by Jennifer Kowalewski
Saima Karim
felt honored when her research poster, “PORF-2, cyclophilin, and
18 S expression in varying insulin concentrations with and
without blockage of insulin receptors with HNMPA-(AM)3,” won the
student award for the best poster at the fourth annual Research
Day. The award includes $200.
“I felt shocked
winning because everyone had such great posters,” says the
second-year medical student. “Mostly, I felt honored to think
that people thought my research was of value.”
Research Day,
held Sept. 30 at Irvine Hall, promoted the important projects at
OU-COM by both students and faculty. Judi Rioch reported there
were 36 entries, with 15 of those entries from 18 students who
participated in this years Research & Scholarly Advancement
Fellowship program. Research Day is a way for faculty, staff and
students to discuss their research, while perusing the works of
other colleagues.
“Congratulations
to all students for a job well-done,” says Gillian Ice,
Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of social medicine and
chairwoman of the Research and Scholarship Affairs Committee.
“This year’s competition was tough and many of the scores were
close.”
The judges for
the competition included Rengarajan Balaji, research
grant program coordinator; Jack Blazyk, Ph.D., associate
dean for research and grants; Janet Burns, D.O. (’95),
assistant professor of osteopathic manipulative medicine;
Steve Clay, D.O., associate professor of family medicine;
Richard Klabunde, Ph.D., associate professor of physiology;
Doug Mann, Ph.D., assistant professor of social medicine;
Felicia Nowak, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of
endocrinology; and Frank Schwartz, M.D., associate
professor of endocrinology.
Karim’s research
project, under the direction of Nowak, looked at the correlation
with the insulin pathway.
“We were looking
at insulin pathway, and blocking its receptor to see what
happens to some insulin products,” she says, adding the research
focused primarily on Porf-2, or pre-optic regulatory factors
found in various regions of the body. “We found that porf-2
expression went up with increasing insulin concentration. So
potentially Porf-2 might have some bearing with insulin related
diseases like metabolic, such as diabetes.”
Karim is no
stranger to research. In her undergrad at Villanova University
in Pennsylvania, she did research in a parasitological
laboratory.
Since coming to
OU-COM, she became involved in research because of the wonderful
opportunities with the Research and Scholarly Advancement
Fellowship, which encourages medical students to do research in
the summer between their first and second year.
“I enjoy doing
research and trying to find answers to questions that exist in
the medical community, especially regarding information that can
potentially benefit people,” she says.
Ice says the
event this year was a success.
“Thanks to all of
our Research Day participants; it was a great event this year,”
she adds.
- 30 -
News for
the week of Oct 3 –
Oct 8
