Tag: Laura Songer

Exterior of the H-STEM building on the Michigan tech campus, with the husky statue and yellow and red flowers in the foreground. — Michigan Tech’s H-STEM Complex offers state-of-the-art teaching and research labs for human health studies.

Two outstanding PhD candidates were recognized for their research as co-recipients of the seventh annual Songer Research Award for Human Health.

Xinqian Chen, majoring in Integrative Physiology, received the award for her project, “Exploring the role of brain-derived extracellular vesicles in salt-sensitive hypertension.” Biological Sciences major Vaishali Sharma received the award for her project titled, “Antiviral efficacy of amino acid-based surfactants: A proposal for advancing human health by breaking the chain of viral infection.”

“Chen and Sharma proposed innovative, medically oriented research projects in human health,” said College of Sciences and Arts (CSA) Dean LaReesa Wolfenbarger. “Their projects are exciting, with the potential to improve human life and health outcomes. I look forward to learning more about their findings in the coming months.”

Xinqian Chen Focuses on Hypertension Research

Chen’s research focuses on brain extracellular vesicles (EVs), lipid layers that are released by cells and carry proteins, nucleic acids and metabolites to transmit signals between cells. Chen’s proposal exhibits promising connections to human health. Her hypothesis is that injection of EVs collected from rats with salt-sensitive hypertension will result in hypertension with neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in cardiovascular control regions of otherwise healthy rats.

Strong preliminary data isolating and characterizing brain EVs and their influence in cultured cells and in cardiovascular control regions of the brain demonstrate a high likelihood of success. Jenny Shan, professor in Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology serves as Chen’s advisor.

Vaishali Sharma Seeks to Eliminate Harsh Chemicals

Sharma’s research aims to identify sustainable and effective amino acid-based antiviral surfactants that have minimal negative effects on human health and the environment. Her proposal has the potential to lead to a more ecologically friendly surface disinfectant. Stephen Techtmann, associate professor of Biological Sciences, and Caryn Heldt, chemical engineering professor and director of Michigan Tech’s Health Research Institute, serve as Sharma’s advisors.

Sharma also participated in a recent US-Africa Frontiers Fellowship, partnering with visiting research biologist Bellicia Kamwanya on vaccine production.

Watch a video of Vaishali Sharma’s work on the collaborative project, which took place in summer 2024.

Xinqianchen Chen working in the lab

Vaishali Sharma working in the lab

About the Songer Research Award

Biological sciences alumni Matthew Songer ’79 and Laura Songer ’80 have supported the competition in support of innovative student-led research projects that center on human health for seven years. The Songer Research Award for Human Health provides two $6,000 graduate awards that make it possible for students to pursue their projects in consultation with College-affiliated faculty researchers. Any student interested in exploring a medically related question were able to apply by submitting a research project statement.

The Songers, who recall their own excitement to engage in research, established the award to stimulate and encourage opportunities for original research by current Michigan Tech students. “I appreciate the generosity of the Songers for making these research opportunities possible for our exceptional graduate students,” said Dean Wolfenbarger.

About the College of Sciences and Arts

The College of Sciences and Arts is a global center of academic excellence in the sciences, humanities, and arts for a technological world. Our teacher-scholar model is a foundation for experiential learning, innovative research and scholarship, and civic leadership. The College offers 33 bachelor’s degrees in biological sciences, chemistry, humanities, kinesiology and Integrative physiology, mathematical sciences, physics, psychology and human factors, social sciences, and visual and performing arts. We are home to Michigan Tech’s pre-health professions and ROTC programs. The College offers 24 graduate degrees and certificates. We conduct approximately $12 million in externally funded research in health and wellness, sustainability and resiliency, and the human-technology frontier.

Follow the College on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and the CSA blog. Questions? Contact us at csa@mtu.edu.

Call for Applications: Songer Research Award for Human Health Research

Published March 18, 2019

By Heather Powers

2018-19 Songer Award Recipients. Pictured Left to Right: Abby Sutherland, Billiane Kenyon, Jeremy Bigalke, Rupsa Basu, Matthew Songer, and Laura Songer.

Matthew Songer, (Biological Sciences ’79) and Laura Songer (Biological Sciences ’80) have generously donated funds to the College of Sciences and Arts (CSA) to support a research project competition for undergraduate and graduate students. Remembering their own eagerness to engage in research during their undergraduate years, the Songers established these awards to stimulate and encourage opportunities for original research by current Michigan Tech students. The College is extremely grateful for the Songers’ continuing interest in, and support of, Michigan Tech’s programs in human health and medicine. This is the second year of the competition.

Students may propose an innovative medically-oriented research project in any area of human health. The best projects will demonstrate the potential to have broad impact on improving human life. This research will be pursued in consultation with faculty members within the College of Sciences and Arts. In the Spring of 2019, the Songer’s gift will support one award for undergraduate research ($4,000) and a second award for graduate research ($6,000). Matching funds from the College may allow two additional awards.

Any Michigan Tech student interested in exploring a medically related question under the guidance of faculty in the College of Sciences and Arts may apply. Students majoring in any degree program in the college, including both traditional (i.e., biological sciences, kinesiology, chemistry) and nontraditional (i.e., physics, psychology, social science, bioethics, computer science, mathematics) programs related to human health may propose research projects connected to human health. Students are encouraged to propose original, stand-alone projects with expected durations of 6 – 12 months. The committee also encourages applications from CSA students who seek to continue research projects initiated through other campus mechanisms, such as the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program, Pavlis Honors College activities or the Graduate Research Forum (GRF).

Funds from a Songer Award may be used to purchase or acquire research materials and equipment needed to perform the proposed research project. Access to and research time utilizing University core research facilities, including computing, may be supported. Requests to acquire a personal computer will be scrutinized and must be fully justified. Page charges for publications also may be covered with award funds, as will travel to appropriate academic meetings. This award may not be used for salary or compensation for the student or consulting faculty.

To apply:

Students should prepare a research project statement (up to five pages in length) that describes the background, methods to be used, and research objectives. The statement also should provide a detailed description of the experiments planned and expected outcomes. Students must indicate where they will carry out their project and attach a separate list of references/citations to relevant scientific literature.
The application package also should provide a concise title and brief summary (1 page) written for lay audiences.
A separate budget page should indicate how funds will be used.
A short letter from a consulting faculty member must verify that the student defined an original project and was the primary author of the proposal. The faculty member should also confirm her/his willingness to oversee the project. This faculty letter is not intended to serve as a recommendation on behalf of the student’s project.

Submit applications as a single PDF file to the Office of the College of Sciences and Arts by 4:00 p.m. Monday, April 22. Applications may be emailed to djhemmer@mtu.edu.

The selection committee will consist of Matthew Songer, Laura Songer, Shekhar Joshi (BioSci) and Megan Frost (KIP). The committee will review undergraduate and graduate proposals separately and will seek additional comments about the proposed research on an ad-hoc basis from reviewers familiar with the topic of the research proposal. Primary review criteria will be the originality and potential impact of the proposed study, as well as its feasibility and appropriateness for Michigan Tech’s facilities.

The committee expects to announce the recipients by early May of 2019. This one-time research award will be administered by the faculty advisor of the successful student investigator. Students will be expected to secure any necessary IRB approval before funds will be released. Funds must be expended by the end of spring semester 2020; extensions will not be granted. Recipients must submit a detailed report to the selection committee, including a description of results and an accounting of finds utilized, no later than June 30, 2020.

Any questions may be directed to Megan Frost (mcfrost@mtu.edu), David Hemmer (djhemmer@mtu.edu) or Shekhar Joshi (cpjoshi@mtu.edu).