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BIDDEFORD, Maine

Medical biology student Stephanie Podolski awarded APS undergraduate research fellowship

Stephanie Podolski '11, a  medical biology major at the University of New England, received an undergraduate summer research fellowship from the American Physiological Society (APS) to pursue a project on thermal tolerance in lobster.

The very competitive APS Undergraduate Research Fellowship program aims to excite and encourage students about careers in biomedical research. In 2009, 51 applicants vied for the 24 fellowships. Selection of participants was based upon academic merit, the perceived quality of the proposed research project, and the availability of appropriate faculty mentors.

Fellows receive a stipend to cover living expenses during the 10-week fellowship and also will receive travel funds to present their research at the Experimental Biology 2010 meeting in Anaheim, Calif., which is expected to attract nearly 14,000 scientists.
 
Podolski, of Coventry, Conn., will investigate, under the guidance of Markus Frederich, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Marine Sciences, cellular mechanisms of thermal tolerance in lobsters. She will compare lobster populations from various different locations along the New England coast to investigate their ability to withstand heat stress and associated cellular mechanisms. She will use physiological and molecular biology methods, focusing on novel cellular indicators for stress.

A special motivation for this project is that Podolski has family that has been involved in the Maine lobster industry for years. She desires to understand these amazing creatures beyond the deck of the boat, more specifically on a scientific level.

Podolski and Dr. Frederich hope that some of the aspects they investigate will contribute to the understanding of how lobsters react to environmental changes in temperature, and how that response differs from other crustaceans. With global warming already affecting the cold waters of Maine, the enhanced understanding of the lobster's physiology becomes increasingly crucial.

Podolski's findings might help to make predictions of the lobster's ability to deal with global climate change, which might have a big impact on the economy in Maine.

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.