Basic medical sciences student presents research at international conference

Ashley Camp

Ashley Camp, a second-year student in the Basic Medical Sciences Graduate Program at the Whiddon College of Medicine, was selected to present her research at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) annual conference in Potomac, Maryland, this summer.    

The presentation focused on genomic editing of human HEK-293 cells, generating lines recapitulating pathogenic variant of PPP2R5D, associated with Jordan’s Syndrome, which revealed altered signaling pathways that coordinated cell growth.  

Identified in 2014, Jordan’s Syndrome causes severe developmental disorders in children identified with mutations in certain genes. Some variants of these genes are associated with developmental delays and autism, among other health issues.   

Camp, who is in the graduate program’s molecular, cell and cancer track, conducts research in the lab of Richard Honkanen, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.  

She earned an undergraduate degree from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree from the University of South Alabama.   

Founded in 1906, the ASBMB has a long history of advancing the mechanistic understanding of nature through promotion of the highest-quality research in biochemistry and molecular biology. The society is committed to advancing scientific knowledge by publishing and reporting on significant and enduring research.