The title of Olaharski's poster was "Characterization of the Numerical Chromosomal Aberrations During Cervical Carcinogenesis Using Multiple Probe Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization in a Mexican Population." Other co-authors of the poster were Patricia Guzman, Maria Gonsebatt, Rita Sotelo-Regil, and David Eastmond.
"I was very surprised and honored to have won the best poster award," said Olaharski. "Every scientist wishes to present his or her research in a clear and understandable manner that is also interesting to a broad audience. Winning this award has made me feel like I achieved that goal."
In the poster, Olaharski identifies the chromosomal changes that occur during the development of cervical cancer and correlates these changes with Pap Smear diagnoses. "I am trying to determine the relevance of these chromosomal changes," he said. "The question we're addressing is: Are these changes truly representative of an unstable intermediate in the process of cervical carcinogenesis? I am trying to determine, too, if the changes can be used to identify women who are at an increased risk of developing cercival cancer."
David Eastmond, Olaharski's advisor, said, "Drew's research on chromosomal changes in cervical cancer is progressing nicely and we are beginning to see some interesting relationships between chromosomal alterations and disease progression. Winning the student poster award at the EMS meeting is a nice recognition of the quality of Drew's work, and is also a reflection of the effort that he has invested to make this project succeed."
In the past, Olaharski won the Chancellor's Distinguished Fellowship at UC Riverside. His research has been funded through two grants through the Multi-Campus Research Incentive Fund and through UCMEXUS (the University of California Institute for Mexico and the United States). Before coming to UC Riverside, he attended Penn State University and majored in biology, with a focus on ecology, with a minor in Spanish.
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