Researchers of Emory

This week, Research Ambassador Summayah El Azzioui gives a firsthand account of her experiences attending a national research conference. —----------------------------------------------------------- I stood in the registration line in the crowded conference center, feeling a surge of both excitement and nervousness. I had traveled from Emory’s campus to Anaheim, California to attend the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS). ABRCMS is designed to support underrepresented minorities in biomedical disciplines. It was my first time attending a national research conference and I had no idea what to expect for the next couple of days. The first day was filled with lecture sessions hosted by leading experts in research. Some sessions showcased innovative and thought-provoking findings on a wide range of topics. I also attended professional development sessions, including one weighing the pros and cons of MD/PhD programs. I had the unique opportunity to tal...

Samantha (Sammy) Lai is a senior majoring in Anthropology and Human Biology on the pre-med track with a minor in Music. She researches in the anthropology department as a part of the APE Lab under Dr. Lonsdorf. Her project focuses on the health of chimps in Gombe National Park in Tanzania.  Sammy has been involved in research since spring semester of junior year and she first heard about this lab by her major advisor, Dr. Lindo, through which she later got involved with.  Sammy had an interview with her PI about what her research was focused in and she thought it was interesting that they were able to use the health collected from chimps to study current epidemics in human populations. She was given the option between studying mother infant data of chimps and health data, and she chose health because it was more interesting to her.   Sammy states that research teaches you discipline and working with a PI has given her a one-on-one relationship with a mentor in the an...

Annette Prah is a 4th year student studying Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences. Prah’s research is through the Moffitt Lab in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, where she currently studies the genetics of acute myeloid leukemia. Her project includes using bioinformatics approaches to identify current and novel mutations, assess sensitivity and specificity of clinical testing, and categorize patients into risk groups based on their cytogenetic and mutational profiles. After completing the fall semester of her junior year, Prah reached out to the TA of her genetics course expressing interest in participating in genetics research. He put her in contact with an associate dean in the Office of Undergraduate Education, who gave her guidance while contacting faculty. Prah contacted Dr. Moffitt, whose prior research on hematological malignancies such as B and T cell lymphomas was intriguing to Prah. The two had a meeting to discuss Dr. Moffitt’s current research an...