Summer internship program leads undergrads to research track

Like delighted parents, mentors nodded proudly as students in the MUSC Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) nailed their scientific presentations. It was in many ways hard for them to believe these were the same students who, only 10 weeks earlier, had come to them not particularly familiar with granulocytes or ligands. Aug. 5 marked the end of the program, and as Paula Traktman, Ph.D., dean of the College of Graduate Studies, hopes, the beginning of robust careers in biomedical research for many of them.

Through this innovative 10–week CGS internship program, highly motivated rising college juniors and seniors from around the United States and Puerto Rico spend their summers working in MUSC laboratories, learning how to conduct research experiments and modeling themselves after the dedicated scientists from whom they learn so much. Through the experience, students gain greater levels of confidence as they perform research in the biomedical sciences, and they also gain a clearer picture of what the future might hold in store for them careerwise.

Admittance into the SURP program is very competitive, according to Stephanie Brown–Guion, who runs  the program and has four summers under her belt. For the 2016 program, the college received more than 400 applications from well–qualified and talented students, many of whom had GPAs greater than 3.5. Sixty-four students were selected and accepted into the program.

They look for students who have the drive, passion and desire to pursue a career in research. Brown–Guion feels SURP gives students an advantage in terms of experiencing firsthand what a future in biomedical research might be like.

“SURP provides an opportunity for students with science seeking majors from undergraduate schools interested in performing research in the biomedical sciences to come to MUSC and work one–on–one with our extraordinary graduate faculty who mentor them in their laboratories. This allows them to get a really good picture of what it’s like to conduct research. We will always need good researchers. Research is the foundation for medicine, and without it, we wouldn’t have the medications or treatments that exist today. It’s an important art that should be continued. It’s also important for students to understand they have other career options where they can make a difference in the lives of patients.”

Cynthia Wright, Ph.D., associate dean for admissions and career development for the College of Graduate Studies, is the program director for one of the grants that supports the SURP program and sees it as an important pipeline for the future.

“The SURP program is a superior tool for career development and recruitment,” she said. “Our goal is to bring students from all over the United States to MUSC and ensure they have a positive experience. It not only helps to increase the number of students who are interested in biomedical research, but it gets promising students actively involved in cancer research, structural biology and a whole range of things.”

Once the cadre of students is accepted into the program, they are able to choose from nearly two dozen areas of research, based on their interests. The program directors then carefully screen and match students with mentors, who in turn assign their students research projects and work with them to provide the type of valuable hands–on research experience that will prepare them for postgraduate work and possibly even careers in biomedical research.

A number of MUSC researchers have very specialized grants that allow for the involvement of students. This offered a chance for more than 40 of the participants to be integrally involved in projects related to research in the neurosciences, cardiovascular disease, addiction studies, oral health sciences and biofabrication and bioinformatics.

Others have the opportunity to try their hands at research involving pharmacology, immunology and cancer, among many others. Olanike Awotunde was one such student. Having recently completed her second summer in SURP, Awotunde, a junior at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, is now an old pro. She had wonderful experiences both times, she said, but her second go–round was particularly positive, as she really knew what she was doing and her confidence soared.

Awotunde feels she was destined to pursue a science track. A first–generation American, her parents, both from Nigeria, moved to the United States to pursue careers in the medical field: her father, a pharmacist, owns an independent pharmacy, and her mother, a nurse, now manages the family business. From a very young age, Awotunde was exposed to the importance of science.

“I’ve been interested in science and taking care of people for as long as I can remember. I was that kid who played doctor with her doll,” she said with a laugh. “I’ve always had a passion for STEM,” referring to a combined field that includes science, technology, engineering and math.

“I loved watching my dad in action at the pharmacy and getting to know his patients. He helped them so much. My mom would tell me stories about her work  in the hospital. I always knew I wanted to help patients. I didn’t know exactly what that would look like, but this program has definitely helped to point me in the right direction.”

This summer, she worked for a second time with her two mentors, Samar Hammad, Ph.D., an associate professor, and Titus Reaves, Ph.D., an assistant professor, both in the Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, and was able to jump right back into the project she had undertaken the year before, making even greater strides. The research she conducted with Hamad and Reaves involved the transcription factor, scleraxis (SCX).

“I did research on the role of SCX, trying to look at its role in neutrophils, which are leukocytes in the blood. We did experiments two summers ago and got preliminary results that it is expressed by neutrophils. So this past summer, we tried to identify the relationship of the transcription factor in neutrophil function, and we got results that show SCX may regulate neutrophil function. It was very exciting.”

This success showed her she was on the right path — a path she thinks might include an M.D.–Ph.D. program.

“My experience in the summer program at MUSC showed me the real-life application of the science that I’ve been studying so long. It gave me the ability to see — at work — all the things I had learned in classes. When we were looking at experiments, I was reminded of some of the chemical processes that were taking place, and the properties of the cells we were studying. It was beautiful to see this nitty gritty level of detail that I’d been exposed to in the past. It really gave me reassurance that I’m interested in science. It made me confident that I’m in the right field.”

She doesn’t have her future mapped out entirely, but she does know she would like to continue working in research, answering questions that fascinate her. “Ultimately my goal is to really understand the functions and processes behind diseases that are affecting a lot of people, study them in detail and figure out ways to approach treatments and possibly cures that will make people feel better. My mind is constantly worrying — why and how does the human body betray you and become diseased? I really want to figure out why and how to prevent these diseases from happening — so the body will defend itself. There are so many complexities.”

She would like to further explore a particular area — one that will make a substantive impact in people’s lives. She’s considering immunology. “Then I could study the body’s defense system and how to optimize its efficiency, so that if something does go wrong, the body will respond appropriately.”

Presentation Day

Awotunde and 61 other SURP students presented their research to fellow students and their mentors on Aug. 5. Brown–Guion sat in the audience, proud and amazed.

“The students I see at orientation on Day 1 of the program are not the same students who stand before their mentors and peers on the last day of SURP as they present their work and all they have done. It amazes me to see the growth; it is just awesome. When our students realize they have worked hard on their projects, and they know their stuff, it’s a mind–blowing experience. This program is extraordinary.”

Both Wright and Brown–Guion always find themselves impressed with how committed the students are and agree that the program helps them realize characteristics they didn’t even know they possessed.

Brown–Guion explained, “When they arrive, they are very nervous and anxious not knowing what to expect. The projects the mentors assign can seem overwhelming in the beginning. But I tell them, ‘Just wait — you will begin to understand what is going on and you will be able to tell us about your work.’ They develop such a passion for the project — it is almost like it becomes their child, and they want to see it grow and succeed. That’s the kind of passion we see developed in the student participants in this program. By the end of SURP, they are seemingly like experts in their research area. When they go back to school, their whole mindset has changed in every way. Students have told me their approach to courses, their drive, even their personal lives are elevated and they develop a new perspective, especially because of the wide variety of career choices available in the sciences.”