Shepherd University student Adam Hull, a senior biology major from Inwood, is the first recipient of the Robert Louis Katz Medical Research Foundation internship in Shepherd President Mary J.C. Hendrix’s cancer research laboratory at West Virginia University. Hull is spending June and July working in the laboratory with researchers Dr. Richard Seftor, Elisabeth Seftor, and Dr. Naira Margaryan, who have worked with Dr. Hendrix for a number of years.
“I’m thrilled,” Hull said. “I think this is a really interesting area of research that I’m excited to participate in it.”
Hull, who hopes to one day conduct his own “preferably breakthrough research,” will have to complete an independent research project that aligns with and supports the overall direction of the lab.
The Hendrix research team focuses on cancer biology, including the identification of genes responsible for the metastatic phenotype of aggressive cancer cells, including tumor angiogenesis and vasculogenesis, and the effects of anti-cancer agents on tumor cell behavior.
“We are delighted to host Adam in our laboratory at WVU with the hope that he will share exciting new scientific findings with his Shepherd colleagues when he returns to campus,” said Hendrix.
The Robert Louis Katz Medical Research Foundation of Chicago was established by James and Ellyn Katz in memory of their son, Robert, to support research for diseases in children.