For a recent Miami High School graduate, the chance to spend a summer in the labs of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation has been a real eye-opener.
“I have always wanted to have a career in medicine, but I love doing research. What better than medical research?” said Kristen Fenska, who will be a freshman at Northeastern Oklahoma State University this fall. “This program has allowed me to continue my tinkering fun … and I have learned so much about medical research through the studies I’ve conducted.”
Fenska is one of 17 Oklahoma students selected to participate in OMRF’s Sir Alexander Fleming Scholar program. Aaron Weaver, who will be a senior this fall at Miami High School, also was selected for the program, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The program 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.
“This is a wonderful program, and anyone who has a passion for research would enjoy the experience of being thrown in the deep end of cutting-edge science with the hand of a mentor reaching out to pull you through,” Fenska said.
Fenska’s summer project at OMRF involves researching Glioblastoma multiforme – an aggressive brain tumor – in animal models. Using magnetic resonance imaging, she is able to monitor tumor growth and study brain chemistry without causing harm to the animals.
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.
