Student Research
Students in the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences are involved in a wide variety of research projects in basic, clinical and translational research fields. Once a student is admitted into the program, they are encouraged to explore research opportunities with our highly skilled faculty. In their second year of the program, students can enroll in a dedicated two-semester research course that will aid them in developing an independent research project under the guidance of a faculty member.
RESEARCH PROCESS
Individual or team research projects provide students with an opportunity to self-learn. As a part of a research team, your fall semester will focus on writing a grant to obtain funding from the Office of Undergraduate Research. Spring semester, you will focus on carrying out the experimentation process, which varies greatly depending on your chosen research area.
You will present your work at the ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø Undergraduate Research Symposium and submit your article for publication to ERGO.
Students with outstanding projects will present their work at the, the , or the Ogden Surgical Medical Society.
STUDENT AWARDS
2025 Ogden Surgical-Medical Society
Poster Presentations
1st place: Tattoos as a Risk Factor for B-cell Lymphoma
- Brynnlee Young, Bingham Benson, Lincoln Jacobs
2024 Ogden Surgical-Medical Society
Poster Presentations
2nd place: Reducing Pathogenicity of Candida auris Through Biofilm Disruption
- Brock Van Alfen, Sydney Johnson
3rd place: Enhancing Treatment Efficacy: Phage-Aided Antibiotic Cream for Resistant P. aeruginosa Infections Using an In-Vitro Tissue Model
- Grace Richardson, Madelyn Terry, Rachel Wight
2021 Ogden Surgical-Medical Society
Poster Presentations
1st place: CRISPR-Cas9 Mediated Elimination of Fermentative S. cerevisiae
- Chandler Nicholas, Kasey Doney, Cameron Shapiro, Brian Rushforth
2nd place: Validation of Rapid SARS-CoV-2 Testing in Asymptomatic Individuals
- Aubree Rowley, Kamryn Kimber, Jordan Stephens
3rd place: Validation of a Laboratory Developed Test for the Detection of T-Activated Polyagglutination
- Ryan Kohli, Braxton Campbell, Victoria Jones
2020/2021 Projects
Review: CRISPR-Based Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex Testing for Point-of-Care Genetic Diagnosis
Students: Brittany Basham, Taygun Loader, Joshua Tay
Mentor(s): Dr. Matthew Nicholaou
- Funding: ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø Office of Undergraduate Research
- Presentation: Ogden Surgical-Medical Society Conference
CRISPR-Cas9 Mediated Elimination of Fermentative S. cerevisiae
Students: Chandler Nicholas, Kasey Doney, Cameron Shapiro, Brian Rushforth
Mentor(s): Kendal Beazer, Dr. Matthew Nicholaou
- Funding: ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø Office of Undergraduate Research
- Presentation: Ogden Surgical-Medical Society Conference
Beneficial microbial flora and their effects on Major Depressive Disorder
Students: Zachary Tangaro, Hunter Bird, Jose G Mendoza-Escareno, Heather Morgan
Mentor(s): Kendal Beazer, Dr. Daniel Clark
- Funding: ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø Office of Undergraduate Research
- Presentation: Ogden Surgical-Medical Society Conference
Validation of Rapid SARS-CoV-2 Testing in Asymptomatic Individuals
Students: Aubree Rowley, Kamryn Kimber, Jordan Stephens
Mentor(s): Dr. Matthew Nicholaou
- Funding: ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø Office of Undergraduate Research
- Presentation: Ogden Surgical-Medical Society Conference
Validation of a Laboratory Developed Test for the Detection of T-Activated Polyagglutination
Students: Ryan Kohli, Braxton Campbell, Victoria Jones
Mentor(s): Dr. Matthew Nicholaou, Justin Rhees
- Funding: ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø Office of Undergraduate Research
- Presentation: Ogden Surgical-Medical Society Conference