For a Bixby student attending the University of Oklahoma, the chance to spend a summer in the labs of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation has been a real eye-opener.
“I have been exposed to so much technology, and the lab technicians have been really patient and kind in teaching me the science behind each step,” said Stephanie Easter, who will be a junior this fall at OU.
Easter 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.
“It’s a great opportunity to really see in which area you’d like to specialize,” Easter said. “In biology, you can take several different approaches. You can, at times, get lost as to what you want to do as a career. This program gives you a chance to see a number of job possibilities to help better prepare you for graduate school.”
Easter’s summer research project concentrates on the study of Alzheimer’s disease.
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.
