The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation’s largest-ever intern class will return to school this month after spending the summer conducting experiments aimed at treating or preventing human diseases.
Twenty-nine students worked alongside some of the brightest minds in biomedical research. The total group included 16 interns comprising OMRF’s 68th class of Sir Alexander Fleming Scholars. Nine others formed the fourth class of the Langston Biomedical Research Scholars Program. Additionally, four U.S. military academy students made up the 15th class of the John H. Saxon Service Academy Summer Research Program.
“Every summer we get to help mold the next generation of potential scientists,” said Ashley Cheyney, Ph.D., OMRF’s assistant director of scientific training & outreach. “Our goal is to get them excited about science and teach them how to do research that can make a real difference.”
Since 1956, the Fleming program has given Oklahoma high school and college students hands-on biomedical research experience. It is named for Sir Alexander Fleming, the British scientist who discovered penicillin and in 1949 came to Oklahoma City to dedicate OMRF’s first building. Former Fleming Scholars at OMRF include Executive Vice President & Chief Medical Officer Judith James, M.D., Ph.D.; Distinguished Career Scientist Rod McEver, M.D.; and scientist Heather Rice, Ph.D.
“This has been a one-of-a-kind experience,” said Lauren Vongthavaravat, a 2023 Deer Creek High School graduate now majoring in biochemistry at the University of Oklahoma. “Being part of a team working daily to learn, problem-solve and perform medical research experiments was truly amazing.”
The Langston Scholars program aims to diversify biomedical research in Oklahoma. Launched in 2021, it is a partnership between OMRF, the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center and Langston University, Oklahoma’s only historically Black college or university.
Following her third summer as a Langston Scholar, Amia Quinn of St. Louis hopes to attend medical school and become a forensic pathologist. Her main takeaway from the program: “Science is so much deeper than we realize. This has changed the way I look at science.”
The Saxon internship program, created by OMRF Board Member John Saxon III, M.D., honors his father, a West Point graduate and career Air Force pilot who taught for five years at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Since 2009, more than 40 military students have participated in the intensive three- to four-week program.
Calvin Marcellus, now beginning his senior year at West Point, left his OMRF internship surprised by the extent of specialization in science. “In your basic biology class, you learn about meiosis and mitosis, but here I’ve dived deep into just one small aspect of meiosis,” the aspiring physician said. “It felt more like a real job than school.”
Applications for OMRF’s 2025 internship programs will open this fall. For more information, visit omrf.org/Training.
