Toms River Student Presents Research At Cancer Conference

TOMS RIVER, NJ -- A student from Toms River High School North presented her research at a national cancer conference in Florida recently, according to school officials.

Jesal Bhatt, a senior in the district's Authentic Science Research course, presented her research on "The effects of Berberis vulgaris on bacterial inhibition and the p53 gene in cancerous Caenorhabditis elegans" at the American Association for Cancer Research conference entitled Cancer Cell Cycle: Tumor Progression and Therapeutic Response. Berberis vulgaris is the scientific name for barberry, a plant that has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. The Caenorhabditis elegans is a transparent worm bred for and commonly used in research, according to the Animal Diversity Web website.

She was the only high school student in attendance at the conference, according to the school district.

(Photo courtesy of Toms River Regional Schools)