I’m in the third year of the PhD program in Cell and Molecular Biology at Baylor College of Medicine. My project is titled “developmentally regulated alternative splicing in muscle”. My thesis advisor is Dr. Thomas Cooper. I expect to be working towards graduation for an additional two years. I’ve published a small preview in Developmental Cell (Bland CS, Cooper TA. “Micromanaging alternative splicing during muscle differentiation” Dev Cell. 2007 Feb;12(2):171-2.Click here to read) and have presented poster at the 2007 RNA society meeting in Madison Wisconsin and the 2007 Eukaryotic mRNA Processing Meeting at Cold Springs Harbor NY. I’m currently working on my first major publication, that is tentatively intended for submission to PNAS. I won an award for the best qualifying exam (The Claude W. Smith Fellowship Award) and won third place for best poster at my departmental retreat. In addition to my thesis work, I’ve also volunteered to tutor other graduate students and to TA two classes (genetics B and Gene regulation), I’ve thought two mini courses over the summer for incoming students and I was elected student representative for my departments Steering committee. I was also awarded the BRASS fellowship, a fairly prestigious award given to 2-3 students per year. The award entails a $1000 prize and a yearly $2000 research grant, renewed yearly until graduation. My stipend has been primarily supported by a pre-doctorial fellowship for minority students through the Ford Foundation and the National Academies of Science

Impact of RISE,

The RISE program has had an enormous impact on every area of my scholastic and professional life. The financial support I received through RISE gave me the freedom to work in the lab instead of taking on an unrelated second job to support myself throughout college. Additionally, almost everything I learned about graduate school came through the RISE program. The information and support I received was invaluable throughout every stage of my maturation as a student and a scientist and allowed me to make informed decisions. Now that I’ve had the opportunity to serve on a steering committee here at Baylor, I’ve seen how many students from highly prestigious universities (Harvard, Hopkins, Stanford, Yale) are poorly informed about graduate school and ill prepared to enter a serous research environment. This really makes me appreciate how will prepared I was through the RISE program. Additionally, I’m sure that my many poster presentation and speaking awards that I had the opportunity to earn through attending national meeting with the RISE program was instrumental in my acceptance to so many fantastic graduate programs and my fellowship award through the Ford Foundation. I’ve learned that the talent pool for young scientist is getting more and more competitive, and that simply having strong grades is not enough anymore. I’ve come to understand that programs like RISE are absolutely essential for under-represented students to gain a competitive edge. Thanks to the research and mentoring I received, I’ve been able to assemble a strong CV much earlier in my career then most of my peers, I’m sure this will continue to help me advance in science for many years to come. Overall, I cannot imagine receiving better training as a scientist from any other program, the RISE program was a wonderful opportunity that has helped to change my life and the lives of many other burgeoning scientists for the better. Graduated with a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology.

The EPCC RISE program offered me an unparalleled opportunity to learn about the career path of being a scientist. Before joining the program, I knew very little about the many types of careers available for people with scientific training, and did not understand the process of laboratory research. I was also unsure if science was the right direction for my life. In addition to providing me with ideas for future careers and a better understanding of science, the RISE program supplied a small stipend that I used for college expenses.

As I became more involved with my research project, I grew more motivated and determined to become a scientist. My mentor, Dr. Todd Primm played a pivotal role in shaping my future. He was very supportive during my undergraduate research in the EPCC RISE program and he encouraged me to pursue a higher education. He also introduced me to summer research internship programs, which affords college students the opportunity to travel to another university and do research. I was accepted to the Summer Research Opportunities Program and spent an unforgettable summer at the University of Illinois at Chicago, which only fueled my interest in laboratory research. As I completed my upper level coursework at UTEP, Dr. Primm encouraged me to apply to graduate programs. I was accepted to the University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston where I am currently completing my Ph.D. in the Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Department.

During my sophomore year of high school my mother was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythmatosis and I was forced to work to help support my family. I dropped out before I took any real science classes. Later on, I enrolled at El Paso Community College but was unable to attend classes regularly due to my mother’s illness. Eventually we were able to control her condition with diet and proper medication and I was allowed to again focus on my education. I was a social work major at the community college and had to take two semesters of a science class to fulfill a requirement. I chose biology and fell in love with it. Despite a lack of exposure to the sciences, I excelled and earned an A in the class. I have received A’s in all related classes since I changed my major to microbiology.

In the fall of 2001, I enrolled in a general microbiology class, taught by Dr. Maria Alvarez, who is the director of the MBRS RISE program. The following semester I applied to the RISE program and was accepted. My research project dealt with selection and optimization of protocols for a study of the mycobacterial ecology of the Rio Grande River. We used PCR, RFLP analysis, and other molecular techniques to identify and characterize environmental mycobacteria. We also worked on identifying environmental parameters that effect the proliferation and persistence of environmentally derived non-tuberculous mycobacteria. This opportunity fueled my desire to pursue a career in biomedical research.

I continued as a research student throughout my tenure at El Paso Community College. Upon transferring to the University of Texas at El Paso, in the summer of 2002, I was retained by the RISE program as a tutor/mentor.

I participated in the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (AMP) Summer Bridge Program, which is designed to facilitate the transition from the community college to the university. I was selected to work in the laboratory of Dr. Kristine Garza. My project focused on the effects of synthetic organic compounds on the proliferation, activation, and function of primary lymphocytes. Once the program was completed, I applied to several of the research oriented programs that the university offers. I was especially interested in the Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) program because the program would provide me with enough funds and benefits to allow me to leave my second job at Wal-Mart and focus on my academic pursuits. When I asked about the program, I was told that there were no openings available. However, I applied anyway and was overjoyed when they accepted me.

I also spent a summer at the National Institutes of Health doing a research internship in the laboratory of Dr. Mathew Daniels. I was assigned a small project, which focused on a protein called agrin and whether glycosaminoglycan side chains affect function, especially with regards to induction of formation of filopodia in muscle cells. I also tested the efficacy of plasmids which encoded shRNA designed to inhibit expression of agrin. I learned a lot from Dr. Daniels, who has been a scientist for many years. I am grateful to have had the chance to work with him and learn from him. He was an incredible mentor.

I know that in this highly competitive field I will need to have experience in order to compete successfully. As a Hispanic single mother, I have struggled to overcome many obstacles to pursue an education. I have worked very hard to get where I am now. I know that it is my persistence and tenacity that will carry me to my goal. It is only through the experience and support of programs such as MBRS RISE, that I have been able to remain in school and successfully conduct research. Thanks to these opportunities I have been able to attend local and national scientific conferences and present my research. I attended the 2003 annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students and won an award for an oral presentation that I gave. I have had the opportunity to visit the National Institutes of Health, and met prestigious researchers from around the world. All of my experiences as a research student have fueled my desire to pursue an advanced degree that will allow me to conduct biomedical research as a career.

I am determined to continue my education and obtain a Ph.D. in the biomedical sciences so that I may continue to conduct research. I am most interested in fields if science that directly benefit human health and welfare. It is my dream to contribute to the elucidation and control of autoimmune diseases.

Jamie graduated with Honors from UTEP and is now a third-year Ph.D. student at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Update. Jamie successfully defended her doctoral dissertation and graduated with a PhD. in Immunology. On December 2010, her work was submitted to a peer reviewed journal for publication.