Biennial Regional Conference and EXPO 2019 on Chemical Science, Technology and Industry

22 May 2019 - 24 May 2019 , UWI, St. Augustine, Trinidad.
Scientific Programme
Day 1: Wednesday, 22nd
SESSION

Opening Ceremony

Session Chair: Dr. Richard Taylor; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad
8:30 a.m

Keynote Lecture: Creating a Supportive Framework for Innovations across the Region: Where do we stand?
Dr. Cliff Riley; Executive Director, Scientific Research Council, Jamaica

10:00 a.m

COFFEE BREAK

SESSION

Drug Discovery and Pharmaceutical Science
Session Chair: Dr. Ramish Pingal; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

10:30 a.m

Botanical drug with potential to treat and prevent Alzheimer's disease (Plenary)   
Muraleedharan G. Nair; Michigan State University, US

11:10 a.m

Generation of Analogues of Natural Products using Immobilised Fungal Cells

Paul B. Reese; University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica

11:30 a.m

Calcium alginate immobilized filamentous fungal cells as catalysts for biotransformation reactions

Marc A. Collins, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica

11:50 p.m

Phytochemical Investigations into Euphorbiaceae, Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae of Trinidad and Tobago

Simone F. Walcott; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

12:10 p.m

LUNCH BREAK

SESSION

Drug Discovery and Pharmaceutical Science

Session Chair: Dr. Nigel Jalsa; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

1:30 p.m

Drug Discovery: From folk remedies to standardized products      
Charah Watson; Scientific Research Council, Jamaica

2:00 p.m

Characterisation of bioactive compounds found the Jamaican soft coral Pterogorgia Anceps

Coniel Roye; University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica

2:20 p.m

Tuberculosis and Recent Advances in its Drug Development

Pooja; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

2:40 p.m

A Potential Orally Administrable Drug for Type II Diabetes Therapy

Varma H. Rambaran; University of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad

3:10 p.m

COFFEE BREAK

SESSION

Environmental/Sustainable Science and Technology
Session Chair: Dr. Rachael Wyse-Mason; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

3:30 p.m

*Sustainability Concepts – Approaches, Tools, Research

Annette Guiseppi-Elie; United States Environment and Protection Agency, US

4:00 p.m

Improving precision in a low-cost sulphur dioxide monitor
Denise M. Beckles; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

4:20 p.m

Microwave Assisted Acid Digestion and Inductively Coupled Plasma/Mass Spectrometry-Improved Techniques in the Determination of Trace Metals in Sediments

Wendy Nelson; Institute of Marine Affairs, Trinidad

4:50 p.m

Forensic oil spill investigation utilizing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in Trinidad and Tobago

Darryl R. Banjoo; Institute of Marine Affairs, Trinidad

5:10 p.m

The use of defined substrate technology in detecting coliform bacteria on bathing beach water quality Sheldon B. Ramoutar; Institute of Marine Affairs, Trinidad

Day 2: Thursday, 23rd
SESSION

Food Chemistry and Toxicity
Session Chair: Dr. Simone Walcott; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

8:30 a.m

Toxins In Food – Caribbean Perspective (Plenary)

Tara Dasgupta; University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica

9:10 a.m

Monitoring and Quantifying the Levels of Pesticide Residues in Foods Consumed in Trinidad And Tobago Using A Newly Modified Quechers Method

Winnette Collimore; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

9: 30 a.m

Detoxification of Ackee (Blighia sapida) Seed Defatted Flour

O'Neil C. Falloon; University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica

9:50 a.m

Acrylamide the Food Toxin – Residual Levels in Caribbean Foods and Proposals for Mitigation

Grace-Anne Bent; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

10:10 a.m

COFFEE BREAK

SESSION

Materials Science and Technology Applications
Session Chair: Dr. Arvind Kumar; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

10:30 a.m

*Materials Chemistry in the Development of Multiplexed Microanalytical Biosensor Systems for Human Health

Anthony Guiseppi-Elie; Texas A & M University, US

11:00 a.m

An In Vitro Medical Device Material Biocompatibility Study Using Primary Cultures of Rat Osteoblast

Fiayaz Aleem Shaama; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

11:20 a.m

*Nanomaterials in Electrochemistry: From Fuel Cells to DNA Sensors

Carlos Cabrera, University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico

11:40 a.m

Low-temperature cybotactic liquid crystal phases of luminescent biphenyl Schiff's base copper(II) complexes

Wilson Sue Chee Ming, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

12:00 p.m

Evaluating Structural Transformation Kinetics of Palladium Biphenyl Salicylaldimines from Variable Temperature Synchrotron X-ray Powder Diffraction

Reco Phillips; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad            

12:20 p.m

LUNCH BREAK

SESSION

Materials Science and Technology Applications

Session Chair: Dr. Michael Forde; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

1:30 p.m

Iron Zeolite Nanosheets for the Selective Oxidation of Methane to Methanol

Ashley K. Smith St. Clair; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

1:50 p.m

*Quantum Dots-Tiny Particles for Big Problems

Karthik Ramasamy; UbiQD Inc., US

2:20 p.m

Undoped and Doped Copper Indium Sulphide Nanostructures and Thin Films: Cost-effective and Environmentally-benign Materials for Advanced Solar Cell Applications

Richard A. Taylor; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

2:40 p.m

*Lanthanide(III) Containing Materials: From Polynuclear Clusters to Coordination Polymers and Metal Organic Frameworks

Marvadeen Singh-Wilmot; University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica

3:10 p.m

COFFEE BREAK

4:00 p.m

POSTER SESSION: Poster Exhibit Hall

Day 3: Friday, 24th

SESSION

Advanced Experimental Techniques/Industrial Chemistry
Session Chair: Dr. Richard Taylor; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

8:30 a.m

Opportunities for Chemical Sciences using Brookhaven’s Light Source II Capabilities

Eric Dooryhee; NSLS-II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, US

9:10 a.m

JEOL: A leader in advanced scientific technology

Robb Westby, JEOL USA, US

9: 40 a.m

The Effect of Catalysts Synthesis Methods on Furfural HydrogenationNakisha Mark; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

10:00 a.m

The Ethanolic Content of Papaya (Carica Papaya) Verses Sapodilla (Manilkara Zapota) Via Fermentation Raymond. C. Jagessar; University of Guyana, Guyana

10:20 a.m

COFFEE BREAK

SESSION

Industrial Chemistry/Product Development
Session Chair: Dr. Ann Wilson; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

10:50 a.m

Metal Compounds in Selective Oxidation of Alcohols

Arvind Kumar; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

11:10 a.m

The Fermentation Capacity of the Pulp of Magifera indica, Carica papaya and the Peel of Magnifera indica in the Absence and Presence of Additives
Raymond. C. Jagessar; University of Guyana, Guyana

11:30 a.m

Fuel Properties and Emissions of Methanol-Biodiesel-Coconut Oil Ternary Blends, an Alternative Fuel for Stationary Compression Engines

Rachael Wyse-Mason; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

11:50 a.m

The Beauty in Chemistry: Tales of Entrepreneurship

Charah Watson; Scientific Research Council, Jamaica

12:20 p.m

LUNCH BREAK

SESSION

Chemistry Education and Outreach

Session Chair: Dr. Marvadeen Singh-Wilmot; University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica

1:30 p.m

Exploring the Effects of Language Comprehension on Interest in Chemistry Courses and the impact of a curriculum intervention on Academic Performance

Clairene R.J. McDavid-Adams; University of the Southern Caribbean, Trinidad

1:50 p.m

Demonstrating the Impact of Community-Based Participatory Research Approaches from Process to Outcomes

Leonette Cox; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

2:10 p.m

Returns to Field of Study in Trinidad and Tobago

Roshnie Doon; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

2:30 p.m

Chemistry Research – somewhere over the rainbow or the bridge to doing good for everyone

Michael Forde; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

2:50 p.m

END OF CONFERENCE AND CLOSING

3:00 p.m

FST WEEK Panel Discussion: “Cannabis: Science and the Issues”

5:00 p.m

Conference Reception: Univeristy Inn and Conference Centre

*Invited Talk