Talented Virginia students summer at UNMC

This summer, three talented Virginia scholars packed their bags and traveled hundreds of miles to spend nine weeks in UNMC laboratories as part of the unique Virginia-Nebraska Alliance.

The alliance is an academic and research partnership between UNMC and six Historically Black Colleges/Universities in Virginia, which are:

• Virginia Commonwealth University;
  
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University;
  
• University of Richmond;
  
• The University of Virginia;
  
• J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College; and
  
• Eastern Virginia Medical School.

As a member of the Virginia-Nebraska Alliance, UNMC has annually hosted undergraduate and graduate students from member schools as well as faculty for summer research experiences.

This summer, three students — Courtney Hill, Frazier Keitt, and Timothy Harris — and one faculty member — Dr. John Fife — came to UNMC thanks to the alliance.

Below are reflections from Hill and Keitt’s summer at UNMC.

Hill, a second-year graduate student from Hampton University, is working to earn her degree in medical sciences.

Courtney Hill tests an antibody with her supervisor Subhankar Chakraborty.(Andrew E. Nelson/UNMC public relations)

“I’d like to obtain some basic techniques to see if I would want to do Ph.D. portion of school, instead of only doing the M.D. work,” said Hill, who came to UNMC to gain research experience. “I am still weighing my options.”

“Courtney is a very motivated student,” said Subhankar Chakraborty, supervisor of the Durham Research Center laboratory in which Hill works. “She has a lot of interest and desire to learn the important aspects of medical sciences.”

Hill’s summer research project involves testing a certain antibody to see how it can expand the life of cancer patients. She compares the antibodies from UNMC with antibodies from other universities.

“I like excitement; that’s what keeps my mind going,” Hill said.

After Hill earns her degree in medical sciences, she plans to become an emergency room physician.

“It gives me an excellent opportunity to see a wide range of patients, such as babies or elderly people,” she said.

Keitt, a second-year graduate student from Hampton University, is working to earn her degree in medical sciences.

“This is the first time I’ve ever done research,” Keitt said.

The Virginia- Nebraska program is her chance to obtain experience in her area of interest.

“Frazier’s a fantastic student,” said Diane Allen-Gipson, Ph.D., director of the Durham Research Center II lab in which Frazier works. “She has great research of methodology under her belt.”

Frazier Keitt compares two kinds of chemicals, a process she does regularly in her research. (Andrew E. Nelson/UNMC public relations)

Keitt has worked on a research project this summer that allowed her to conduct experiments with hydrogen peroxide and human bronchial epithelial cell lines in relations to Dr. Allen-Gipson’s research into cigarette smoke exposure.

“I want to take what I learned in the field of medicine to a broader audience, even the world, and teach them about their health,” Keitt said. She hopes to attend medical school in the future, but is unsure where yet.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Harris — a second year medical sciences graduate student at Hampton University — studied in the laboratory of Jialin Zheng, M.D., but had to leave UNMC early because a severe illness in his family.)