FLORENCE FOLMER   Date of Birth: 20 July 1977 Nationality: Luxembourg

How to contact me 6, rue des Tilleuls L-2510 Luxembourg, Luxembourg   email: florence_folmer@yahoo.com Tel: (00352) 442560

2001- :	SCRIPPS Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego: Currently studying for a Ph.D. in Marine Natural Products Chemistry (Dr. Faulkner's Lab, Marine Chemistry Department).
August 2001:	43rd London International Youth Science Forum: "LIYSF Alumni" guest speaker.
January 2001:	ERASMUS Intensive Studies Program: UWB Participant in the IP course on Renewable Resources in Ghent, Belgium.
1998 - 2001:	University of Bangor, Wales (U.K.): B.Sc. in Marine Biology and Biochemistry (First Class Joint Honours Degree).
June-August 2000:	Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL (U.S.A.): Internship in the Department of Marine Biomedicine (Dr. C. Luer).
1997 - 1998:	Centre Universitaire de Luxembourg: 1st year of Medicine.
1995 - 1997:	Athénée de Luxembourg, Luxembourg: Grades II to I, Biological Sciences, Mathematics and Latin Majors.
June 1997:	Certificat de Fin d'Etudes Secondaires Classiques (Baccalaureat): Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, English, French, German, Latin, Philosophy, History.
July 1996:	38th London International Youth Science Forum: Luxembourg participant of the LIYSF 96'.
April 1996:	University of Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English.
1994 - 1995:	Sandalwood High School, Jacksonville, Florida (U.S.A.): 12th Grade, as an exchange-student; Straight A's Honor Roll.
1989 - 1994:	Athénée de Luxembourg, Luxembourg: Grades VII to III, Sciences & Latin Majors.

August 2001:	London International Youth Science Forum: LIYSF Alumni guest speaker and chaperon of the Luxembourg delegation at the LIYSF 2001'.
July 2001:	ESI (Expo Science Internationale) 01', Grenoble, France: Luxembourg Delegation Leader at the ESI 01'.
July 2001:	CRP Santé Luxembourg: Internship at the Luxembourg Center for Research against Cancer (Centre de Recherche Cancer et Maladies du Sang) and in Immunology Department of the National Laboratory of Medical Research in Luxembourg.
January 2001:	ERASMUS Intensive Program: UWB Participant in the ERASMUS Intensive Studies Program on Renewable Reesources in Ghent, Belgium.
September 2000:	EUCYS 00', Amsterdam, Netherlands: Luxembourg Delegation Leader at the European Contest for Young Scientists 2000' in Amsterdam.
June - Aug. 2000:	Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL (U.S.A.): 10 weeks long internship at the Department of Biomedicine of the Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, U.S.A. (Voluntary).
Dec. 1999 - 2001:	Student Representative at the University of Wales, Bangor: liaison between the students and the staff of the university an peer guide at the University's Open Days (Voluntary).
June 1999 - 2000:	Secretary of the University of Wales, Bangor Rowing Club: Leading of the weekly committee meetings, registration of the crews to the races, maintenance of the club's website, and organisation of social events (Voluntary).
July - Sept. 1999:	Laboratoire National de la Santé, Luxembourg: 8 weeks long internship at the Immunology Department of the National Laboratory of Medical Research in Luxembourg; performing ELISAs and other immunoassays.
July 1999:	ESI (Expo Science Internationale) 99', Puebla, Mexico: Luxembourg participant of the ESI 99'.
June - July 1999:	Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle: 4 weeks long internship at the Research Laboratory of the Entomology Department of the Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle.
January 1999:	The International Award for Young People, Gold: Participation in various skills projects, sportive events, community projects, and expeditions.
July - Aug. 1998:	ILRES: Summerjob at the Institute for Social Research and Statistics in Luxembourg; performing interviews.
July 1998:	International Science Festival, Moscow, Russia: Luxembourg participant of the International Science Festival.
July 1998:	International Wildlife Research Week, Riederalp, Switzerland: Luxembourg participant of the ESI 99'.
July 1997:	ESI (Expo Science Internationale) 97', Pretoria, South Africa: Luxembourg participant of the ESI 97'.
February 1997:	Luxembourg National Contest for Young Scientists: Participation in the Luxembourg National Contest for Young Scientists, and winner of the Contest, with my Project "Microgravitropism in Sunflower Seedlings".
January 1997:	The International Award for Young People, Silver: Participation in various skills projects, sportive events, community projects, and expeditions.
Sept. 1996 - 98:	Conferences and Seminars by Luxembourg and International Scientists: During the period 1996 - 1998, I attended the series of conferences held at the Centre Universitaire de Luxembourg by Luxembourg scientists working abroad. I also attended a seminar held by the Nobel Prize winners Rita Levi-Montalcini and Renato Dulbecco in Luxembourg in 1998.
July 1996:	London International Youth Science Forum: Luxembourg participant of the LIYSF 96'.
April 1996:	Pharmacie De Bourcy: 2 weeks long internship in a pharmacy laboratory in Luxembourg (Voluntary).
November 1995:	Moulins de Kleinbettingen: Internship in the biochemical lab of the Moulins de Kleinbettingen (flour mill) in Luxembourg (Voluntary).
Aug.94 - June 95:	Exchange student at Sandalwood High School, Jacksonville, FL, U.S.A.: I have spent one academic year (12th grade) in Jacksonville, Florida; experiencing the American way of life, living in a host-family, joining a Girl Scout Troop (I have gained my Girl Scout Gold Award, which is the Girl Scouts of America highest rank, in June 1995),...
Aug. 1992, 1994:	Conservation Project in Nepal: Participation in a conservation project organised by the Luxembourg Scouts Association (FNEL); building of a school in the village of Godam Chour (Valley of Kathmandou), teaching and nursing at the new school in Godam Chour, plantation of trees, and participation in a trekking (Voluntary).

Languages:	"Quadrilingual" French/English/German/Luxembourg; knowledge of Spanish; 4 years of Latin and 2 years of Ancient Greek.
Computing:	I am computer literate and I am an experienced user of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, CorelDraw, CorelPresentation, PageMaker, Minitab, RasMol, DreamWeaver, PhotoShop, and other applications under Windows. I have successfully completed the IT Skills course(1) for Marine Scientists and the IT Communication Skills course(2) (PageMaker, CorelPresentation, and DreamWeaver) at the University of Wales, Bangor in January 1999 (1) and in June 2000 (2) (Voluntary). I am a frequent user of the Internet, with my own website (http://www.oocities.org/florence_folmer), and I used to be the webmistress of the University of Wales, Bangor Rowing Club during my undergraduate studies at UWB.
Teaching:	I am currently tutoring Luxembourg Young Scientists. Two of them will present their projects at the Expo Science International in Grenoble in July 01', and one of them has participated in the EU Contest for Young Scientists 00' and has been awarded the Honorary Prize to participate in the 43rd LIYSF in August 01'. I tutored five students in Mathematics in the period 1995-98. I also tutored an American student in French during my student-exchange year in the U.S.A. in the period 1994-95.
Leadership:	I trained as a girl scout leader in Luxembourg (1993-95).
First Aid:	I have successfully completed a First Aid course in 1994.

Sports:	I particularly enjoy kayaking, diving, rowing, sailing, skiing, biking, and walking in the mountains. I am the Luxembourg Senior Women National Champion in Kayaking 1997 (wild-water), 1998 (wild-water and flat-water 200m), and 1999 (flat-water 200m and 1000m). I have taken part in a sailing (Hobby Cat) expedition in Brittany (France) in 1998, and I am a Level 1 certified diver.
Travelling:	I am well travelled in Europe, North America, Mexico, Nepal, and South Africa, and I enjoy learning about other people's culture, country, language, and traditions.
Student Societies:	I am a member of the Luxembourg Association of Young Scientists (AJSL); a member of the MILSET (Mouvement International pour le Loisir Scientific et Technique); and a student member of the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota (USA).I used to be a a student representative at the UWBangor; a member of the University of Wales, Bangor Rowing Club and Endeavour Society; and a member of the Society of Luxembourg Students in Britain (SLSB) during my undergraduate studies.
Painting:	I enjoy painting, esp. abstract paintings and portraits with acrylics and with dry-brush acrylics.
Cooking:	I enjoy cooking traditional food from all the countries I have visited so far.

Born in Luxembourg city, Luxembourg, I have lived in Luxembourg, until August 1994 and from June 1995 onwards, in a multilingual environment. My native languages are both French and Luxembourg, but as all the other Luxembourg kids, I started to learn German in my first year of Primary School, and I am now fluent in French, Luxembourg, German, and English, and I have some knowledge of Spanish. As a child, I was a very active member of the Luxembourg Girl Scouts, and I quickly learned to live and to work in groups, to travel abroad, and to perform various outdoor activities. In 1994-1995, I took part in a student-exchange programme in Jacksonville, Florida (USA). During that academic year, I learned to appreciate the North American culture and education, as well as the hospitality of my host family, of my teachers, and of my friends. My year as an exchange-student in Jacksonville has allowed me to become more open-minded and to familiarise myself with the fantastic subject of Marine Biology, which is now my major (with biochemistry) at the University of Wales in Bangor. On my return from the United States of America, I completed my High School degree in Luxembourg, and I became fascinated by scientific research and by kayaking. In July 1996, I took part in the 37th London International Youth Science Forum, where I got the opportunity to visit the Pfizer Ltd. Laboratories in Sandwich, Kent, the laboratories of the department of Histopathology of the Royal Hospital of St. Bartholomew and of the Science Museum in London, and to attend extremely interesting lectures, conference, and seminars about subjects ranging from The Effect of Magnetic Fields on the Growth of Brassica rapa to The Chemistry of Washing. I consider my participation in the LIYSF 96' as my first big step into the world of scientific research. In January 1997, I took part in the Luxembourg Contest for Young Scientists, with a project on Microgravitropism in Sunflower Seedlings, and my prize was to represent Luxembourg, with my project, at the International Expo Science (ESI 97') in Pretoria, South Africa (1997). In the following years, I took part in several other Young Scientists events, such as the International Festival of Science in Moscow (1998), the Luxembourg Contest for Young Scientists (1998), the International Wildlife Research Week in Switzerland (1998), and the International Expo Science (ESI 99') in Puebla, Mexico (1999). Simultaneously, I became highly interested in kayaking, and in 1997, I became the Luxembourg Senior Women National Champion in wild-water kayaking. In 1998 and 1999, I became champion in wild-water and 200m flat-water, and 200m and 1000m flat-water, respectively. I did my B.Sc. studies in Marine Biology & Biochemistry, Joint Honours, at the University of Wales, Bangor, and I graduated from UWB in 2001 with a First Class degree. The UWB School of Ocean Sciences has a world-wide reputation for its teaching and its research in Ocean Sciences, and it is proud of its high quality staff, its research vessel, and its top-level research facilities. The Joint Honours Degree with Biochemistry has allowed me to acquire an in-depth knowledge of Marine Biotechnology and of Marine Biosciences. I am fascinated by Marine Biomedicine and by Marine Biotechnology, and my main interest lies in the application of marine products in medicine or in the pharmaceutical industry. Through my internships in a pharmacy (1996), at the laboratory of the Department of Zoology of the Luxembourg Natural History Museum (1999), at the laboratory of the Immunology Department of the National Laboratory of Medical Research in Luxembourg (1999 and 2001), at the Mote Marine Laboratory In Sarasota, FL (2000), and at the CRP Santé in Luxembourg (2001), I have acquired a broad knowledge of practical biochemistry, clinical biochemistry, immunology, oncology, angiogenesis, and marine biomedicine. I am currently a Ph.D. student in Marine Natural Products Chemistry at the SCRIPPS Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego (Dr. Faulkner's lab, Marine Chemistry Department). In my free-time, I enjoy travelling and visiting my friends around the world (in Mexico, in particular). I also enjoy painting, kayaking, diving, and rowing, as well as adventurous sailing, mountaineering, or skiing expeditions. It has been a great pleasure to me to be a student representative at university, to act as an open-day peer guide for youngsters interested in studying at the University of Wales, Bangor, and to tutor highly motivated and talented young scientists in Luxembourg. Life has presented me with numerous fantastic challenges and experiences, and I am looking forward to the experiences which will provided to me by postgraduate education and by future life in general. My goal in the near future is to motivate young people to join the wonderful world of scientific research, and to share my skills as a Young Scientist with them. My long-term academic goal is to find promising Marine Natural Products which will ultimately lead to a cure for life-treathening diseases such as cancer or AIDS. I wish to thank everybody, family members, friends, teachers,... who has helped me to achieve all the milestones mentioned above. In particular, many thanks to Dr. Greg Hunter, Dr. Carl Luer, Dr. Fabienne Bouche, Dr. Claude Mueller, Prof. Dave Jones, Dr. Dave Thomas, Prof. Deri Tomos, Dr. Mark Hooks, Dr. John Gaunt, Dr. Sue Assinder, Mr. Andy Beaumont, Dr. John Latchford, Mr. Claude Blasen, Mr. Emile Gérard, Mr. Jean-Paul Greisch, Mrs. Virginia Jones, Mr. Roberto Hidalgo, Miss Laura Carillo-Bibriezca, Mr. Romain Baumgart, Mrs. Popi Leader, Mr. Andrew Donkin, Miss Pegah Nourafza, Mr. Robert Kridel, and Miss Justine Blau (my apologies to everybody whose name could not be mentioned in this list due to a lack of space).

Available on request (Please feel free to contact me at: florence_folmer@yahoo.com ).

My bibliography The SCRIPPS Institution of Oceanography, UCSD Dr. Faulkner's Lab, Marine Chemistry Department of the SIO The University of Wales, Bangor Website The Mote Marine Laboratory Website The Association Jeunes Scientifiques Luxembourg (AJSL) Website The MILSET (Mouvement International pour le Loisir Scientific et Technique) Website