Biology Student Petros Raygoza’s Research Earns Honors at Biomedical Research Conference


December 22, 2015
SPOKANE, Wash. – Petros Raygoza, a senior biology major at Gonzaga University, earned top honors for his research in morphology and physiology at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students held Nov. 11-14 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle.

Raygoza, from Sacramento, California, was honored for Best Poster Presentation in Physiology at the conference. His research, “Determining the Morphology of the Expanded Toe Tips of the Lungless Salamander, Aneides Lugubris” was an independent project conducted during spring and summer of 2015. Advised by biology Professor Nancy Staub, Raygoza tested whether this unusual salamander actually had blood sinuses in its expanded toe tips, as had been mentioned, but not documented, in an 1899 paper. His research confirmed the existence of the lateral sinuses and identified a previously undescribed blood sinus on the dorsal surface of the toe.

Four other seniors from Howard University, University of California at Irvine, University of Virginia and Duke University also were recognized in this poster division.

The ABRCMS is one of the largest, professional conferences for underrepresented minority students, military veterans, and persons with disabilities who pursue advanced training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. ABRCMS attracts approximately 3,600 individuals, including 1,900 undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students, 400 graduate students and postdoctoral scientists, and 1,300 faculty, programs directors and administrators. The conference drew more than 350 students from U.S. colleges and universities.