April 17, 2025
Meghan O'Toole
Students present, win poster awards at national fruit fly conference
Three Lake Forest College students and one alum attended the Genetics Society of America's Drosophila Genetics Research Conference in San Diego, California, March 19-23.
Biology and neuroscience double major and chemistry minor Daniel Tulchinskiy '25, environmental studies and neuroscience double major Inés Riojas '26, and biology major and chemistry and Islamic studies minors Salma Abdelkhalek '26 attended to present posters sharing their research. They were accompanied by Otoha Tatami '24, who is a full-time research assistant in Assistant Professor of Biology Becky Delventhal's lab.
Riojas and Abdelkhalek both won awards for their posters. They competed among 500 undergraduate presenters.
Ines Riojas '26
Glial expression of ER membrane protein complex subunit 4 (EMC4) plays a role in survival, development, and larval behavior, Genetics Society of America Undergraduate Poster Award, first place
Salma Abdelkhalek '26
Investigating the tissue specific impact of EMC4 knockdown on fertility and lifespan in D. melanogaster, Genetics Society of America Undergraduate Poster Award, third place
“With this conference specializing in fruit flies, it was interesting to see how this model organism can be used to study so many different aspects of science and how it translates to other topics,” Tatami shared. “It builds on my appreciation for science and the scientific community and motivates me to continue my future path as a scientist.”
The Annual Drosophila Research Conference is the premier meeting for Drosophila researchers, and the event showcased over 1,000 presentations covering disciplines such as genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, development, immunology, physiology, neuroscience, evolution, and more.
“Attending this conference gave me more clarity about the kinds of research I’m passionate about and what paths I might want to take in graduate school or beyond.”
The meeting also featured attendee-organized workshops as well as professional development and networking events.
“Attending this conference gave me more clarity about the kinds of research I’m passionate about and what paths I might want to take in graduate school or beyond,” Abdelkhalek said. “I also had the chance to meet and connect with researchers, professors, and students from all over the country.”
Following the conference, Riojas feels more motivated than ever to continue lab research.
“Receiving recognition from experts on genetics outside of campus speaks so well about us as students and Becky as our advisor,” Riojas said. “For me, it is an incredible accomplishment to have won the first-place poster award in a sea of 500 other undergrads from around the country. I am extremely proud of myself and motivated to continue doing research.”
The students who attended were able to sharpen their presentation skills and gain confidence in their academic work.
“One of the most important skills I gained from the experience was learning how to effectively present my research to people who are deeply familiar with the field,” Abdelkhalek shared. “It wasn’t just about explaining my project, it was about engaging with others who shared similar interests and could ask thoughtful, sometimes challenging questions. That changed the way I approached my poster presentation; instead of feeling like I had to perform or prove something, it felt more like a conversation or a learning opportunity.”