Colorado State University Student Awarded One of 12 National American Physiological Society Fellowships

A Colorado State University zoology major was recently named an American Physiological Society 2003 Undergraduate Research Fellow. Colorado State senior Aubrey Peiffer was selected as one of only 12 fellows nationally who are funded to spend the summer in the laboratory of an established scientist and APS member.

Each APS fellow receives a $2,000 stipend to cover travel and living expenses during the 10-week fellowship. Fellows also receive an additional $800 in travel funds to present their research at the Experimental Biology meeting, which attracts nearly 15,000 scientists annually.

Peiffer recently began her fellowship conducting diabetes-related research by monitoring fat cell size and lipid content in relation to activation of a specific protein, AKT/Protein Kinase B, an essential enzyme in the insulin-signaling pathway. In their research, Peiffer and her team are looking at the Yellow-Bellied Marmot because the animals exhibit an insulin resistance characteristic of that found in type 2 diabetes in humans. Peiffer is conducting the research along with Gregory Florant, a professor of biology at Colorado State.

The Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowships program is sponsored by the APS Career Opportunities in Physiology Committee and funded by the APS Council. Now in its fourth year, the program aims to excite and encourage undergraduate students about careers in biomedical research. For more information about APS and its educational and award program initiatives, go online to www.the-aps.org.

The American Physiological Society is a professional scientific membership organization devoted to fostering scientific research, education and the dissemination of scientific information. The APS supports a variety of educational activities including programs and fellowships to encourage the development of young scientists at the undergraduate and graduate levels, with a particular focus on women and underrepresented minorities. Founded in 1887, the society’s membership includes more than 10,000 professionals in science and medicine.