Selom Ametepe, an international doctoral candidate in the Graduate School and International Education’s Cell and Molecular Biology Program, has recently been awarded the DeLill Nasser Travel Award for Professional Development in Genetics from the Genetics Society of America. This recognition is highly regarded in the field and aims to support the professional growth of early-career scientists.
The DeLill Nasser Travel Award is designated for graduate students and postdoctoral trainees to assist with expenses related to attending national and international conferences and participating in laboratory courses. The award honors DeLill Nasser, a long-time member of the Genetics Society of America and a program director at the National Science Foundation, who has made significant contributions to eukaryotic genetics.
Ametepe, who hails from Togo, will use the funds from this award to enhance her research through laboratory courses and conference travel. “I am honored to receive this award,” she expressed. “These funds will allow me to attend the next Genetic Society of America conference and learn about the latest techniques used by scientists globally in the field of genetics.”
She began her journey at the University of Arkansas in 2018 on a Fulbright Scholarship to earn a master’s degree in cell and molecular biology in professor Mary Savin’s lab. After graduating, Ametepe initially planned to return to Togo, but Doug Rhoads, the director of the Cell and Molecular Biology Program, encouraged her to pursue a doctoral degree instead.
Currently enrolled in the doctoral program, Ametepe is conducting research on the nervous system of fruit flies, aiming to apply her findings to understanding the human nervous system. Her work focuses on the mechanisms that regulate neuron extensions, specifically looking at the Roundabout3 gene, which plays a vital role in nervous system development. Utilizing CRISPR gene-editing technology, she is investigating which segments of this gene are crucial for protein function.
Ametepe expressed her gratitude to those who supported her in receiving this award. “I would like to thank my dad, Christian, who introduced me to the lab,” she said. She also acknowledged her adviser, Timothy Evans, the Biological Sciences Department, and the Faculty for the Future Fellowship. Additionally, she appreciated her dissertation committee members—professors Jeffry Lewis, Adam Pare, and Chris Nelson—as well as the support from the Harris and Lacey families, particularly Tina, during her time in the United States.