2024 KEYS Interns Partner with RKCCOP Faculty for Research Showcase
High school students selected for the KEYS internship presented to over 400 attendees at the 2024 Research Showcase on July 19, in the Health Sciences and Innovation Building. The internship, held annually since 2007, is an opportunity for Arizona students to immerse themselves in scientific projects and training on a practical and real-world scale, under the guidance of University of Arizona faculty members. The program aims to prepare students to pursue STEM degrees after high school while increasing the talent and diversity at in-state universities. We spoke to four students to learn more about how the KEYS internship impacted their academic and professional careers, and the takeaways from their R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy mentors.
Aleena Rafiyath
“My lab experience was quite inspiring and engaging, as I performed hands-on experiences I never had the chance to work on before,” said Aleena Rafiyath, mentored by Dr. Jason Karnes and Dr. Kasturi Banerjee for her project Detection of association of PHIP gene Copy Number Variation with Warfarin Dose in a Hispanic & Latino Population. “I performed PCR and those experiments that I only learned on paper at school.”
Benite Luhando, who presented The Role Of Cytoskeleton Regulator RNA in Ewing Sarcoma under the guidance of Ajibola Adelakun and Dr. Jacob Schwartz, said of the internship, “I had the opportunity to immerse myself in various molecular biology techniques, such as pipetting, culturing cells, isolating RNA, cDNA synthesis, and quantitative PCR. These hands-on experiences not only deepened my technical knowledge but also enhanced my understanding of the research process.”
Benite Luhando
In addition to the benefits of moving from a classroom to a lab setting, Rafiyath and Luhando also highlighted the connections made while interning. “Participating in this program opened up an opportunity for me to not only make new friendships and establish connections but also explore what to continue in the future,” Rafiyath said. At this year's Research Showcase, 59 students traveled from 31 Arizona high schools to present their work, emphasizing the growing community of KEYS graduates, which now consists of 746 students. Luhando added that the experience of working with professionals and fellow interns “fostered a collaborative and inspiring environment that encouraged learning and growth.” When asked about her post-KEYS journey, Luhando said “This experience has bolstered my confidence in conducting research and presenting scientific findings. I am excited to continue my academic journey with a strong commitment to contributing to the scientific community.”
Emanuele Saladini
For Emanuele Saladini, presenting The Role of Sleep and Cardiovascular Health in Cognitive Impairment and mentored by Dr. Bonnie LaFleur, this internship helped refine his approach to the scientific and research processes. “I particularly appreciate the feedback that helped me apply software engineering principles to my coding work,” he said of his experience working with Coit College of Pharmacy faculty mentors. “Sometimes, research leads to unexpected results, opening an avenue for new hypotheses, and building the foundation for innovation and discovery. The interdisciplinary approach of this program has taught me to work in a team where diverse skills are combined to extract groundbreaking conclusions.”
Aamuktha Tirupati
The opportunities offered by the KEYS internship don’t stop in the lab. After the showcase, Aamuktha Tirupati (presenting What Causes Brain Function to Decline Quickly in the Elderly?, also under Dr. LaFleur) commented on the experience of preparing her findings for the hundreds of attendees: “My experience as a KEYS Intern allowed me to grow professionally and be more prepared for my career. I also gained immense knowledge in R studio and how to effectively communicate my findings to an audience.” Saladini seconded this observation, and added “The ability to communicate complex ideas to various audiences has prepared me for undergraduate research and further professional challenges.”
We want to offer our warmest congratulations to all who participated in the KEYS Research Showcase, a special thanks to the students who discussed their internship experiences with us, and to all of the faculty and KEYS staff who made these opportunities possible. To learn more about the showcase and view the photos, read the full article on the KEYS website.