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Medical Biology student Charlotte Esancy (CAS, ’18) and Derek Molliver, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, recently showcased their research at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. The conference, which took place November 12-16 in San Diego, California, drew over 30,300 scientists from around the globe.

Esancy presented her research conducted with Molliver, titled "Eukaryotic elongation factor 2-mediated activity-dependent inhibition of translation in mouse sensory neurons: Impact of metformin and ptersilbene." In this project, Molliver and Esancy examined the regulation of translation mediated by EEF2 (eukaryotic elongation factor 2) in sensory neurons. The research also investigated the impact of metformin and ptersilbene, two drugs used by diabetic patients. They hypothesize that this pathway may be therapeutic in chronic pain models.

Reflecting on the meeting, Esancy said, “This conference, for me, emphasized not just how little we know about our own bodies, but how new advancements are being made every day for a collective greater understanding of how the nervous system works.”

Esancy, who has worked with Molliver since the spring of her freshman year, noted that the experience allowed her to step outside of her comfort zone and interact with international experts in many different disciplines of neuroscience.

“I gained a greater appreciation for this field,” she continued, “and am very excited and motivated to continue this research at ɫ����Ƶ under Dr. Molliver's guidance.”

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