Internship Takes Students Beyond the Books

Students like Johnathan Salim Abou-Fadel in the SABR program were given the opportunity to conduct hands-on research before entering graduate school.

Students like Johnathan Salim Abou-Fadel in the SABR program were given the opportunity to conduct hands-on research before entering graduate school.

The El Paso campus recently opened its first Summer Accelerated Biomedical Research (SABR) internship program for students interested in gaining research experience before entering graduate school.

“In its inaugural year, the SABR program was a tremendous success,” said Charles Miller, Ph.D., associate dean for research with the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. “All of the students had engaging projects and their presentations at the capstone symposium in Lubbock were very well received.”

The 10-week opportunity was open to undergraduate students majoring in biology, chemistry and engineering; students between junior and senior years; and current graduates without graduate course work.

Six University of Texas at El Paso undergraduate students were recruited and paired with a TTUHSC El Paso researcher. Students were given a $3,800 stipend to work on a research project that was then presented to fellow SABR interns at the final research symposium in Lubbock.

SABR participant and Johnathan Salim Abou-Fadel researcher Huanyu Dou, Ph.D., and took on cancer with his research project titled, “Therapeutic Efficacy of Nano-Formulated Paclitaxel on Glioblastomas”.

“The techniques that I learned were above and beyond anything I could have learned in a two-month period," said Salim Abou-Fadel. "This internship gave me the feel of what it is like to work in the lab under very strict aseptic conditions while working under a very strict time-frame. I learned techniques that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”

Other SABR students included Gabriel Espinoza, Spoorthi Lawson, Cynthia Gabaldon, Oliver Servin and Sylvia Mejia.

SABR originated at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in Lubbock. The school has faculty involved in research using state-of-the art labs and equipment.

Related

El Paso Takes ACCION Against Colorectal Cancer

Researchers Debunk Classic Myths of Condition Often Seen in Critical Care Patients

Hold the PB&J: Peanut Allergies on the Rise in Texas

Related Stories

How Does Your Garden Grow?

As spring approaches, some people’s thoughts turn to gardening. Whether it’s a flower garden they desire or a vegetable garden want to have, they begin planning what they’ll plant and what they need to do to ensure a successful garden.

Adopt a Growth Mindset for a Better Life

A “growth mindset” accepts that our intelligence and talents can develop over time, and a person with that mindset understands that intelligence and talents can improve through effort and learning.

Drug Use, Family History Can Lead to Heart Disease in Younger Adults

Abstaining from drug abuse and an early diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) can help prevent heart disease.

Recent Stories

Health

Texas Tech Physicians Multispecialty Clinic to Open in South Lubbock

The Texas Tech Physicians Multispecialty Clinic will be home to eight clinical services including cardiology, endocrinology, family medicine, internal medicine, orthopaedics (sports medicine), psychiatry, surgery and urology.

Education

TTUHSC Pioneers New Pathway for Pharmacy Education

The TTUHSC Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy is positioning itself for the future with the announcement of its new Pioneer Pathway, an innovative educational pathway that will leverage hybrid learning strategies.

Education

The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Master of Public Health Program Awarded Seven-Year Accreditation

The MPH program at the TTUHSC Julia Jones Matthews School of Population and Public Health has been awarded seven-year accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) through July 1, 2031.