Farnaz Mehran, Myra Rana, and Amy Trinh, third year dental students, recently participated in UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center’s ENRICH Program.

ENRICHFarnaz Mehran at UAB ENRICH symposium with her poster presentation. (ENhancing Research In Cancer-related Health professions) is a new, intensive, mentored 10-week in-person summer research program supported by the National Cancer Institute that aims to educate and train currently enrolled graduate-level students in cancer research.

Mehran, Rana, and Trinh presented research posters during a half-day symposium at UAB’s Wallace Tumor Institute as the summer program ended.

Farnaz Mehran presented, “Characterization of the microbiome in a novel human/mouse chimeric model of human cancer” under the mentorship and supervision of Angel Wahl, PhD, Associate Professor in the UAB Department of Microbiology.

Mehran attributes her understanding of crucial practices in cancer research, including how it correlates to dental research, to Whal’s mentorship. She believes more dental students should join this program, not only for getting familiar with cancer research, but also to show that dental students can balance between being a clinician and a scholar.

“This program was a platform that connected us to different cancer labs’ research and gave us an opportunity to either start our own project with focus on cancer treatment and diagnosis or be part of a research team that has already been working on a cancer focused project,” says Mehran. “I would’ve never imagined I would spend my summer break working on cancer research, but honestly it was worth it!”

Myra Rana and Amy Trinh at UAB ENRICH symposium with her poster presentation.Rana, under the mentorship of Dr. Dori Pekemezi, professor at the UAB Department of Health Behavior, presented her project called “Motivators for Physical Activity Among Rural Adults Participating in the Deep South IVR-Supported Active Study.”

She says, “We primarily looked at participants living in the black belt region in Alabama and gauged their physical activity and what motivated them to do so. Overall, I thought this experience was impactful and I would like to encourage other students to participate next year!”

Amy Trinh presented, “Senior Sisters Breast Cancer Survivorship Network: Addressing the Unique Needs of Older Women with Breast Cancer,” under the mentorship of Drs. Marie Bakitas, Professor, and Richard Taylor, Assistant Professor, both from the UAB School of Nursing.

Amy Trinh at UAB ENRICH symposium with her poster presentation.“Our research aimed to establish the Senior Sisters Breast Cancer Survivorship Network (SSBCSN), a support network specifically tailored to the needs of women over the age of 65,” says Trinh. “Despite older women over the age of 65 constituting most breast cancer cases, their specific challenges related to disease response, treatment, and symptom management are often overlooked.”

Trinh believes this program allowed her to deepen her understanding of the complexities of cancer survivorship and the importance of addressing not just the medical needs but also the emotional and practical challenges that survivors face. She says, “Participating in the ENRICH Program has been an incredibly rewarding experience. This program has shown me the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and the need for me as a future dental professional to be well-versed in the broader health challenges my patients may face, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for those I will serve.”