Leslie Johnson, a graduate biotechnology student at Claflin, made quite an impression during her first oral presentation on the prostate cancer research she's conducting at Claflin.

Johnson, a native of Orangeburg and graduate of the University of South Carolina, was one of two individuals selected to present at Clark Atlanta University's fifth annual Prostate Cancer Symposium in March. Her presentation, "The Role of Zinc in the Pathogenesis of Prostate Cancer: Health Disparities among African Americans," won rave reviews from her peers and fellow researchers alike.

"It was amazing," Johnson said. "We competed among Ph.D. students. We were the only two Master's students. That was an honor in itself."

Johnson also competed in the poster contest and was awarded third place in the graduate division. She was one of two individuals who submitted abstracts chosen to present oral presentations, and she was granted a $500 travel award.

Johnson and her mentor, Dr. Omar Bagasra, director of the South Carolina Center for Biotechnology and biology professor, are researching the role of zinc accumulation in blacks and its relation to diseases such as prostate cancer. Their hypothesis is that there is some sort of genetic aspect that makes blacks more prone to diseases like prostate cancer, breast cancer and diabetes, which require large amounts of zinc.

Johnson said there are two specific zinc transporters that work together in concert to regulate the intake and secretion of zinc. Blacks, she said, may have a gene that limits the absorption of zinc. The hypothesis is based on history going back to pre-slavery times, when Africans lived in an environment that compensated for their body's inability to properly absorb zinc. The African environment was surrounded by zinc, and the people living in that environment were able to absorb ample amounts for their needs.

Africans were brought from an environment rich in zinc to one that is low in zinc, the research argues, and their bodies had to readjust. Essentially, they weren't taking in the amount of zinc they had in the other environment -- in the food they ate or in the jewelry they once wore, for example.

"It is so amazing how the environment plays such a large factor," Johnson said. "We are basically at risk for anything. The environment we live in was forced on us. We are at a disadvantage."

The number of prostate cancer cases among blacks is startling. South Carolina is ranked number one out of the 50 states for black males with prostate cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, rates of prostate cancer cases have decreased in the past four years, but not by much. And mortality rates have increased.

"Health care and money are factors in people obtaining prostate cancer tests," Johnson said. "Testing for zinc levels would be easier. If we look at zinc, and perhaps supplement it, you increase the chance at a healthier life."

Johnson said she was overwhelmed by the many positive responses to her presentation -- from her peers to veteran researchers -- all with the overarching goal of finding a way to decline the rates of people developing this disease. The experience, she said, was motivating.

"This was the first oral presentation I've ever done in this setting," she said. "I've done four poster presentations. It was exciting -- a thrill to present oral presentations among researchers. I had a lot of support. I was nervous, but it was really exciting; it was a rush. It felt good. I was able to present my information and say, 'Mine is different. It's about African-Americans and how prostate cancer affects us.'"

With plans to pursue a doctorate degree, Johnson said each presentation she does pushes her closer to wanting to educate the public on health disparities. She said she is grateful for the impression her graduate experience at Claflin has made on her.

"If it wasn't for my mentor, I wouldn't have the opportunity to go out and experience the world of science, or to see what everybody else is doing outside of the classroom," she said.

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