Dec 15, 2004 -- A group of Stern College for Women students has collaborated with their professors to publish their cutting-edge scientific research. The students, each of whom contributed significantly to research conducted during either the school year or the summer, are listed as coauthors with their professors on scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals. “Very few undergraduates have their names attached to publications in peer-reviewed journals,” said Harvey Babich, PhD, professor of biology, who worked with six students on various projects investigating the anti-cancer properties of green tea. Stern College encourages its women to conduct research and publish their findings because it prepares them for careers in science. “Published research shows hands-on experience on students’ resumes, which is especially important if they continue on to medical or graduate school,” said Chaya Rapp, PhD, assistant professor of chemistry, who published an article with Toby Josovitz, a 2003 alumna, in the Journal of Physical Chemistry. Another article, co-authored with Rena Frankel, has been submitted to Proteins. Under Dr. Babich and Harriet Zuckerbraun, PhD, instructor of biology, Malka Krupka and Helen Nissim studied epicatechin gallate (ECG), a chemical in green tea with selective toxicity towards cancer cells. Their paper will be published by Toxicology In Vitro in 2005. “My research allowed me to apply what I learned in class in a practical manner,” said Ms. Krupka, a senior majoring in biochemistry. “I may apply to an MD/PhD program, and publishing a paper demonstrates my abilities. It’s a big step for an undergraduate.” Her research experience with Dr. Babich helped her qualify for a research internship at YU’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine last summer, and for a position at NYU Medical School this fall. Ms. Nissim, a junior majoring in biology, said her research experience gave her a deeper understanding of lab techniques. “Publishing my work will help me in my future pursuits in the scientific community,” she added. She spent the summer conducting research at UCLA. Other Stern students who published their research findings include Ilana Pister, twins Tamar and Ronit Gold, Tannaz Sedaghat, Danielle Weissman, Frida Friedman, Michelle Faber, Aliza Moskowitz, Talia Harris, and Louisette Soussan. Senior Sarah Nemzer, a student in SCW’s S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program, studied nanoparticles of gold at Brookhaven National Laboratory with Anatoly Frenkel, PhD, associate professor of physics. Ms. Nemzer is a psychology major who pursued a research project with Dr. Frenkel after taking aphysics course with him. They plan to submit their paper for publication—co-written with Ms. Pister,Ms. Soussan, and Ms. Harris (a former SCW student who transferred to Bar Ilan University)—for publication in the Journal of Chemical Physics. “It was a rewarding experience to study at a national lab and see cutting-edge science in action,” Ms. Nemzer said. “Having my work published will be a terrific finish to all the work we have done.”