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Simonson a participant in Monmouth College's Kieft Summer Research Program

Monmouth, Ill. (07/30/2021) — Matt Simonson, a senior from Monmouth, was one of 12 Monmouth College students to participate in the school's Kieft Summer Research Program.

An intensive eight-week experience that gives students excellent preparation for graduate or professional school, the program was created after the College received an estate gift of $2.3 million from beloved chemistry professor Richard "Doc" Kieft, who died in 2009.

The title of Simonson's project was "Alternative Mechanism of Acetaminophen Induced Hepatotoxicity."

Monmouth has used Kieft's gift to fund several elements that the late professor believed were essential: attracting strong science students to Monmouth through scholarships; providing them robust research opportunities once they matriculated; and facilitating their travel to regional and national conferences where they could present their research.

"All of this research time is invaluable to a student's education," said Monmouth chemistry Audra Goach. "Doc Kieft knew how important this experience was for our students and we are grateful for him every day."

Acetaminophen (APAP) is a common analgesic and an active ingredient in many painkillers such as Tylenol and Percocet. APAP misuse can lead to Acetaminophen Induced Liver Injury (AILI), which accounts for a striking proportion of acute liver failures in the United States. Better understanding of how APAP toxicity disseminates can provide insight on alternative treatments for APAP overdose. Research in Simonson's group is focused on characterizing the potential mechanism of a one-electron oxidation cascade catalyzed by cytochrome P450s under saturated glutathione conditions with the goal of better understanding the pathophysiology behind AILI.

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