Students Spend Summer Working with Scientists at LLU Health by Herbert Atienza - City News Group, Inc.
View Upcoming Events View Your Local Sales

Community Calendar

◄ NOVEMBER ►
S M T W T F S
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
08 09 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 01 02 03 04 05
View Events
Submit Events
directory

Students Spend Summer Working with Scientists at LLU Health

By Herbert Atienza,
August 14, 2013 at 09:14pm. Views: 66

Fifty-four high school and college students from diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds presented Aug. 7 scientific papers they completed following a summer spent working with scientists and researchers from Loma Linda University (LLU) Health. The students, part of the LLU Health Disparities Research Summer Program, presented research in areas from treating traumatic brain injury to the links between hormones and cancer, during the 13th annual Health Disparities Research Symposium 2013, hosted by the Loma Linda University Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine. John Matsui, PhD, assistant dean, Biological Sciences and director of the Biology Scholars Program at UC Berkeley, gave the keynote address, “Diversity and ‘Good Science’” at the symposium. “I would describe this as a wonderful experience that allowed me to work in an actual laboratory alongside actual scientists,” said Karen Figueroa, 17, who just graduated from Ramona High School in Riverside and is planning to take up biochemistry at UCLA in the fall. Figueroa, whose parents are immigrants from Mexico, worked with researchers who studied the complications arising from Type 2 diabetes and ways that could decrease those complications. “I was not just shadowing someone, but was actively involved in doing research,” said Figueroa, whose research duties included preparing cell cultures for study. “It was incredible that they would trust a 17-year-old to work on such important stuff. I had to be extremely careful and meticulous because some of those things were very expensive.” The Loma Linda University Health Disparities Research Summer Program, now in its 13th year, is offered to promising students from disadvantaged communities by Loma Linda University Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine to encourage them to consider careers in medicine and biomedical research. The research trainees are paired with academic mentors and engage in biomedical research conducted at various science, health and clinical departments at Loma Linda University and the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans Medical Center. “We are encouraged to see these students be part of important and ground-breaking research,” said Dr. Marino De Leon, director of Loma Linda University Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine. “We are especially encouraged to see how the research and academic skills learned by participating in our program are helping these students to move forward in their education, and matriculating and graduating from doctoral and graduate programs in health sciences at Loma Linda University and nationwide. This is certainly bringing needed diversity to our biomedical workforce that is critical to do better science and serve the health needs of our local and global communities,” he said.

Related Articles

Photo Courtesy of: TME Photography by Titan Mom Elvira

By Titan Mom Elvira, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 894

Athlete of the Week Christopher Michael Lemos, Redlands High School Junior and Varsity Quarterback, proudly represents the Terriers with his dedication, leadership, and passion for the game.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 1758

Redlands Pottery Project joins A.K. Smiley Public Library for a November 14 workshop designed for young artists ages 13 to 18. A lump of clay may not look like much at first. In the hands of a young artist, however, it can become a bowl, a decorative sculpture or an entirely unexpected creation.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.redlands.edu/

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 2866

The University of Redlands Department of Theatre and Dance will present Día de los Muertos and Other Folk Tales November 5 through 8, 2026. Stories told by grandparents often become treasured parts of a family's history. Some are humorous, others mysterious, and many carry lessons that remain meaningful long after the storyteller is gone.

Photo Courtesy of: UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 961

A remote wildfire-monitoring camera overlooks a Southern California landscape. Redlands has partnered with UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia program to improve monitoring of areas near northern Redlands and the Santa Ana River wash.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.akspl.org/events/

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 1957

Annual ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial Shrine will bring American history to life on November 21. On a November morning in Redlands, the sounds of fifes, drums and historic artillery will offer residents an opportunity to experience a chapter of American history that continues to influence the nation more than 160 years after the Civil War.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:18pm. Views: 849

The first years of a child's life are filled with milestones that families often remember forever. A baby's first smile, the first attempt to crawl and the first spoken words are moments of celebration. They can also bring questions, uncertainty and new responsibilities for parents learning how to care for a growing child.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.csusb.edu/

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 1060

CSUSB’s Department of Physics and Astronomy has earned recognition for it for its work to create a more inclusive, diverse and supportive physics department, earning the Bronze Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science Physics & Astronomy SEA Change program.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.naco.org/program/operation-green-light-veterans

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 2346

Operation Green Light returns November 4–11, encouraging residents to recognize military service and help veterans connect with available resources. As darkness settles over San Bernardino during the first week of November, green lights will illuminate several county buildings, transforming familiar government facilities into visible reminders of the sacrifices made by America's military veterans.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.authentikusa.com/

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 1001

As America's most famous highway celebrates its centennial in 2026, San Bernardino reflects on the road that helped shape its neighborhoods, businesses and identity. Long before interstate highways became the preferred routes for cross-country travel, motorists making their way through San Bernardino followed a road that would become one of the most recognizable highways in American history.

Photo Courtesy of: Corina Borsuk and provided courtesy of SBCUSD

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 778

Muscoy Elementary students join SBCUSD Superintendent Mauricio Arellano, Board of Education President Mayra Ceballos, Assistant Superintendents Dr. Sandra Rodriguez and Dr. Tasha Doizan, Director MaryRone Goodwin and San Bernardino County Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. for the official ribbon cutting ceremony that opened the school’s new outdoor learning center.

Photo Courtesy of: https://riversiderecord.org/; A photo of Moreno Valley City Hall. (Alicia Ramirez/The Riverside Record) Credit: (Photo by Alicia

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:39pm. Views: 1058

A city is often judged by what residents experience every day: the condition of its streets, the reliability of public services, the availability of recreational programs and the ease of obtaining information from local government. Behind those everyday experiences are departments and employees whose work rarely attracts national attention.

Photo Courtesy of: TME Photography by Titan Mom Elvira

By Titan Mom Elvira, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:39pm. Views: 952

Athlete of the Week Zachary Scott Perez, Senior at John W. North High School, is recognized as Athlete of the Week for his dedication and accomplishments as a student athlete.

--> -->