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Talana Small of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the Summer Research Internship program explains her poster at the Undergraduate Summer Research Symposium. Image by Nathan Tidwell

Undergraduate Researchers Gather at UAMS for Summer Symposium

July 30, 2025 | Students from 36 colleges and universities along with eight high schools across the United States presented research during the 12^th Annual Arkansas Undergraduate Summer Research Symposium at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

The event, held July 23 at the I. Dodd Wilson Education Building, was organized and sponsored by the UAMS College of Medicine Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with support from the UAMS Graduate School and the IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program, along with grant funding from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS).

Grover Paul Miller, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the symposium’s organizer, welcomed the attendees.

“This has been a huge success over the years,” said Miller. “We want to show that this is how research works — we do the science and then we come talk about it and share ideas.”

More than 125 student researchers from 19 different research programs were registered, and more than 100 faculty and administrators provided support for the event.

Lawrence Cornett, Ph.D., a distinguished professor in the College of Medicine Department of Physiology and Cell Biology and the director of the INBRE program, talked about how the symposium benefits not only the students but also UAMS.

“This symposium provides opportunities for students to present their research findings and develop communications skills,” Cornett said. “They also get a chance to learn about the many training opportunities that UAMS offers students who wish to pursue careers that impact human health.”

Kevin Raney, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, noted the reasons for creating this opportunity for research.

“We started this symposium as a means to share the research that is being conducted by undergrads all across Arkansas,” said Raney. The event has expanded over the years, and we are always impressed by the high-quality research produced by motivated undergraduates.”

Karl Boehme, Ph.D., a professor in the College of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the director of the Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences, discussed the connections that UAMS faculty and staff can make at this event.

“It’s a great way for us to spot students who are really passionate about science and start building relationships early,” Boehme said. “That can make a big difference when it comes to recruiting future graduate students to UAMS.”

The following students were selected from a competition to give oral presentations, which were divided into morning and afternoon sessions chaired by Katie Ryan, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Alicia Byrd, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department. The research program is listed in parentheses:

• Anna Bolding, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, UAMS Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
• Katelin Kellar, Arkansas State University (INBRE)
• Elise Knight, Ouachita Baptist University (INBRE)
• Carmella Lewis, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, UAMS Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
• Rowan McCollum, Hendrix College (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, UAMS Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
• Naomi McNaughton, Harding University (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, UAMS Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
• Gracie Moore, Ouachita Baptist University (OBU Summer Research Program)
• Suhana Mushtaq, Emory University (Arkansas Children’s Research Institute)
• Fatim Nazif, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (Summer Research Internship program)
• Levi Neal, Lyon College (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, UAMS Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology)
• Syed Azfar Rahman, University of Arkansas at Little Rock (independent study)
• Kathryn Wilson, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (professional research opportunity)

These 12 students were selected to present out of 39 submissions. Each student was given 12 minutes for their presentation, followed by three minutes for questions.

Bolding discussed T cells in the treatment of cancer.

“T cell treatments are largely limited to blood cancers because they enter a harsh microenvironment when entering solid tumors. We identified proteins that helped T cells stay functional in that microenvironment, and we also manipulated T cells in hopes to enhance their persistence in solid tumors,” she said.

Neal talked about his research on dimethoxy iodoamphetamine (DOI), a psychedelic, and its effects on fentanyl abuse.

“We found that DOI administration resulted in fewer signs of withdrawal symptoms,” he said.

Morning and afternoon poster sessions also gave students a chance to discuss their research with faculty, guests, mentors and peers.

Cameron Albert of Episcopal Collegiate School in Little Rock researched neurological deficits in patients diagnosed with pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

“We found deficits in hand-eye coordination, vocabulary, inhibition control and attention,” said Albert, who was in the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Summer Science program. “We also see these deficits later in life, so we can work on those treatments earlier.”

Neil Dogra, a Hendrix College student, worked with the UAMS Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology to study melanoma treatment.

“Immune checkpoint blockade therapy blocks receptors, which allows T cells to remain active,” he said. “Instead of trying to change the tumor to kill itself, we’re trying to active the body’s immune system to more effectively kill the tumor.”

Kinsey Garofalo of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock was part of a lab in the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health researching the connection between light at night (artificial light) and hormone-related cancers such as breast cancer, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and thyroid cancer.

“We found a statistically significant positive association between artificial light at night and all of the hormone-related cancers studied,” she said.

Ruth Walters, a student at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, worked with the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Summer Science program studying lung development in infants born prematurely.

“Those infants often require oxygen therapy or mechanical ventilation, but those therapies can inhibit development,” she said. “The purpose is to create an automated program, which identifies abnormal patterns and enables personalized management.”

Guest speaker Jessica Hartman, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, gave a talk titled “CYP2E1 gets the GLO: how ketone bodies control seizures.”

Hartman received her Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology at UAMS and worked in Miller’s lab.

“It’s a huge honor to be here after starting as an INBRE student all those years ago,” Hartman said. “I’m so impressed with the amazing work I’ve seen.”

“We wanted to have someone who’s been impacted by undergraduate research,” Miller added. “It gives the students an idea of where they can go in the future.”

Byrd announced awards for the following 10 students for top poster presentations from a competition among more than 100 submissions (research program listed in parentheses):

• Arriona Davis, Harding University (McNair Scholars Program)
• Payton Dumas, Ouachita Baptist University (OBU Summer Research Program)
• Kemdi Ekeanyanwu, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts (Arkansas Children’s Hospital Summer Science Program)
• Noah Embrey, Ouachita Baptist University (OBU Summer Research Program)
• Kanak Joshi, Hendrix College (Hendrix Odyssey Program)
• Nikolai Mannon, Hendrix College (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, UAMS Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
• Diya Mehta, Harvey Mudd College (professional research opportunity)
• Hannah Moss, Ouachita Baptist University (OBU Summer Research Program)
• Nirjhor Rahman, UAMS (summer volunteer researcher)
• Whitney Thomas, Harding University (Harding University Summer Research)

After recognizing the top student presenters, Emily Gonzalez Baltazar (University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Arkansas Children’s Hospital Summer Science program) was chosen from a raffle to win a door prize, a Galileo thermometer with glass globe barometer, provided by the Central Arkansas Chapter of Sigma Xi, a science research honor organization.

Miller closed by recognizing the students for presenting their research, along with all UAMS staff who made the symposium possible. No registration fee was required due to funding from sources including the INBRE program.