This summer four soon-to-be medical students in UConn School of Medicine’s Class of 2029 had the inaugural opportunity to participate in the longstanding Summer Research Fellowship Program of the Health Career Opportunity Programs.
“This is the first time we have ever had incoming medical students join our summer research program,” said Dr. Marja Hurley, founding director and associate dean of the Health Career Opportunity Programs (HCOP) and its Aetna Health Professions Partnership Initiative. “This is a great opportunity for the new medical students to make some connections and maybe even decide to later go back and do more research in the faculty mentor’s lab.”
The incoming members of the Class of 2029 were thrilled to present their summer research posters outside the Academic Rotunda on July 17 and cannot wait for medical school at UConn!
Bria Slater, 22, hails from Atlanta, Georgia and believes attending UConn medical school is meant to be.
“It’s fate. UConn came out of the blue,” applauded Slater of the medical school’s communication outreach, and she is already bleeding UConn blue even before medical school officially starts in August.
“UConn is a very supportive environment and where faculty will have your back. That sealed the deal,” says Slater about her decision to choose UConn School of Medicine. “I’m excited to be a part of this community! I’m looking forward to meeting my peers.”
Slater’s summer research experience at UConn was “amazing” she exclaimed in the exciting neuroscience research lab of Feliks Trakhtenberg, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Neuroscience.
Her research focused on further testing as a local treatment of a promising developed fibronectin (Fn)-based peptide in mice to promote possible axon regeneration for spinal cord injury. Trakhtenberg’s Lab has previously shown that the peptide promotes axon regeneration in injured optic nerves of mice.
Slater looks forward to pursing her interest in neurology, concluding, “I can see myself doing this for the rest of my career.”
Sophia Fernandes, 25, from Lincoln, Rhode Island is entering the SOM Class of 2029. She was paired for her summer research experience with Dr. Dyanne Tappin, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
“I’ve had a great summer research experience. Dr. Tappin has been a great resource,” says Fernandes. “I have had an interest in maternal health disparities. Black women are two times more susceptible to Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders. I had no idea before doing this research!”
Her summer research identified gaps in access to Perinatal Mental Health care in Hartford County and made recommendations for care improvements, especially for those in minority communities.
She is excited to get underway at the School of Medicine as a medical student.
“I chose UConn for its supportive environment and HCOP. It’s such a good resource,” Fernandes stated.
Christopher Morales, 23, of Derby, Connecticut is also soon entering the School of Medicine Class 2029 and is already feeling at home at UConn’s medical school.
“I love this place,” says Morales. “I found a medical school where I already feel comfortable. Everyone here is wonderful!”
Morales first learned about HCOP’s opportunities during his medical school interview process.
“I was an immediate yes,” he says to attending UConn. “I love the medical school’s programming of team-based learning and early patient care experiences in the CLIC program. I love working with patients.” In fact, Morales worked for two years in the ophthalmology care field before medical school.
His mother immigrated to the U.S. from Brazil and Morales is proudly the first generation in his family to gradate college, and now to go on to medical school.
“I never thought I would be here,” says Morales. “I am very grateful.”
He looks forward to donning his medical school white coat on Friday, August 22 at the traditional White Coat Ceremony held for new medical students at UConn School of Medicine.
Morales loves exploring all about the central nervous system and knows he wants to be a teaching physician someday, so UConn’s academic medical center is a “perfect fit” for him to learn.
His summer research mentor is Alice Burghard, Ph.D., assistant professor of Neuroscience who also enjoyed mentoring Morales and says, “I’m very happy about the study findings.”
In mouse models Morales examined the age and sex differences when it comes to susceptibility to hearing loss due to sound exposure. Interestingly, he found that young females were the most resilient to noise exposure.
“It’s surreal, I’m excited,” says Dany Skaf, 25, from Florida about getting ready to attend UConn for medical school.
UConn’s medical school has been on his radar. During COVID-19 in 2020 his in-person HCOP summer research program experience turned virtual due to the pandemic concerns.
But he finally had his chance to participate in the HCOP summer research program in-person in the lab of Chair of the Department of Medicine and endocrinology physician-scientist Dr. Francesco Celi. In Celi’s Lab this summer Skaf helped successfully create a Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 Flox AdipoCre mice colony for further study of the key protein, performed genotype testing, and to further explore the protein’s impact on metabolism, especially for diabetes. As the protein increases one’s likelihood of developing diabetes.
“I hope to continue working on this research. Hopefully, this research opens the door to potentially help improve insulin resistance and to prevent diseases like diabetes and obesity,” says Skaf.
Congratulations to all the student summer researchers and presenters in both the Summer Research Fellowship Program and the Health Disparities Clinical Summer Research Fellowship Program.
