Undergraduate Students Engage in Cancer Research at the Stephenson Cancer Center

Seven undergraduate students have been selected to a competitive summer program working in cancer research laboratories at the Stephenson Cancer Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

The Cancer Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Program provides students experience working on nationally funded research projects under the mentorship of senior investigators. Students gain valuable hands-on knowledge of research methodology and the latest approaches in cancer medicine.

“A component of the Stephenson Cancer Center’s mission is to provide education, training, and mentorship to students at all levels,” said Julie Stoner, PhD, Associate Director for Education and Training. “The CURE Program is important for sparking student interest in future careers related to science and medicine.”

At the completion of the eight-week program, students will present their research to gain experience in organizing, interpreting, and discussing their research results.

The 2018 CURE Program Scholars include:

• McKenna Box, Oklahoma Christian University; Hometown: Edmond, OK
• Quyhn-Chi Dang, Southern Methodist University; Hometown: Richardson, TX
• Joseph Eid, The University of Oklahoma; Hometown: Oklahoma City, OK
• Kristy Johnson, Oklahoma State University; Hometown: Blanchard, OK
• Avanish Madhavaram, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; Hometown: Waxhaw, NC
• Linh Nguyen, Dickinson College; Hometown: Hanoi, Vietnam
• Elizabeth Olah, Ohio Northern University; Hometown: Mentor, OH

Students are matched with experienced Stephenson Cancer Center mentors to guide them through the research process. Mentors include: Joe Zhao, PhD; Jie Wu, PhD; Asish Ghosh, PhD; Rajagopal Ramesh, PhD; Katherine Moxley, MD; and James Battiste, MD, PhD.

The CURE Program is now entering its ninth year and has mentored more than 80 undergraduate students since the program’s start. Those interested in applying must meet certain eligibility criteria including enrollment as an undergraduate student with 60-100 credit hours completed, a United States citizen or permanent resident or have unrestricted employment authorizations, and the ability to commit to the entire length of the program.

To learn more, visit www.stephensoncancercenter.org/cure.