THINK BIG: James Tyus

        Black History Month at Tennessee State University

THINK BIG: James Tyus

*Tennessee State University celebrates Black History Month by recognizing individuals or organizations that have made noteworthy contributions to University’s history and are taking the “Think Big, TSU BIG!” approach to their areas of study and expertise while impacting the campus, community and beyond.

A life of science is sending TSU graduate assistant James Tyus across the globe to exchange knowledge with world-classed Nobel Prize scientists. Tyus was selected to join a U.S. delegation of young researchers for the 60^th annual Nobel Laureates Meetings at Lindau, Germany.

Reserved for the scientific élite, the Lindau Meetings bring together talented students and post-graduates from around the world to meet and interact with Nobel laureates from the fields of physiology or medicine, physics and chemistry.

Each year, more than 20,000 young researchers apply to attend meeting. With the assistance of Drs. Chandra Reddy, Samuel Nahashon, Surenda Singh and Lonnie Sharpe, Tyus will be among 65 U.S. students selected and receive sponsorship from the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education to attend the 2010 Lindau Meetings.

Tyus conducts research in TSU’s Poultry Nutrition and Genomics Laboratory in the School of Agriculture and Consumer Science on genetic regulation of the mechanisms by using bird species to explore nutrition, genomics, proteomics and cell culturing. He hopes this experience of a lifetime will offer a new, global perspective in his approach to science.

“I expect that the Laureates will recall their days as graduate students and will point to life experiences that have helped them develop a broader view of the consequences of their work. I am also very excited to meet other young scientists from all over the world. I hope to leave the meetings with a new appreciation for the training of my peers and future collaborators,” said Tyus, who also serves as co-executive director for the Association of Pre-Professional Life Scientists, a professional organization for life sciences with a membership of more than 150 students, faculty and staff throughout middle Tennessee.