By Carlie Aurubin

 

For a comparatively small university, Oakwood is blessed with talent, intelligence, and power. It seems that wherever we go, a sweet lasting impression is left. Recently, 18 students from the Department of Biology and Biochemistry gave a taste of the Oakwood spirit at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in San Jose, California.

ABRCMS winners (l-r): Carlie Aurubin, Elysia Cohen, Marsha Wright

  

ABRCMS, the largest professional conference for biomedical students, attracts more than 2,000 students along with hundreds of research program recruiters and professors who lead seminars and judge competitions. Among the 2,000 students from across the nation, several of the Oakwood's 18 students had the opportunity to present their research at this conference.

 

These students conducted research this past summer at the Cleveland Clinic, Duke University, John Hopkins University, Loma Linda University, Mayo Clinic, and more, through the organization of the Comprehensive Intergraded Biomedical Science Initiative Program (CIBSIP), and the funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to the Biology department. ABRCMS allowed the students a chance to present their cutting edge research to others from around the United States.

 

ABRCMS was also an opportunity to display faith in action. Two of the 18 students were scheduled to present their research during the Sabbath hours; however, they opted not to present, and rather held fast to their beliefs.

 

Of the 18 students, 14 presented and three won awards: Carlie Aurubin in Immunology, Elysia Cohen in Neuroscience, and Marsha Wright in Biochemistry. That racked in a 21% win for Oakwood University, which is well above the national 5% winning average.

 

Albert Einstein stated, "If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?" And so true are his words, even now. Through the efforts of many researchers over the years, science and technology have expanded exponentially. Yet, there are still many questions left unanswered.

 

Scientific research is a growing work that is aimed toward answering questions regarding the human body and the illnesses that plague it, and the Oakwood University students who attended ABRCMS are in the number of the future bright scientists who will answer these questions.