July 21, 2023
AUBURN, Alabama – In an effort to promote diversity in the research workforce, Auburn’s Harrison College of Pharmacy partnered with Alabama State over the summer to offer the first-ever Summer Diversity Program in Aging Research. The program brought 10 Alabama State students to the Auburn campus over a 10-week period to participate in a variety of research activities related to aging.
Supported by a $1,459,000 grant from the National Institute on Aging, the research and training project will go for five years with the 2023 edition being the first. Dr. Vishnu Suppiramaniam, professor emeritus from the Harrison College of Pharmacy, is the principal investigator on the grant while Dr. Manoj Mishra, professor of biology at Alabama State, serves as the program director. Miles Wiley, a Ph.D. student pursuing the pharmacology option, served as the program coordinator this year.
“This initiative focuses on providing educational modules and research opportunities to underserved students,” said Wiley. “ASU and AU collaborate to leverage their infrastructure and programs, with ASU offering fundamental research training and age-related educational modules during the academic year, and AU providing aging research experiences during the summer.”
Ten rising juniors and seniors from Alabama State were selected for the 10-week program that ran from May 14-July 17. During their time on campus, the students assisted in active research in labs. Serving as faculty mentors during the program were Drs. Raj Amin, Murali Dhanasekaran, Amal Kaddoumi, Miranda Reed, and Suppiramaniam.
Students also participated in a variety of professional development activities in collaboration with the Auburn Graduate School, including a resume and CV workshop, graduate program counseling, GRE prep workshop, laboratory tours, a networking event and a GEM Fellowship workshop.
“Overall, the ASU-AU program aims to accelerate the development of scientists and health care professionals from underserved backgrounds by offering aging-focused education and research experiences,” said Wiley. “The first year went great and we are excited about the years to come.”
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Auburn University’s Harrison College of Pharmacy is ranked among the top 25 percent of all pharmacy programs in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report. Fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the College offers doctoral degrees in pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and pharmaceutical sciences (Ph.D.) while also offering a master’s in pharmaceutical sciences. The College's commitment to world-class scholarship and interdisciplinary research speaks to Auburn's overarching Carnegie R1 designation that places Auburn among the top 100 doctoral research universities in the nation. For more information about the College, please call 334.844.8348 or visit http://pharmacy.auburn.edu.