Genetics Workshop Fosters Innovative Science Education

“This training gives teachers the tools they need to introduce their students to the rich history, complexity and excitement of the world of genetics and genomics,” says Stephen T. Koury, PhD, research assistant professor of biotechnical and clinical laboratory sciences.

That awareness, Koury notes, is important for today’s students, regardless of whether they pursue science-related careers.

“High school students will come of age when personal genetic information is increasingly used in health care, so it is vital that they understand genetic concepts necessary to make informed medical decisions,” he says. “They also are bound to confront future personal, social and ethical challenges related to genetics and genomics.”

Koury, co-principal investigator on the project, leads the program and helps train the teachers.

A week-long workshop held at UB July 7-11 involved 31 high school teachers from Western New York, including Buffalo public and charter schools and the Cleveland Hill, Letchworth, Albion, Attica, Warsaw, Pioneer and Newark school districts.

Through the interactive, hands-on experience, the teacher-trainees learned to analyze a sequenced bacterial genome using several new algorithmic programs from the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

They also learned about gene annotation — a process of attaching biological information to sequences — and other research techniques.

The teachers then began developing lesson plans to share their new skills with their own students.

Other UB scientists who lend their expertise to the workshops include: 

• Norma J. Nowak, PhD, professor of biochemistry and director of science and technology at UB’s New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences
• Patricia A. Masso-Welch, PhD, associate professor of biotechnical and clinical laboratory sciences
• Rama Dey-Rao, PhD, clinical assistant professor of biotechnical and clinical laboratory sciences and a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Dermatology; co-investigator on the project
  
• Shannon Carlin-Menter, PhD, research assistant professor of family medicine; co-principal investigator on the project

The summer workshops are offered through the Western New York Genetics in Research Partnership, a science education and enrichment coalition.

The partnership aims to engage young students and their teachers in original research and ultimately encourage youth to consider high-demand life science careers.

It is funded with a three-year, $1.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation.