For a Ponca City teenager attending the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics, the chance to spend a summer in the labs of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation has been a real eye-opener.
“The Fleming scholarship has allowed me to actually step into the shoes of a research scientist and conduct experiments that may lead to a cure,” said Judy Wang, who will be a senior at OSSM this fall. “I am no longer doing chemistry lab experiments that have been repeated for years but am actually creating my own experiments and discovering new results.”
Wang is one of 17 Oklahoma students selected to participate in OMRF’s Sir Alexander Fleming Scholar program. The program, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, gives students the chance to complete individual research projects, write scientific papers for publication and present their work in formal seminars.
The students arrived at OMRF at the beginning of June and are spending eight weeks at OMRF conducting medical research.
“My researchers have been an amazing help as well, aiding me with my project while giving me freedom to explore with my own work,” Wang said. “These weeks here have given me a true look into the field of biomedical research, and I definitely appreciate the experience.”
Wang’s summer project specifically focuses on protein activity in lupus patients, integrating biology and chemistry that in the past she has learned mostly from textbooks.
The Fleming Scholars program has served as a model for similar programs nationwide since its creation in 1956. More than 400 students have been trained through the program at OMRF. Two of OMRF’s faculty members, Judith James, M.D., Ph.D., and Rodger McEver, M.D., got their start as Fleming Scholars.
“Many students leave knowing that research is an area they had not truly considered, but they have been enticed by the exploration bug,” said Ginger Coleman, a Newkirk teacher who has helped coordinate the program for a decade. “I want them to have made contacts and bonds with people that they will be sharing their professional careers and possibly know for a lifetime. Although I teach during the school year, this is a completely different experience and intertwines education, business and people skills – all activities dear to my heart.”
About OMRF:
Celebrating its 60th birthday in 2006, OMRF (www.omrf.org) is a nonprofit biomedical research institute dedicated to understanding and curing human disease. Its scientists focus on such critical research areas as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, lupus and cardiovascular disease. It is home to Oklahoma’s only member of the National Academy of Sciences.
