CAPS Research Scholars and McNair Scholars, as a part of their obligation as researchers in the program, present their research annually at a university-wide exhibition each summer. Last week, three undergraduate students, under advisement and mentorship from School of Pharmacy faculty L. Cody Smith, Na Li, and Gregory Sartor, shared their posters detailing the recent contributions they have made to their respective labs.
The CAPS Research Program, within the Institute for Student Success, is dedicated to preparing first-generation, low-income, and historically underrepresented students for graduate school, specifically for M.S. and Ph.D. studies in STEM disciplines, and careers in academia.
“The CAPS Research opportunities provide a structured introduction and comprehensive foundation to being an undergraduate researcher,” says Renee Trueman, the director of the CAPS Research Scholars/McNair Scholars Program. “It provides experiential training, strong connections with faculty mentors and current PhD students, and step-by-step guidance throughout each student’s undergraduate journey.”
As scholars in the program, students work under the advisement of a faculty mentor. These faculty members guide students through their time as undergraduate researchers, providing independent research opportunities in their lab, networking opportunities with like-minded individuals, individualized academic planning, and holistic mentorship throughout their undergraduate career. Being a faculty mentor to these scholars is a significant commitment, reserved only for those who wish to truly help foster excellence and diversity within academia.
L. Cody Smith, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, mentors CAPS Research Scholar Jordan Candelario, an undergraduate Molecular and Cell Biology student. Candelario’s research poster for the exhibition is titled Investigating the Role of the Estrogen Receptor Alpha in Alveolar Macrophage Activation. Smith’s lab focuses on the role of respiratory contaminants and pollutants in lung disease, focusing specifically on uncovering disease mechanisms to guide future therapeutic research.
Na Li, Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutics, mentors McNair Scholar Ibrahim Daboul, an undergraduate Molecular and Cell Biology student. Daboul’s research poster for the exhibition is titled Poorly Soluble Drug Bioavailability and Absorption Dynamics. Li’s lab focuses on further understanding the mechanisms and extent of the particle drifting effect on absorption, drug stability, and material sciences during pharmaceutical processing, and microbiome-mediated drug biotransformation.
Gregory Sartor, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, mentors McNair Scholar Fabio Silveira, an undergraduate pathobiology student. Silveira’s research poster for the exhibition is titled The Effects of Hydroxynorketamin (HNK) on Neuroinflammation on Sim A-9 Cells. Sartor’s lab investigates the neurobiological mechanisms that underly substance use disorder and uses this knowledge to develop pharmacotherapies and delivery systems for the treatment of substance use disorders.
Faculty mentors are considered by the CAPS Research Scholar team to be the cornerstone of the program, fulfilling not only the program’s mission but also the university’s mission of fostering the future richness and diversity of academia.
“I am truly grateful for the consistent attention the faculty provide our students, as we bring a holistic approach to mentoring our students in this brand new environment,” Trueman says.
