Thanks from Alum Eliot Quon, Postdoctoral Researcher at National Renewable Energy Laboratory
ARCS Foundation has been a highlight of my academic career thus far, thank you for the support!
On January 15th over 50 members attended our General Membership meeting at the newly renovated Capital City Club in Brookhaven. Our speaker was Dr. Jiong Yan who is both a practicing physician and a researcher at Emory University. Her specialty is Retina and Vitreous disease, and her presentation focused on macular degeneration.
Dr. Yan began by discussing what defines the disease, the difference between wet and dry macular degeneration and the current treatment options for both. She told the group that anything you do to improve your cardiovascular health will also improve your chances of avoiding MD. She advised everyone to eat a colorful diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and to exercise regularly. She also cautioned the group not to smoke. The presentation concluded with a discussion of Dr. Yan’s research using stem cells to repair the damage done to eyes by macular degeneration.
Another highlight of the afternoon was the presentation of the 2025 ARCS Light Award to Sally McDaniel. In presenting the award, 2024 ARCS Light Leslie Petter said that Sally has consistently exemplified exceptional service and leadership within both the Atlanta Chapter and ARCS National and that we are grateful for her willingness to serve, her impactful leadership, and her unwavering dedication to ARCS.
ARCS Foundation has been a highlight of my academic career thus far, thank you for the support!
"I can only begin to express how grateful I am for the freedom to pursue an independent line of research without having to worry about how I will pay for the necessary lab supplies or training. This award is allowing me to answer broader and more valuable questions than I had previously thought possible... Thank you so much for your kindness, generosity, and belief in my potential as a scientist."
"I was very fortunate to be selected as one of this year's ARCS scholars... I plan to pursue an academic career in chemistry... Your support will allow me to continue my biomedical research in developing novel strateigies to treat drug resistant cancers and cardiovascular diseases... Again, thank you so much for your support of the sciences and post graduate education, both of which are very important in keeping America competitive..."