Student Programs
Undergraduate Summer Research Program
Established in 1995, the Undergraduate Summer Research Program, sponsored by the Office
of Diversity Education and Research, is designed for undergraduate students who have
historically been underrepresented in bio-medical and health professions.
Over a period of 8 weeks, program participants attended seminars and conducted research
under the direction of a faculty member with a focus on health disparities and social
determinants of health. Students also attended admissions workshops, Kaplan Test prep
seminars and participated in weekly journal club activities.
In 2018 we had 7 participants who presented their final projects during our annual
symposium. The program is funded by the Dean’s Office of the College of Medicine.
Program faculty included Dr. Mark Stewart, Dean of the School of Graduate Studies
and Dr. Samuel Marquez, Co-Director of Gross Cell Biology for the College of Medicine
and Director of Gross Cell Biology for the College of Health Related Professions.
2018 Undergraduate Summer Research Fellows
- Kafayat Abdul, New York University
Title: Analysis of the retention time of Jublia ® in the nail plate
Mentor: Caitlin Otto, PhD, D (ABMM), Director of Microbiology
- Shannon Alexander, University at Albany
Title: The effects of Macrophages with dying heart cells
Mentor: Ming Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Anesthesiology
- Nathan Kellyman, Oakwood University
Title: Intervening in current US immigration policy to effect change in the Haitian
immigrant population’s access to healthcare
Mentor: Orlando Sola, M.D., Department of Family Medicine
- Chelsie Larrieux, St. John’s University
Title: The function of the Sphingomyelin Synthase (SMS) gene family (SMS1
SMS2, SMSr)
Mentors: Yeun-po (Robert) Chiang, PhD., Xian-Cieng Jiang, PhD.,
Department of Cell Biology
- Gayle Mendez, Syracuse University
Title: Role of IL-17 and TNF-a cytokines on PD-L1 expression in an African American
colon
cancer cell line
Mentors: Laura Martello-Rooney, PhD., Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Jenny Paredes, MS, PhD candidate, School of Graduate Studies
- Adedamola Ogundipe, CUNY Baruch College
Title: ATF6 and its effect on acute pancreatitis
Mentor: Alexander Schwartzman, MD, MBA, FACS, Department of Surgery
Chongmin Huan, MD, PhD, Surgical Research Laboratory
- Chukwuka Okoro, Cornell University
Title: Assessment of cardiac reserve in African Americans by Dobutamine stress induced
changes in global longitudinal strain
Mentor: Jason Lazar, MD, MPH, Department of Cardiovascular Disease
Summer Program in Translational Disparities and Community Engaged Research (SPRINTER):
The Summer Program in Translational Disparities and Community Engaged Research (SPRINTER)
is a part of the NIH Endowment Translational Program of Health Disparities Research
Training (TRANSPORT) Grant. The goal is to motivate and excite students who have the
prospect of a career in biomedical research. Over a period of 7-weeks, undergraduate
students are exposed to principles of health disparities and translational research
through hands-on research experience, discussions on social determinants of health,
networking opportunities, community engagement and outreach opportunities. Students
also attended weekly lectures on an introduction to basic and clinical science research
techniques. This first year of SPRINTER included five students from partnering schools,
Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn College, and SUNY Albany, along with a student from
Spelman College. All final research projects were presented during the SPRINTER research
symposium.
SPRINTER Provides:
- Hands-on
- Research methodology skills
- Discussions on social determinants of health
- Journal club discussions
- Networking opportunities
- Community engagement and outreach opportunities
- Training in basic science techniques
- Public Speaking/ Research presentation skills
2018 SPRINTER Fellows:
- ADIA BENJAMIN, Spelman College
Project: A study to reduce sodium intake (Survey Validity)
Mentor: Dr. Carla Boutin-Foster
- ABEERA KAHLID, Medgar Evers College
Project: A study to reduce sodium intake (Barriers to Adherence)
Mentor: Dr. Carla Boutin-Foster
- JORGE LATA, Brooklyn College
Project: A study to reduce sodium intake (Social Support)
Mentor: Dr. Carla Boutin-Foster
- CHRIS DESROSIN, University at Albany
Project: Overdiagnosis of Psychosis in African Americans
Mentor: Dr. Michele T. Pato
- JENESSA GEORGE, University at Albany
Project: Frailty and Dementia in Older Adults: a Cross-Sectional Study.
Mentor: Dr. Michael Reinhardt
- JAILENE PAREDES, CUNY Brooklyn College
Project: Comparing Life Births of African American Women Having Schizophrenia or
Bipolar.
Mentor: Dr. Michele T. Pato
