Two students from the USC College of Pharmacy are expanding their academic horizons through the university's Magellan research awards, working with projects that could impact the future of patient care and pharmaceutical education.
Katelyn Fishel, a second-year pharmacy student, received a Magellan Apprenticeship to study cancer resistance mechanisms. Working under mentors Amanda Sharko and Eugenia Broude in the Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences department, Fishel focuses on triple-negative breast cancer cells.
"Because they have been diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, these patients do not have as many treatment options," Fishel said. "Our goal is to re-expand the treatment options for them and make them more treatable."
The research has steered Fishel toward oncology while teaching her broader applications. "Everything I've learned in lab was really helpful this past pathophysiology course," she said, noting how specific laboratory knowledge applies to different areas of study.
Caroline Kinder, a third-year student, earned a Magellan Scholarship to examine the relationship between student involvement and academic performance. Working with her mentor, Celeste Caulder, Kinder analyzes data from the Professional Pharmacy Development survey to evaluate how co-curricular activities impact student GPAs.
"What we've seen in the data so far is that the more you involve yourself outside the classroom, the better your GPA is," Kinder explained. "The research could influence curriculum development and student engagement strategies."
Both students credit their mentors with opening doors to new opportunities. Fishel emphasized how research builds confidence needed for rotations and residency, while Kinder recently gained acceptance to the American College of Pharmacy's Aspiring Academics program.
Fishel encourages students to become as engaged as their schedules will allow. "These opportunities greatly enhance your learning," she says.
Topics: Research, Pharm.D. Program