Tori Knox '21 presents her research at ABRCMS 2020

Ainsley “Tori” Knox ‘21 attended the Annual Biomedical Research Conference For Minority Students 2020: The Virtual Experience from Nov. 9-13, 2020. She was graciously awarded funding from Swarthmore College and the Sigma Xi Honors Research Society to present an e-poster of her summer research in the Howard Lab related to influenza virus. She received a presentation award in the division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. During the conference, Tori also had the opportunity to hear from some fabulous speakers including Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, Ph.D. who is the scientific lead for the Coronavirus Vaccine and Immunopathogenesis team at the National Institute of Health. One of Tori’s major takeaways from the conference was a quote from the keynote speaker Emmy winning journalist, anchor, and producer, Maria Hinojosa: “The first act of discrimination usually comes from ourselves.” While reflecting, Tori says “ this was my first time formally presenting my research at a conference. It was empowering to receive both positive and constructive feedback from my peers and the judges. I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to listen to a variety of diverse speakers, network, and further explore the vast assortment of career opportunities available in my fields of interest.”