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College students and recent graduates presented findings to their peers on July 26 from research they conducted during the Diversity Scholars Summer Research and Enrichment Program at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and Fox Chase Cancer Center.
The eight-week summer program is designed for individuals with an interest in medicine and/or basic sciences who may not have previously had a chance to conduct research in a medical setting.
Through this program, selected participants are paired with a principal investigator from the Katz School of Medicine or Fox Chase and provided with the means to conduct research through ongoing studies, studies that have recently been completed, or reviews of earlier research studies.
During 15-minute sessions at the conclusion of this year’s program, participants highlighted their research methods and results for projects on a wide variety of topics. Following their presentations, they answered questions on their work from fellow participants.
“This program presents a unique experience for students because it allows them to work side-by-side with researchers. Many of these students have never had the opportunity to work in a medical setting or lab and exposure is the best way to learn about potential future career paths,” said Terrance Harshaw, CDP, Manager of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Fox Chase.
“The program is tailored for students who are rising juniors or seniors, or recent graduates with a passion for medicine and basic sciences,” said Nicole Miller-Allen, Program Coordinator for the Office of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the Katz School of Medicine. “It seeks to identify and nurture the next generation of healthcare leaders while promoting diversity and inclusion in the medical field.”
The program offers participants the opportunity to improve their teamwork abilities, confidence, communication skills, and professional outlooks as their team helps them nurture their goals of pursuing a professional graduate career.
“I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to facilitate oncology research experience opportunities to such a diverse group of scholars,” said Camille Ragin, PhD, Associate Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Fox Chase and a program mentor.
This year’s participants and their projects were:
- Mitiana Desarmes, Swarthmore College: “Admission Standards of Isolated Rib Fractures”
- Sasha Jules, Temple University: “The Role of m6A Methylase METTL14 in Regulating Inflammatory mRNA Transcript Stability in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells”
- Arjhay Eldemire, Temple University: “Heroin Self Administration and its Effects on MicroRNA Expression in Rats”
- Sebastian Santos, Temple University: “The Effect of Rho Pathway Inhibition on Cannabinoid Tetrad Behaviors”
- Anton McFadden, Cheyney University: “Investigating Ultraviolet Radiation, CTLA-4 Overexpression in Melanoma”
- Melihik Berhanu, Temple University: “The Impact of Cigarette Smoking and Ethanol Co-Exposure on Mice”
- Fiona Russ, Temple University: “The Dual Nature of NRF2 in Cerebrovascular Inflammation and Alzheimer’s Disease”
- John Phuong, Villanova University: “LLM Applications in Biomedical Research”
- Farah Bassyouny, Temple University: “Screening of Dental Isolates for Pheromone Responsive Plasmids Capable of Remodeling Enterococcus Faecalis Biofilm Structure”
- Samiyah Murray, Temple University: “From Hemostasis to Thrombosis: The Role of Quiescin Sulfhydryl Oxidase 1 (QSOX1) Protein in Platelets”
- Jonatan Lopez, Temple University: “De Novo Serine Synthesis Pathway Impacts Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis”
- Vaughn McCain, Cornell University: “What Impacts Breast Cancer Screening Frequency in Black Communities?”
- Mary Tyler, Penn State University: “The Legacy of the Jim Crow Era on Racial and Economic Disparities in Kidney Transplantation”
- Joseph Nguyen, Temple University: “Applications with Kaplan Meier Plots”
- Setareh Atighechi, Penn State University: “The Cell Renewal of Alveolar Type II Cells in Emphysema”
“We hope that these experiences have made an indelible impression that will contribute to the expansion of a diverse pipeline of future research professionals,” Ragin said.