New Biomedical Sciences Undergraduate Research Program Offers Valuable Lab Experience

ATLANTA - A new student research program, the Undergraduate Program for Research Immersion & Scholarly Mentorship (UPRISM), will enable undergraduate students in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) at Georgia State University to gain meaningful research experiences in the institute's labs.

This new initiative is designed to expand research opportunities for undergraduate students and equip them with the skills, networks and confidence to thrive as emerging biomedical scientists.

The program has selected eight UPRISM Scholars to start their research experiences in five IBMS labs this fall. IBMS students applied for the program in May, and selected students attended a welcome event Aug. 21. The event included a briefing on professional standards, specifically focusing on lab culture, proactive communication and technical diligence in the laboratory.

Students selected for UPRISM's inaugural cohort include Mencia Maruri Abaigar (senior), Kwadwo Asante (junior), Lauren Ezenne (senior), Shwethaa Karthikeyan (senior), Jisun Lim (senior), Gavin Maxwell (senior), Fareeha Zahid (senior) and Lucy "Huixuan" Zhou (senior).

These scholars will spend the full academic year embedded in an active research environment, gaining real-world scientific experience that culminates in a formal presentation of their work at the end of the year. The inaugural cohort will conduct research across a diverse range of IBMS faculty laboratories, reflecting the breadth of biomedical science research at Georgia State University.

The lab appointments of UPRISM Scholars are as follows: Cynthia Nau Cornelissen/Julie Stoudenmire-Saylor's lab (Zahid and Zhou), Lanying Du's lab: (Asante and Karthikeyan), Richard Plemper's lab (Lim), Liang Qiao's lab (Maxwell and Ezenne) and Chong Shin's lab (Abaigar).

"We are excited about this new initiative to give our students more access to research opportunities," said Antoinette Bell-Kareem, a lecturer in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State. "UPRISM is rooted in the belief that meaningful research exposure must be paired with intentional professional development. Beyond the laboratory, scholars will participate in programming designed to help them navigate research environments with confidence and professionalism, explore the full landscape of careers in biomedical research, and actively build their scientific brand and career trajectory.

"UPRISM represents a significant step forward in IBMS' commitment to undergraduate excellence and research access."