Iona’s Undergraduate Research Team, Project Symphony, Publishes Paper in Peer-Reviewed Journal
Nine undergraduate students are coauthors under the guidance of Dr. Sunghee Lee, endowed professor
New Rochelle, N.Y. – Iona University’s undergraduate research team, Project Symphony, led by endowed professor Dr. Sunghee Lee, published an article titled, “Differential Effects of Soy Isoflavones on the Biophysical Properties of Model Membranes,” in the Journal of Physical Chemistry B, an American Chemical Society publication. Their research offers insights into understanding interactions of molecules isoflavones, genistein and daidzein with other cellular membranes.
“As a harmonized team, we spend tons of time in the lab during the busy semester and all summer long. But, when we finally get those results and we get to share them with the world, that's one of the most satisfying feelings,” said Lee.
“It really shows what our research group, Project Symphony, is all about. Each student contributes their own unique part. We plan to keep this awesome tradition going for a long time; we want to show everyone out there what young scientists are capable of achieving.”
Congratulations to the following coauthors on their recent accomplishment:
- Jamie Gudyka ’24 Biochemistry
- Jasmin Ceja-Vega ’23 Biochemistry
- Katherine Ivanchenko ’23 Chemistry
- Wilber Perla ’25 Chemistry
- Christopher Poust ’25 Chemistry
- Alondra Gamez Hernandez ’23 Biochemistry
- Colleen Clarke ’23 Chemistry
- Shakinah Silverberg ’24 Biology/Chemistry
- Escarlin Perez ’22 Biochemistry
Their research, funded by the National Science Foundation, is open to the public and can be viewed here.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona is widely recognized in prestigious rankings, including The Princeton Review’s 2025 national list of “The Best 390 Colleges” and The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s “2024 Best Colleges in America,” which ranked Iona at #66 in the nation overall and #8 in the nation among Catholic schools. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just six percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2023.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian. Connecting to its Irish heritage, the University also recently announced it is expanding abroad with a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.