UTA students shine at St. Jude research symposium
The University of Texas at Arlington, an R1 research institution, offers undergraduates direct access to high-level scientific work. That commitment was reflected last fall with the selection of three College of Science students to attend the National Symposium for Predoctoral Research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
“This conference is one of the pioneering gatherings in our field,” said Soroush Ghaffari, assistant professor of research and a member of UT Arlington’s RISE 100 initiative. “It’s very competitive—only 23 of more than 200 applicants were selected—so we were very fortunate that three of them were from our lab.”
The students—Adrian Reyes, Julie Tran and Vy Duong—are part of UT Arlington’s Institute of Biomanufacturing and Precision Medicine for North Texas (IMPRINT), which brings together biotechnology, biomanufacturing, precision medicine, health data sciences and entrepreneurship in a single collaborative hub.
The students presented their research and engaged with leading scientists in the biomedical field. Below, they share how UTA is helping them build a foundation for future success.
Adrian Reyes
Journey to UTA: Reyes spent his early adulthood working in the oil fields and aviation industry. After being diagnosed with cancer, he made the decision to pursue a college degree. At UTA, he’s found the support and resources needed to move into research.
“I knew I wanted to be part of research, but it wasn’t until I ran into Dr. Ghaffari that I really found what I wanted to do,” said Reyes, a microbiology major.
His research: Reyes focused on understanding how tumors evade the immune system.
“We wanted to see if we can find ways to characterize this and possibly disrupt that system in some formal way in the future,” he said.
Final word: “My research really hits home—a lot. Sometimes when I get stressed out or start to doubt my ability to keep going, I reflect on the times I went through my hardships. Then I realize you just have to keep taking it one step at a time, and you’ll get through it.”
Vy Duong
Journey to UTA: Duong grew up in the DFW area and wanted to stay close to home. Several of her peers attended UTA and encouraged her to consider it.
“I really liked the sense of community that UTA has and how everyone is so helpful with one another,” said Duong, a biology major. “The academic resources and the organizations that bring students together really attracted me to UTA.”
Her research: Duong’s research centered on wound healing.
“The presentation outlined the development of a novel methodological approach aimed at accelerating wound healing through improved tissue regeneration dynamics,” she said. “Our goal extended beyond translation to include a mechanistic investigation of immune regulation during wound healing, with the aim of identifying key immune cell populations and their temporal contributions to tissue repair. We leveraged these insights to further enhance the wound-healing strategy and overall patient outcomes.”
Final word: “Being at UTA has definitely brought me out of my shell. Coming in, I was very timid and shy. I didn’t know how to talk to people as much, but by joining the organizations they provided for us, I was able to meet new people and make bonds I never thought I would make if it weren’t for UTA.”
Julie Tran
Journey to UTA: Tran, a biological chemistry major with minors biology and biochemistry, always knew she wanted to pursue a science degree. She was drawn to UTA’s growing reputation in the field and the opportunities available at a major research institution.
“Research was something I wanted to get into ever since high school,” she said. “UTA has such a big research community, and it’s been such a positive environment where we can ask each other for advice, bounce ideas off one another and support each other as we go through this together.”
Her research: Tran studied whether combining a cancer vaccine and a lab-developed antibody called E1 could improve outcomes.
“We found that combining those two things can improve life expectancy and help prevent tumor regeneration,” she said.
Final word: “Going to St. Jude was one of my first times going out of state alone, but I found the experience to be very valuable and I learned a lot. I always knew I wanted to do something in the health care field, but the conference really exposed me to a different avenue too—possibly pursuing a master’s degree before attending medical school.”
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation’s top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 280,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.