August 31, 2017
A biomedical engineering major from Trine University assisted on a research project this past summer that seeks to transform scar tissue following a heart attack back into healthy tissue.
Anna Kersey, a senior from Clinton, Michigan, took part in a 10-week project as part of the University of Michigan’s Frankel Cardiovascular Center Undergraduate Fellowship Program.
“I’m looking into the University of Michigan’s graduate program, so it was a top pick for me,” she said.
Working in the lab of Dr. Zhong Wang, assistant professor of cardiac surgery, Kersey tested samples of mouse heart tissue that had been treated with a BRD4 degrader. BRD4 is a protein that preserves the memory of cells, and the researchers found that by inhibiting the protein, they were able to improve the transformation of scar tissue into healthy tissue.
“It was an intense, exciting program that was really beneficial in helping me decide what I want to pursue after graduation, specifically in terms of my research interests,” Kersey said. “I got a feel of what it is like to be a Ph.D. student in a lab.”
At the end of the 10 weeks, the 25 members of the research group gave a presentation on their project.
Photo: Anna Kersey, left, stands with members of the laboratory group she worked with this summer.
Whodunit? It’s a question board game players have asked for decades, and Trine Theatre patrons will have the opportunity to make their own deductions when “Clue” takes the Ryan Concert Hall stage of the T. Furth Center for Performing Arts.
Steuben County community members are invited to join Trine University students and alumni and local businesses for Breaking the Silence Together, the university's inaugural mental health walk, beginning at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26.
Henry Gawron, a Trine University chemistry major, spent his summer gaining hands-on research experience through the University of Nebraska’s Summer Research Program (SRP).