UNLV OUR Bridge Program

Throughout my undergraduate years, I realized that there wasn't a real, solidified pathway for high school students to get involved. Most students would need to reach out individually with no real guidance on how to get started. This was the main driving factor that motivated me to launch this program.

- Aaron Cheng

A lot of high school students do not know if they want to become medical professionals due to the sheer amount of effort and time they must put into their education. This sentiment has been corroborated by many of my friends, coworkers, and acquaintances. This is why I believe research opportunities, volunteering, and outside experience in premedical fields are important for high school students to engage in. I knew that I wanted to get an MD since middle school, and networking with surgeons, nurses, and doctors allowed me to recognize that this was the right path for my future.

For students who aspire to gain more research experience, volunteer for the Las Vegas community, and demonstrate their passion for STEM outside of the classroom, the 2020-2021 school year has been devastating. With the onset of Covid-19, local hospitals were closed off to volunteers and interns. From personal experience, the majority of wet labs were also restricted to undergrads only or shut down entirely for obvious safety precautions.

Due to these new difficulties, I knew I had to search for other opportunities. I heard about UNLV’s Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) Bridge Program through a mutual friend. The OUR Bridge Program was established by a UNLV alumnus, Aaron Cheng, and a UNLV professor, Dr. Atici. This program seeks ambitious juniors and seniors who are interested in healthcare-related research. I reached out to Aaron and asked him to give a brief background about himself, as well as to illustrate what motivated him to start the program:

“My name is Aaron Cheng and I am currently a third-year undergraduate majoring in both Cell and Molecular Biology and Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience. I founded the UNLV program with the hope that it would enable high school students to get early exposure to research. For me, undergraduate research has been one of the most influential experiences in my career. I started my research career at UNLV as a high school student with Dr. Sharon Young, a biomedical anthropologist, where I studied the nutritional value of post-partum placentaphagy. From there, I transitioned to working with Dr. Edwin Oh, an associate professor with UNLV School of Medicine, where I studied neurogenetics and precision medicine. Throughout my undergraduate years, I realized that there wasn't a real, solidified pathway for high school students to get involved. Most students would need to reach out individually with no real guidance on how to get started. This was the main driving factor that motivated me to launch this program. With the help and guidance of Dr. Levent Atici (executive director of the Office of Undergraduate Research), I was able to create this program. I hope that we leave a lasting impression on our students."

As a current member, I would like to discuss what this program has taught me and what occurs at the meetings. At each meeting, a guest speaker is present who discusses their background and research; there is always a large chunk of time reserved for Q&A, which allows students to network with the speaker. The following individuals have been present at the program’s meetings thus far:

• Dr. Kathryn Rafferty (https://www.unlv.edu/people/kathryn-rafferty) discussed her experience through college, her passion for Biology and Biomedical Engineering, as well as her experiences as a UNLV professor. She also gave students incredibly helpful advice and alleviated some of the worry surrounding college applications and career searches.

• Dr. Ewin Oh (https://www.unlv.edu/people/edwin-oh) has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and also discussed his research and college education. He was a part of a research team that detected stains of the UK Covid-19 variant in Las Vegas wastewater. His methodology and research were interesting to hear about!

• Dr. Boo Shan Tseng (https://www.unlv.edu/people/boo-shan-tseng) graduated from MIT and described how biofilms interact within themselves and how beneficial biofilms could be.

• Dr. Ai-Sun (Kelly) Tseng (https://www.unlv.edu/people/kelly-tseng) discussed the regenerative abilities of tadpoles and salamanders, as well as explained how they could potentially be applied to healthcare fields.

• Dr. Levent Atici (https://www.unlv.edu/people/levent-atici) spoke about his experience with research. Dr. Atici also gave beneficial advice that I will be able to utilize not only during undergrad but also currently. Lastly, he spoke to us about his hopes for this program.

Students also get to digest the language in college-level publications at some of the meetings. Aaron Cheng discussed his research article, entitled Molecular basis of USP7 inhibition by selective small-molecule inhibitors. At the last meeting Emily Carter, an undergraduate student at UNLV discussed her article, titled Global pandemics interconnected - obesity impaired metabolic health and COVID-19.

Application:

Here is some information about the application process for this program. The application requires three things:

• One-page Personal Statement

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)

• Unofficial Transcript

The application portal can be found here: https://www.uPST.nlv.edu/our/bridge*

*the current applications are due by Friday, January 29th, 2021 @ 5:00 pm, and

the program is currently CLOSED until Spring 2022

To be eligible for this program, students need to have a minimum 3.5 unweighted GPA.

Lastly, I want to discuss something that this program offers that is quite rare -- this program allows high school students to actively participate in research. As a current member, I have paired up with three other high school students in this program. We are currently working on creating a research presentation that will be presented at UNLV’s online symposium in May 2021.

This program is a fantastic opportunity for any junior or senior to join in the Spring of 2022. The OUR Bridge Program allows students to gain more experience, and find out if a specific field is truly suitable for them.