Department: Scholars

Hello, my name is Ian Liyayi and I was born in Nairobi, Kenya. I moved to Maryland in 2008. I attended Stevenson University (SU) where I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Science in Biochemistry.

During my undergraduate career, I explored different research fields to determine the path that best fit my interests. My first research experience at SU involved quantifying concentrations of ions in water from the Chesapeake Bay. I developed basic research skills and learned advanced techniques such as ion chromatography. Following this experience, I participated in a National Science Foundation funded research program, Research Experiences for Undergraduates, where I had the opportunity to conduct research throughout the summer at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. There, I was part of a drug discovery project involving a transcriptional activator, VirF, that regulates the virulence of intracellular pathogen, Shigella flexneri. I worked on mutating the virf gene in order to isolate the DNA binding domain. I was able to isolate the and express the truncated domain. The long-term goal was to obtain a crystal structure of the DNA binding domain and probe interactions with a lead compound discovered beforehand. This research experience was instrumental in my decision to pursue a doctoral degree.

Near the end of my undergraduate program, I knew that I wanted to pursue a doctoral degree, but I did not feel quite ready. I wanted to strengthen my research and communication skills and develop as an independent scientist. I found out about the Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) through one of my mentors. PREP seemed like the perfect stepping stone to graduate school.

My time at PREP has been fantastic. I joined Dr. Fikri Avci’s lab in the Center for Molecular Medicine. My current project involves examining a glycan structure found on the surface of the bacterium, Streptococcus pneumoniae. I am working to characterize this glycan and test it for immunogenic properties. I am also probing the presence of this glycan in different strains of S. pneumoniae. I’m excited to be expanding my experiences beyond bacteriology and delve into immunology and glycobiology. I am also enjoying the lab dynamic and learning from my lab mates. This experience is helping me improve my lab skills and my ability to read, write, and discuss science, making me confident I’m ready for the next step in my scientific career.

Hello, my name is Roseanne Davila-Rivera. I was born and raised in San Sebastian, a beautiful town of Puerto Rico. When I started my Biology Major at the University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla, I thought the best way to apply my scientific accomplishments was to become a physician. Then I met my Honors Chemistry professor, mentor, and advisor, Dr. Ruiz-Martinez. He was the first person to point out to me that there is no better way to understand and explain biological phenomena than through chemistry. Later, as a junior, I began to understand what he was saying when I took a biochemistry course with Dr. Nieves-Marrero. I was fascinated with understanding of how life works at the molecular level, the chemical interactions that make life possible, and the fact that all living beings share the same composition: carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and, my personal favorite, proteins. My motto is “Proteins have no life, but they make life possible.” From the hemoglobin that carries O2 to our body to the polymerase that replicates DNA to the telomerase that protects our genetic material, proteins carry out critical functions in all living systems. When proteins are folded accurately, they function appropriately, but as little as a single amino acid change can lead to devastating disease, affecting quality of life.
One of the most meaningful experiences in college and a major reason I am motivated to pursue a career in science was volunteering in Splendor Home, a residential home for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. That experience completely changed my perspective on life. It was very hard to understand how people could forget their most precious memories and entirely lose their independence. I felt that patient care was not enough. I wanted to do something more fundamental that could ultimately improve the quality of life of Alzheimer’s disease patients.
PREP@UGA has been a catalyst in my journey to define my career goals. It has given me the time and space to ask myself a very important question. Should I become a physician who diagnoses conditions and prescribes treatments for a limited number of patients? Or a scientist who develops the knowledge to understand biological function and dysfunction, which can ultimately be used to improve the quality of life of millions of people? I aspire to become a scientist and work for the beauty of science, hoping that someday my discoveries could benefit humanity.
I joined the lab of Dr. Shelley Hooks at the Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences Department, where I worked with my research mentor, Membere Yisfashewa Wendimu. The lab is investigating the role of the Regulator of G-protein Signaling 10 (RGS10) in neuroinflammation. The classic role of RGS10 is to regulate the duration and amplitude of G-protein signaling through their ability to function as GTPase-activating protein. RGS10 accelerate the deactivation of G-protein by increasing the rate of GTP hydrolysis. However, previous studies have shown that this protein can also have G-protein independent effects. RGS10 is highly expressed in the brain and immune tissues, and is specially enriched in microglia, which are the resident macrophages of the central nervous system. I worked in the identification of RGS10 binding proteins in microglia and neurons through co-immunoprecipitation experiments. In both cell lines, I identified a binding between RGS10 and Syntaxin-5, a protein involved in the endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi complex transport. Since I identified an interaction between these proteins, I am planning to look for physiologic implications silencing the transcription of Syntaxin-5 in wild type and RGS10 knockout cells.
I plan to pursue a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at University of Pennsylvania with the aim of understanding protein structure and function, especially the role of protein misfolding in neurodegeneration. I believe that understanding the causes of diseases at the molecular level can lead to the development of effective treatments and ways to lessen and event prevent disease. After graduate school, one of my goals is to conduct postdoctoral research in one of the national Alzheimer’s Disease Centers (ADC) or in the National Institute on Aging and pursue a career in academia.

Hello, my name is Aws Ahmed. I attended the University of Texas at El Paso, where I graduated with a Biomedical science degree. Growing up in Iraq, I did not know anything about research. For decades, Iraqi universities have been denied the freedom to do research as well as free access to information necessary to be a successful researcher. I discovered research in my junior year here in the United States when my TA from microbiology lab saw my passion for science and my ability in the lab. He invited me to do research with him in Dr.Sun’s lab in the University of Texas at El Paso. My primary interest was on how bacterial pathogens cause diseases. I studied Mycobacterium tuberculosis ESX-1 secreted proteins.

My previous experience in M. tuberculosis led me a new opportunity working with a post-doctoral researcher in Dr. Spencer’s lab. This focus has been on the intracellular pathogen Francisella tularensis. My interest towards research was nurtured and developed by these two experiences, thus I sought additional training before applying to MD-PhD programs to gain more research experience along with professional development and coursework to prepare for professional school. I chose to become part of PREP@UGA because of the diversity of faculty mentors offered to its scholars, and the quality of research UGA creates.

Here at UGA, I am working in the lab of Dr. Lohitash Karumbaiah under the mentorship of a post-doctoral associate, Dr. Charles-Francois Latchoumane in the regenerative bioscience center. I study Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in vitro and vivo. CNS deficits are limited in their ability to effectuate long-term repair, I am working on previously developed glycomaterials for stem cell transplantation, and trophic factor enrichment after moderate TBI. Also, I been working of various tissue clearing techniques applied on rat brains with a focus on molecular/cellular staining and imaging of large samples. This last experience brought me an even more diverse skill set, a more constructed vision of what can be done and what I could do in the future in the field of scientific research. I now truly respect the impact of basic and translational research on the medical field and I am confident that as an aspiring PhD/MD-PhD I will be able to make a significant contribution.

PREP@UGA – Cohort 4 2017-2018

PhD Candidate Stanford University

PREP@UGA – Cohort 4 2017-2018

ILS PhD program, University of Georgia

PREP@UGA – Cohort 4 2017-2018

Studies Pharmacology, University of Washington

PREP@UGA – Cohort 4 2017-2018

University of Alabama, Birmingham

PREP@UGA – Cohort 4 2017-2018

ILS PhD program, University of Georgia

PREP@UGA – Cohort 4 2017-2018

Research Technologist, Cleveland Clinic

Hello, my name is Tequila Porter and I am currently a PREP Scholar at the University of Georgia. I am a native of Asheville, North Carolina, and I earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology at Winston Salem State University. Growing up, my first exposure to seeing the possibility of an African American have a career in medicine was from the Cosby show. Since then, I have always found myself curious about how I could have a future career in medicine, and I believe this is when my interest in science truly began. However it was even more inspiring, when I encountered my first African American female Obstetrician sophomore year of college at a conference at Wake Forest University.

My greatest motivation to succeed with my future endeavors and strongest influence is driven from the fact that I lost my mother to a drug overdose at the age of fourteen. From that moment on, I immediately knew I wanted to learn about human physiology and pharmacology so that I could ultimately reach back into my community and help alleviate issues of drug abuse.

During my undergraduate studies, I became interested in studying the body, pharmaceutical design, and drug treatment mechanisms by conducting research. This is when I truly found my passion in life. Because of my limited research experience from my undergraduate university and my fair academic performance in my science courses, I wanted to take the appropriate steps and build a foundation in basic science research skills by applying for and becoming a PREP scholar at the University of Georgia.  At the University of Georgia, I have two mentors; my faculty mentor is Dr. Melissa Davis, who is the principal investigator of the lab I am currently performing research, and my research mentor is Brittany Jenkins, a third year Ph.D. student in Genetics.

Our lab focuses on DARC or Duffy Antigen Receptor for Chemokines, which is an atypical chemokine receptor that binds to two structurally distinct classes of chemokines, CCL- and CXCL-. DARC has two protein isoforms that are differentially expressed in certain cell types depending on genetic ancestry. My project is to investigate expression levels of one isoform in ancestry specific cell lines to determine the binding specificity of the ligand.  In order to do this, I will overexpress one isoform in an ancestry specific cell line and a knockout the other isoform in same line. I will then do a verification process where I will perform, an immunofluorescence and qPCR to validate if certain chemokines are present or not present. I am enjoying the research experience at UGA through the PREP program, and hope to apply the skills I have learned here to a graduate program in the future.

My name is Tequila Porter and I am a PREP@UGA scholar.