Alaska high school students win top awards at national conference for UAA-based medical research

Young Alaskans travel to Washington D.C., receive prestigious awards

This summer, eight Alaska high school students successfully completed biomedical research projects at the University of Alaska Anchorage as part of the National High School Student Summer Research Apprentice Program, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Three of the students won prestigious awards, including the premier award, at the program's national conference in Washington D.C. The program director, UAA's Dr. Ian van Tets, was also recognized for his outstanding commitment to excellence, which showed in the superiority of the program and its students. He was awarded one of only two such awards given annually by the organizers of the NIH.

Juan Aparicio from South Anchorage H.S., mentored by UAA's Dr. Ian van Tets, received the conference's top award for outstanding research in the senior category. Fabio Coartney from Lathrop H.S., mentored by UAA's Dr. Mary Ellen Gordian and Sofia Infante from East Anchorage H.S., mentored by Dr. Ian van Tets, both won honorable mentions in the junior category.  Alaska was also represented by Jorjana Alakayak (Mt. Edgecumbe H.S., mentor Dr. Cindy Knall, UAA), Kathleen Choi (Mt. Edgecumbe H.S., David Robinson, UAA), Don Young Chon (East Anchorage H.S., Kalb Stevenson, UAA), Sally May Enriquez (Juneau-Douglas H.S., Dr. Eric Murphy, UAA) and Kathelyn Larson (Mt. Edgecumbe H.S., Dr. Timothy Hinterberger, UAA).  The results of all eight students' projects will be published later this year as short scientific papers in the peer-reviewed medical journal Ethnicity and Disease.

The aim of the student apprentice program is to facilitate the entry of talented students from under-represented backgrounds into medical and medical research careers. By successfully completing the program, all eight students are now eligible for paid summer research internships with NIH's high school and undergraduate research programs, as well as additional support measures throughout their pre-medical and medical studies.  

Alaska's NIDDK students lived on the UAA campus for six weeks while they completed their projects with mentors from a wide range of UAA Departments (Biological Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Psychology) and Institutes (Institute of Social and Economic Research, ISER).  Their experience culminated in a trip to Washington D.C. where they presented their results at the national conference organized by the NIH for summer enrichment students from across the U.S.

Alaska's National High School Student Summer Research Apprentice Program is part of Alaska WWAMI - Alaska's Medical School at UAA.

For more information on this program, contact:  (907) 786-4789 or http://biomed.uaa.alaska.edu.