Summer Research on the Oral Microbiome - Class of 2027

 This summer, I had the pleasure of taking part in the 10-week Bridge-UP HBCU Program at the University of Utah. This program is designed for undergraduate students from various HBCU's interested in the medical sciences and biomedical research. Through this summer, I worked on a project entitled "Longitudinal Changes in the Oral Microbiome Following Gut Fecal Microbiota Transplantation" which investigated the correlation between receiving fecal transplantation and the bacteria living in the oral cavity. Through this research, I became familiar with the coding package "R" and a computer interface called CHPC. I also became a more critical thinker and enhanced my scientific reading comprehension as I read over 50 scientific articles to become more knowledgeable about the topic. My summer research culminated with me being able to present my poster to various faculty at the University of Utah and answer questions about my work over the summer. This presentation increased my confidence and ability to present scientific research and answer difficult questions. I am excited to present my research again at ABRCMS in San Antonio, Texas in November, an opportunity awarded by my summer program. 

 

Additionally, during the summer program I was able to learn about the importance of advocacy and the truth in the statement that "close mouths do not get fed". Students in the program are given the chance to shadow in University of Utah's renowned hospital, seeking specialities such as general surgery, orthopedics, plastic surgery, and beyond. Personally, I am interested in dentistry, so when asked which speciality I wanted to shadow, I asked if there was a way I could shadow at the University dental school. After being told that would not be possible, I shadowed a plastic surgeon and scrubbed into her surgery. It was very fascinating, but confirmed it was not the career field of interest. I persisted in asking if I could shadow a dentist as the summer continued through emails. Finally, I found a contact who allowed me to shadow at the offsite dental clinic and coordinated a meeting with the University of Utah School of Dentistry director of admissions and tour of the dental school. I was able to witness patient care in the community clinic setting, where many patients could not afford dental care. I learned about how dentist's pivot to ensure their patients can receive adequate dental care.

Lindsey Sanders