Summer research programs at Marshall University attract students from West Virginia and beyond

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Contact: Leah C. Payne, Director of Public Affairs, Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy, 304-691-1713

Summer research programs at Marshall University attract students from West Virginia and beyond

HUNTINGTON, W.Va.—More than a dozen undergraduate students from ten institutions are spending the summer conducting biomedical research in laboratories at Marshall University. The students are participating in nine-week programs offered through the West Virginia IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (WV-INBRE) and Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine Summer Research Internship for Minority Students (SRIMS).

“We are providing in-depth, mentored research opportunities for very talented undergraduates,” said Elsa I. Mangiarua, Ph.D., professor of biomedical sciences and director of the WV-INBRE program. “The programs also promote awareness of Marshall’s graduate degree programs and available careers in biomedical research.”

Kelly Carothers, who coordinates the SRIMS program, agreed, saying, “This is a chance for students to do meaningful laboratory research, network with others in their field and enhance their academic competitiveness for graduate school.”

While at Marshall, the interns are working in the university’s state-of-the-art facilities on research projects that are important for the health care of central Appalachia such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes, addiction associated diseases, toxicology, and immunological diseases. They will present their research results at a symposium at the end of the summer. 

Students participating in the WV-INBRE summer program include:

  • Randall “Josiah” Bosley, West Virginia Wesleyan College (Larry Grover, Ph.D., mentor)
  • Catherine Cavender, Concord University (Nalini Santanam, Ph.D., MPH, FAHA, mentor)
  • Brandon “Shane” Dempsey, Shepherd University (Piyali Dasgupta, Ph.D., mentor)
  • Tyler Halstead, University of Charleston (Monica Valentovic, Ph.D., mentor)
  • Kaden Hudson, University of Charleston (Richard Egleton, Ph.D., mentor)
  • Michael Mueller, West Virginia Wesleyan College (Monica Valentovic, Ph.D., mentor)
  • Miranda Poore, Bluefield State College (Gary Rankin, Ph.D., mentor)
  • Kristiana Sklioutovskaya-Lopez, University of Charleston (Jung Han Kim, Ph.D., mentor)
  • Nicholas Tate, Alderson Broaddus University (Emine Koc, Ph.D., mentor)
  • Gregory Thurman, University of Charleston (Beverly Delidow, Ph.D, mentor)
  • Christopher Yopp, Bluefield State College (Hongwei Yu, Ph.D.)

The WV-INBRE program also sponsors summer fellowships for faculty. This year’s fellowship recipient is Dawn Turner, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology at the University of Charleston, who is working with Jiang Liu, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in biomedical sciences.

In addition, two high school science educators will participate in the program: Olivia Boskovic, a Huntington High School science teacher who will work under the mentorship of Isabel Larre, Ph.D., and Seth Perry a Hurricane High School science teacher who will work with Monica Valentovic, Ph.D., professor of biomedical sciences.

WV-INBRE is funded through a $16 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. Marshall—in partnership with researchers at West Virginia University—received the award to help build expertise in biomedical research.

Students in this year’s SRIMS program are:

  • Jazmin Carmon, Old Dominion University (Yanling Yan, Ph.D., mentor)
  • Awero “Faye” Osseni, Marshall University (Brandon Henderson, Ph.D., mentor)
  • Isaiah Selmon-Miller, West Liberty University (Subha Arthur, Ph.D., mentor)
  • Tyrese Taylor, Bethune-Cookman University (Travis Salisbury, Ph.D., mentor)

Support for the SRIMS program comes from the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program.

Each intern receives a stipend. Depending on the program in which they are participating, they may also receive room and board, and reimbursement for travel to and from Marshall.

For more information about the WV-INBRE program, visit www.wv-inbre.org or contact Mangiarua at mangiaru@marshall.edu or 304-696-6211. For more information about the SRIMS program, visit http://jcesom.marshall.edu/research/srims or contact Carothers at carothers@marshall.edu or 304-696-7279. 

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Photo caption:  Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine hosts summer interns through the West Virginia IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (WV-INBRE) and Summer Research Internship for Minority Students (SRIMS) programs.  Pictured at the Robert C. Byrd Biotechnology Science Center are: (Back row) Christopher Yopp, Josiah Bosley, Michael Mueller, Tyler Halstead, Shane Dempsey, Nick Tate and Greg Thurman. (Front row): Miranda Poore,  Kristiana Skiloutovskaya-Lopez, Cat Cavender, Tyrese Taylor, Faye Osseni, Isaiah Selmon-Miller, Jazmin Carmon and  Kaden Hudson.

Date Posted: Wednesday, June 7, 2017