New Student Leaders to Support Research Education Practices

The MVTCP is pleased to welcome a new cohort of Research Education student leaders. Their role will be to advise the Research Educator faculty leadership team about trainee activities, to ultimately develop and support a robust community of practice.

The student leaders and faculty leadership team meet monthly. One trainee from each institution were selected for this leadership role.

Please welcome Aishat Awe, Kirsten Nguyen, Meaghan Lewis, Sophie Fisher, and Martha Adamu.

• Aishat Awe is a 2nd year medical student at Meharry Medical College. Her research interests span from skin cancer to hair disorders. This past summer, she conducted research with MVTCP, focusing on the interaction between BRCA1 and NRF2 during cellular response to oxidative stress. 
• Kirsten Ngyuen is a 4th year medical student at Vanderbilt University. Her research interests include stigma and inequity in cancer screenings and outcomes of cancer survivors. She was an MVTCP MCRE participant in 2022, and is currently applying to internal medicine residency, with interests in primary care and oncology.
• Meaghan Lewis is a recent graduate from Tennessee State University with a B.S. in Biology. She has participated in Dr. Whalen’s lab as a student researcher for the past four years, having the opportunity to present her research findings in several academic symposiums and conferences. She currently works as a medical scribe in Orlando, FL, and aspires to become a Physician Assistant in the near future.
• Sophia Fisher is a senior biology undergraduate student at Tennessee State University. She has worked in Dr. Whalen’s lab for two years, stating her experience as a “defining experience [as a] young women in STEM.” Her goal is to attend a local medical school and become a psychiatrist with a certification in functional medicine. 
• Martha Adamu is a senior at Valor College Prep. She has participated in the MVTCP program for two years, in Dr. Whalen and Dr. Johnson’s labs. She hopes to become a clinical oncologist, getting to help patients 1-on-1 with their cancer treatments.