Wood Hudson’s virtual summer Undergraduate Research and Education Program (UREP) is in full swing with 17 students, four scientists, and numerous guest speakers are busy and working through the 14 week program, which is running through August 13.
Ian Dissett, a UREP student and rising senior from Xavier University, says: “I am really enjoying research at the Wood Hudson Cancer Research Laboratory this summer. Dr. Julia Carter, Dr. Larry Douglass, Dr. Ron Synder, Professor Diane Wilkening Gilb are very knowledgeable in the field and are great resources for myself and fellow undergraduates to bounce questions off of and to help us gain a better understanding of cancer biology. My research proposal this summer is investigating how the disruption of circadian rhythm affects tumor development, growth, and treatment.”
Another UREP student, Heidi Arth, is a rising junior at Xavier University as a Life Sciences for Business major and Chemistry minor. “I have enjoyed every minute of the Summer UREP, however, I especially enjoy the weekly journal clubs where two of my peers present current articles regarding cancer research. My goal for the summer is to create a project based on a provocative question from the National Cancer Institute. I have chosen to focus my project on what strategies improve and sustain the coordination of comprehensive healthcare for underserved cancer patients who also suffer from anxiety and depression.”
Students are spending their Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays together (online) studying cancer biology, presenting chapters from the textbook, and listening to guest speakers who are selected from the Wood Hudson Board of Trustees and other collaborators. They are viewing virtual demonstrations of research techniques and presenting journal articles. For their final projects, each student will design an experiment that addresses a Provocative Question from the National Institute of Health. They will present written and oral reports. This challenging program gives students the opportunity to learn and to think critically, and it prepares them to go far in careers in health and science.
The virtual format for Summer UREP has made it possible for Wood Hudson to expand its reach. This summer there is a student from Chicago and one from Maryland. With all the pros and cons of the emerging virtual world, this is a big pro.
The UREP virtual research experience is a different way of learning compared to “hands-on,” in the lab.
But this program may very well be more of a critical-thinking experience, as students grapple with the thought aspect of a research proposal, and not so much with the technique of careful lab work (which is also very important).
Wood Hudson, headquartered in Newport, has provided the Undergraduate Research and Education Program (UREP) since 1982, and has trained nearly 350 students in the cancer research field. UREP serves men (46%) and women (54%). 42% of UREP students have gone on to become scientists or educators. 51% of UREP students have chosen medicine or health fields. The research experience gives them an upper-hand in their studies, as well as when they apply to medical school, graduate school, or other advanced programs.
Wood Hudson is providing a critical experience to a rising generation of doctors and scientists, as they go forward in the fight against cancer and provide health care to communities near and far.
UREP students are paid for their time, and each student earns approximately $2,800 during the summer program.
If you want to help continue offering this valuable program by making a donation HERE. UREP is also funded through grants from PNC Charitable Trusts, the R.C. Durr Foundation, and the ChemED Foundation.