Pharm.D. students looking for educational stimulation and challenge beyond the traditional curriculum are invited to participate in the college’s Honors Program. This selective program challenges participants by introducing them to new ideas and placing them in contact with others of similar aptitude. Honors Program students participate in research projects with faculty mentors and present their results at college seminars. Many of these students also present their results at national meetings and in peer-reviewed journal articles.
This month, we highlight Pharm.D. Molly Levine. Molly is a P2 pharmacy student who was accepted into the Honors Research Program and the Rho Chi National Honors Society this spring. She has a B.S. in Genetics with a minor in Biology from the University of Georgia. Her research mentor is Professor of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery and Alcon Centennial Professor Dr. Hugh Smyth.
How did you get interested in research?
As an undergraduate, I found research intriguing due to its inherent ability to answer questions. I also enjoyed the laboratory courses that accompanied each of my core science classes. However, I really knew I wanted to pursue research after taking microbiology, where I isolated and identified different bacterial strains using genome sequencing technology.
After graduation, I spent two years at the MedStar Health Research Institute in Washington, D.C. As an Imaging Analyst in the Coronary Imaging Core, I learned how to perform quantitative analysis of Optical Coherence Tomography images of arterial lesions to evaluate the efficacy of a novel drug eluting stent.
While preparing final reports, abstracts for conferences, manuscripts and other documents for FDA approval, I developed scientific writing skills and the motivation to conduct my own research. I also attended Washington, D.C.’s annual Cardiovascular Research Technologies conference, where I delivered my first poster presentation.
This experience was invaluable to both my personal and professional development. While I had previously imagined myself in a more direct patient care-oriented position, I developed a stronger passion for research. I realized first-hand the broader scope of patients that could be reached as well as the potential positive impact of my work.
How did you find your research problem?
With a particular interest in gene therapy, I sought out Dr. Smyth’s lab. Since I first learned about CRISPR in a high school biology class, I have thought about how we can treat and possibly even eradicate genetic diseases by addressing the source itself (DNA), rather than the symptoms.
More specifically, I am interested in diseases attributable to a single gene mutation. Much of our discussion focused on the optimization of drug delivery to the lungs via inhalation methods, which is further complicated in cystic fibrosis patients due to their extra thick mucosal barriers. His work in this area could be applied to treatments for ROS-1 positive lung cancer, or other lung cancers driven by specific genetic mutations which I also found intriguing.
How did the Summer Research Fellowship impact your research?
The fellowship provided me with the financial freedom to stay in Austin for the summer as an out-of-state student. During this time, I completed the prerequisite Exploratory Research in Pharmacy course for the Research Honors Program. I was also able to devote my time to research without the academic distractions of the school year.
I received training in laboratory safety and techniques specific to the Smyth Lab. I spent a significant amount of time reading the background literature associated with my project. During this process, I presented the findings of different journal articles to graduate students, which helped me hone my scientific reading and summary skills.
I crafted a spreadsheet detailing the composition, cargo, physicochemical characteristics, delivery route, models and key results for 22 studies that utilize chitosan mRNA delivery systems. This will serve as the basis upon which I will write a comprehensive review article and develop my honors project.