NKU Student Chrisula Stone Named Recipient of Society of Toxicology Award

January 12, 2023 - Northern Kentucky University student Chrisula Stone has been named the 2022 recipient of the Society of Toxicology’s Undergraduate Research Award, the organization’s most prestigious award for undergraduate researchers. 

This award is given to an undergraduate student based on the research they have conducted within the field of toxicology. Stone’s research project closely examines the feasibility of using feathers collected from nestling tree swallows (a species of native, cavity-nesting songbird) during banding as long-range bioindicators of organismal mercury uptake. 

Her research began as a class project in Advanced Writing in Biology (BIO 291W) and grew into a collaboration with Dr. Lindsey Walters at NKU and Dr. Rebecka Brasso at Weber State University. The research was funded by an NKU Student Undergraduate Research and Creativity (SURCA) award and the Wilson Ornithological Society’s Jed Burtt Undergraduate Mentoring Grant. 

“[Stone] has already presented two posters related to this project at scientific conferences and is very dedicated to disseminating the results, as she truly believes it will make a difference in improving our understanding of mercury pollution,” Dr. Walters said. “Although she is an undergraduate, in my opinion she has done work at the level of master’s thesis through the development and implementation of this project.” 

Stone will have the opportunity to present at the Society of Toxicology annual meeting, as well participate in additional programming for scholarship recipients that includes an undergraduate education program. 

The Society of Toxicology is the world’s largest scientific society dedicated to toxicology research and education with approximately 8,000 members.

To learn more about the Society of Toxicology, visit its website. 

To learn more about the biological sciences program at NKU, visit its website.