Jelena Ivanova, left, earns the Best Oral Presentation award at the annual Midwest Chapter of Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry meeting in Madison, Wisconsin. Submitted photo
Biology graduate student Jelena Ivanova earned the Best Oral Presentation at the annual Midwest Chapter of Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) meeting in Madison, Wisconsin.
Ivanova of Estonia, beat out doctoral and graduate students from universities throughout the Upper Midwest.
“I believe this is a great opportunity for anyone, including myself,” Ivanova said. “It allows me to get my name out into the scientific community as well as networking with other scientists.”
Ivanova who is pursuing a degree in cell and molecular biology, works in the Aquatic Toxicology lab at St. Cloud State. The lab primarily works with fish and fathead minnows, exposing the fish to the contaminants of emerging concern including estrogenic compounds and pharmaceuticals that are commonly found in the large bodies of water. After exposure, the lab studies the effects of exposure to pharmaceuticals on the fish.
For her presentation Ivanova argues that fish populations are not homogeneous based on knowledge that male fish establish social hierarchy that is regulated by the endocrine system of fish.
She found that dominant fish and subordinate fish belong to two different populations and should not be treated as homogeneous.
Ivanova came to her conclusion after studying seven years of Aquatic Toxicology Lab data.
She will now travel to the North American SETAC meeting in November in Orlando, Florida. The award is sponsored by 3M and Johnson & Johnson and will cover her travel costs.
Ivanova was also runner-up for the Best Poster Presentation Award at the North American SETAC meeting in fall 2015 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
