ST. George — Utah Tech's “active learning, active living” tagline went into full swing last summer when selected students conducted “groundbreaking” cancer research at Stanford University and Johns Hopkins University. I did.
The students' presentations were part of the Pioneer Speaker Series Held Every Tuesday in the Browning Research Center's Dunford Auditorium.
The series recently featured presentations by research interns Evelyn Fuentes, Candice Johnson, and David Jackson. Classmate Jarome Bush did not attend. Fuentes and Johnson studied at Stanford University, and Jackson and Bush studied at Johns Hopkins University.
Doug Sainsbury, biology faculty member and biotechnology program coordinator at Utah Tech, concluded his presentation by announcing this summer's carefully selected roster.
In just a few weeks, Bailey Christensen, Katie Bello, Cyrus Miner, Reno Blackmore, and Ginebra Molino will leave for research internships, traveling to Northern California or Maryland.
Utah Tech's partnership with the universities spans a total of 16 years, and Sainsbury said he hopes it will continue.
Mr Sainsbury told St George's News that most of his former research interns' careers benefited from this 10-week process, eventually going on to medical school or completing their PhDs. in programs such as Biochemical Sciences. One student obtained full-time employment in the lab where he originally interned.
Science aside, this is also an opportunity for students to explore a new city and make new friends.
“I’m really excited to spend time with the guys I’m going to be joining,” junior Ginebra Molino said. “I think it will be a fun and stimulating environment.”
Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University are known for their research, Professor Sainsbury said, adding that he is looking forward to returning to Utah Tech and seeing students excited about their research.
“It’s great to see the growth in our students,” he said.
He added that the selection committee receives approximately 25 applicants each semester from third- and fourth-year students at Utah Tech.
Molino said she applied knowing her chances of winning were slim. The selection process was so intense that even successful candidates like Molino were surprised that they made it.
“I didn't even want to apply,” she says. “I didn't think she could pass.”
In Jim Ford's lab at Stanford University, Dr. Fuentes investigated two uracil DNA glycosylase enzymes, SMUG1 and UNG, in breast cancer cells that are responsible for DNA repair. Future studies will investigate the broader effects of loss of uracil DNA glycosylase in these cells.
Meanwhile, Johnson developed a bioinformatics pipeline with Dr. Kiwon Shin in Hanli Ji's lab to analyze colorectal cancer at the end of the gastrointestinal tract through genome sequence data. She created a pipeline focused on genetic mutations in cancer cells.
In Michael Kordobsky's lab at Johns Hopkins University, Jackson studied two different types of cancer cells in children: DIPG and ATRT. Methylating or compressing parts of DNA to make them inaccessible should, in theory, reduce the dose of chemotherapy needed for effective treatment.
Bush was researching pancreatic cancer in Doug Robinson's lab. He hoped to slow cancer growth by modulating protein production levels of ACTN 4 and non-muscle myosin IIC.
The Trailblazing Speaker Series ends on April 16th. See the full schedule on his Utah Tech website.
Copyright Saint George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, All Rights Reserved.
