simulated microgravity   

Mentor(s):  Kristan Worthington (Biomedical Engineering) | Richard Cliver  (Biomedical Engineering)                                                                 

Emily Formella poster at FURF
Keegan NissenScience AllianceSpeech and Hearing Science

Impact of Hearing Profiles on Developmental Outcomes: Comparing Children with Unilateral or Bilateral Hearing Loss and Normal Hearing    

Mentor(s):  Elizabeth Walker (Communication Science & Disorders)

Keegan Nissen poster at FURF

Tae'Shaun Presswood 

 Peter Nitsche

(both on left side of photo)

LSAMP (Presswood)

Latham Fellow (Nitsche)

Exercise Science (Presswood)

Biology  (Nitsche)

Tentacle Tales: How Genome Architecture and Nutrient Availability Shape Tissue Regeneration in a Freshwater Snail                                                  

Mentor(s):  Maurine Neiman (Biology)

Presswood and Nitsche poster at FURF
Kassandra SigafusScience AllianceBiology

Is ABCF-1 the Missing Link in the RNA Processing Body Assembly Pathway in C. elegans?        

Mentor(s):  Bryan Phillips (Biology)                                                                

Kassandra Sigafus poster at FURF