OMRF’s BioLAB program has created a pipeline to Oklahoma for aspiring Polish scientists
More than a decade ago, Dr. Umesh Deshmukh joined OMRF from the University of Virginia. The foundation had recruited the immunologist because of the innovative research he was doing on autoimmune diseases. But along with his scientific expertise, Deshmukh would enrich OMRF in another unexpected – and just as important – way.
In his lab in Charlottesville, Deshmukh had begun hosting Polish master’s degree candidates in biology through BioLAB, an internship program administered by the Polish-U.S. Fulbright Commission. The students had proven to be capable and hard-working trainees, a major asset to his research operation. Wouldn’t the program be a perfect fit for his new scientific home?
In 2013, OMRF joined three universities – Virginia, the University of Chicago, and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School – as sites for BioLAB. Since that time, OMRF has hosted 101 graduate-level interns through the program. “It’s been a great addition to OMRF because it brings young, energetic students to our labs,” says Deshmukh.
Each year, Deshmukh surveys OMRF’s scientific faculty to see who is interested in hosting a student in the upcoming year. Then, along with representatives from the other BioLAB host institutions, he travels to Poland to interview candidates. Selection for the program is competitive; in a typical year, about 100 candidates apply for roughly 40 spots at OMRF and the three universities. Those who are chosen then come to the U.S. for 12 months of hands-on research. Following their time in the U.S., the students return to Poland to complete their master’s training.
At OMRF, the students have proven to be hard-working and capable scientists, providing a boost to research projects across all of the foundation’s research programs. Dr. Rafal Donczew, a cell biologist and native of Poland, has hosted BioLAB interns in his lab every year since he began at OMRF in 2022. “These students are Poland’s best and brightest,” he says.
Dr. Joanna Papinska first came to OMRF in 2016 as a BioLAB student in Deshmukh’s lab. The foundation’s emphasis on immunology drew her to OMRF, but the family atmosphere and opportunities for growth led her to stay. This fall, she completed her Ph.D. at OU under Deshmukh’s mentorship, and she’s now begun a postdoctoral fellowship at OMRF.
Papinska says her affection for OMRF and the Sooner State are far from unique among the BioLAB interns. “Everyone just falls in love with Oklahoma,” she says. “The students are always amazed at people’s kindness.”
That kindness, she says, extends to day-to-day encounters where the Polish students may not be familiar with American customs – and may commit an occasional faux pas like unintentionally cutting a line at the grocery store. Still, Papinska says, “People are always very understanding.” In her eight years and counting in Oklahoma, she “can’t remember a bad experience or someone ever being unpleasant. It’s awesome.”
The students in the program have developed a number of traditions, including group trips around their host country. Over the most recent Thanksgiving break, they flew to California and toured national parks. Past years have seen journeys to iconic destinations like New York City, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon.
Most years, Deshmukh and his wife, fellow OMRF researcher Dr. Harini Bagavant, host a Fourth of July cookout at their home. There’s also Fat Thursday (not Tuesday), a pre-Lent celebration the students have imported from Eastern Europe. Some make and bring faworki, a deep-fried Polish treat that’s like funnel cake. Others, like Papinska, bring a more American – but equally indulgent – favorite: donuts.
With a history of playing host to the BioLAB program, the foundation’s reputation as a friendly and supportive training site has made its way back to Poland. Iwona Pasionek, one of eight new students who arrived in July, says a member of last year’s class strongly recommended OMRF for its culture. “She told me this place was amazing.”
Pasionek’s verdict? “It’s true.”
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Read more from the Winter/Spring 2025 edition of Findings
President’s Letter: The Life-Changing Impact of Clinical Research
The Searcher
Family Legacy
Voices
Ask Dr. James
Three-Peat
Meeting the Challenge
A Biologist From Birth
On a Mission
