Walking through the crowded atrium, first-year medical student Erin Scdoris marveled at the complexity of the research being done at UNMC.
“The diversity of research here is overwhelming,” Scdoris said.
 |
Dee Harrison-Findik, Ph.D., discusses her research with pediatrics investigator Jianhong Sun. |
That is exactly what Scdoris is hoping to do, although she is unsure just what kind of research she wants to do.
“There is so much to choose from,” she said. “There is definitely something for everybody.”
Munching on pizza and pop courtesy of the Office of Research and Development, second-year medical students Kate Venable and Jason Christensen checked out the variety of research opportunities available.
“I’m here to brainstorm research ideas,” said Christensen, who is considering participating in a research program after his third year of medical school.
“It’s interesting to see what people have researched,” said Venable, who was attending the fair for the first time.
The Research Fair is targeted at medical students attending UNMC and undergraduates from universities and colleges in eastern Nebraska, said Sonja Cox, program coordinator in the Office of Research and Development.
Students from UNL, Nebraska Wesleyan, Creighton University and the University of Nebraska at Omaha attended the fair. Thirty-five researchers from various departments on campus were on hand to greet students and discuss their research.
Investigator Dee Harrison-Findik, Ph.D., with internal medicine, said this was her second time participating in the Research Fair.
“Last summer two students signed up to do research with us and later presented at another Research Fair,” Dr. Harrison-Findik said. “It’s a great opportunity for them.”
Dr. Harrison-Findik was presenting research on “Molecular regulation of iron metabolism and the role of iron in health and disease, including alcoholic liver disease and Hepatitis C.”
Other types of research being presented included: the “Role of PKCu in Prostate Cancer,” “Barriers to Appointment Attendance in Family Medicine,” and “Evaluation of Phase 1 Smallpox Vaccination in Douglas County, Nebraska.”
Donna Kuntzelman, research coordinator in the department of pediatrics, said “there are four research opportunities in pediatrics open only to undergraduate students this summer.”
They include: Strategies for Deflating Cuffs on Endotracheal Tubes; Hydrostatic Equilibration through 22, 25, 26 and 27 gauge spinal needle; Pulmonary Complications in Pediatric Liver and Liver/Small Bowel Transplant Patients; and the Impact of Puberty on the Kidney in Diabetes.
Students who do research this summer will be able to present their findings at a research fair this fall.