On Friday, Oklahoma Baptist University senior Jacy O’Dell finished eight weeks as a Sir Alexander Fleming Scholar at OMRF.
OMRF’s Fleming Scholars work side-by-side with senior medical researchers on an in-depth, individual research project. At the end of the summer, the students write scientific papers and present their research results in formal seminars for OMRF’s scientific staff.
O’Dell, a biochemistry major from Claremore, worked in the laboratory with David Jones, Ph.D., in OMRF’s Immunobiology and Cancer Research Program. Her project focused on the study of a chemical the body produces when it digests fibrous foods like broccoli and bran. She observed the effects of the chemical on zebrafish to determine why the compound is able to prevent some cancers.
“I’ve done labs in school before, but the environment is completely different there than in the real world,” O’Dell said. “At the beginning of the Fleming program, I would get frustrated at my own mess-ups because I felt like scientists should always get everything right. My colleagues in the lab have reminded me that it’s okay to make mistakes while you’re learning something new, and that everyone gets better by practicing.”
After graduation from OBU, O’Dell hopes to pursue a combined M.D./Ph.D. degree and pursue a career as a physician-scientist.
“Now that I’m working with an M.D./Ph.D. student, I’m sure that the dual program is what I want to do,” she said. “Being a medical doctor lets you interact with your patients, but lab work lets you make the discoveries that will eventually help people around the world.”
Founded in 1956, the Fleming Scholar Program has provided advanced science training to more than 500 Oklahoma high school and college students. Named for Sir Alexander Fleming, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who discovered penicillin and in 1949 dedicated OMRF’s first building, the one-of-a-kind program annually attracts up to 100 applicants. Two current OMRF scientists, Judith James, M.D., Ph.D., and Rodger McEver, M.D., started their research careers as Fleming Scholars.
For more information on the Fleming Scholar Program, visit: www.omrf.org/fleming.
