Students join in OB-GYN research for Summer 2023

More than a dozen high school, college and medical students spent the summer working alongside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology faculty members as part of several Indiana University School of Medicine and Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center programs aimed encouraging young, prospective scientists.

The programs included:

- Medical Physician Engineers, Scientists, and Clinicians Preparatory Program (MPESC), for local high school student or undergraduate students from Purdue, IUPUI, IUB, and Hanover
- SEED/STEM, for local high school students, funded by the American Cancer Society
- Indiana University Medical Student Program for Research and Scholarship (IMPRS), IU School of Medicine students between MS1 and MS2 years
- Cancer in the Under-Privileged Indigent or Disadvantaged (CUPID), for IU School of Medicine students between MS1 and MS2 years
- Summer Program in Academic Research in Cancer (SPARC), for underrepresented persons in biomedical research and non-underrepresented persons from the national undergraduate pool
- Diversity in Cancer Research funded by the American Cancer Society (DICR), for underrepresented persons in biomedical research from the national undergraduate pool
- Jackson State University (JSU) Cancer Research Exchange Program at IUSCCC, for undergraduate students from Jackson State University

Here are some the students who worked on obstetrics and gynecologic research in summer of 2023, along with their faculty mentors and research topic:

Katherine Modrall
Faculty Mentor: David Haas
Department: Obstetrics and Gynecology
Topic: Changes in Address and the Child Opportunity Index after Delivery in a Cohort of First-time Mothers

Meera Thiel
Faculty Mentor: Hiba Mustafa
Department: Obstetrics and Gynecology
Topic: Prenatal Predictors of Survival, Pulmonary Hypertension, and ECMO in Isolated CDH Undergoing Expectant Management, A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Annie Graber
Faculty Mentor: Kok Lim Kua
Departments: Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics
Topic: In-vivo Treatment with Recombinant Reg3g Improves Islet Function and Heparan Sulfate Glycosaminoglycan in Offspring of Obese Mice

Evelyn McGuire
Faculty Mentors: Christina Scifres and Brenda Smith
Department: Obstetrics and Gynecology
Topic: Analysis of Nutritional Composition and Glycemic Control in Patients with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Molly Ruggles
Faculty Mentor: Caitlin Bernard
Department: Obstetrics and Gynecology
Topic: Indiana Contraceptive Use Metrics through PATH4YOU Program: Initial Review

Valeria Rutty-Serrano
Faculty Mentor: Christina Scifres
Department: Obstetrics and Gynecology
Topic: Factors Associated with Fetal Growth in Pregnancies Complicated by Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Margaret Stopa
Faculty Mentor: Brownsyne Tucker Edmonds
Department: Obstetrics and Gynecology
Topic: Virtual Hypertension Interventions in Minority Populations

Camryn Zuch
Faculty Mentor: Sara Quinney
Department: Obstetrics and Gynecology
Topic: Abortion in The United States – The Impact of Changing Legislation on Prescription Patterns in Pediatric and Maternal Populations

Hunter Quigley
Faculty Mentor: Yuliya Klymenko and Shannon Hawkins
Department: Obstetrics and Gynecology
Topic: The Influence of Stromal Cell Origin on Cytokine Production in 3D Co-Culture with Endometriosis and Ovarian Cancer Epithelial Cell Lines

Brook Lobsiger
Faculty Mentor: Shannon Hawkins
Department: Obstetrics and Gynecology
Topic: Exploration of Senescence in Genetically Modified Mouse Granulosa Cells

Maya Shebeshi
Faculty Mentor: Salvatore Condello
Program: DICR
University: Ball State

Haley Owens
Faculty Mentor: Brenda Smith
Program: JSU
University: Jackson State University

Shelley Shen
Faculty Mentor: Sara Quinney
Program: SPARC
University: Northwestern