I started shadowing Dr. Mario Leyba in Fall 2021 at Lovelace Medical Center. Dr. Mario Leyba specializes in general surgery and robotic surgery, where he focuses on surgeries involving removal of the gallbladder, inguinal hernia repairs, all through laproscopic surgical procedures. During my time shadowing Dr. Mario Leyba I have gotten the chance to experience medical care in a clinical setting such as patient care interaction and analyzation of x-rays. I have also gotten the chance to observe in office procedures such as cyst removal and hemorrhoid bandings.
During summer 2021, I attended a summer mentorship program called "Undergraduate Pipeline Network" at the University of New Mexico. The goal of the program is to provide emergence into the field of research, where I was paired up with my mentor based on my specific interests. The program was hosted by the University of New Mexico Health Science Center and funded by: IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence, Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences, UNM School of Medicine Research Education Office, UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNM School of Engineering, UNM College of Pharmacy, C-STEPS, and American Cancer Society. My mentors Debra Mackenzie, Tamara Anderson, and Li Lou ushered me into the world of health related research, where the focus for the summer was centered around Navajo Birth Cohort Study (NBCS). NBCS focuses environmental contaminants such as mixed metal exposure from abandoned mines on Navajo Nation. Where the goal is to understand potential defects in development of children, and during pregnancy.
The following artifacts below are the results of my summer research, compounded into a poster displaying my work from the program and subsequently my research paper.
I started my position as a research assistant shortly after my Internship during the Undergraduate Pipeline Network. I began working with my mentor Debra Mackenzie from the Undergraduate Pipeline Network, where I am a research assistant at UNM Health Science Center. My primary work involves working with data sets from the Environmental Influences of Child Health Outcomes (ECHO+) associated with Navajo Birth Cohort Study (NBCS) known as NBCS/ECHO+ and input of data into the online program/database. Further I have gotten the chance to participate and view laboratory procedures. One example is with an Enzyme Immunoassay for Urinary Isoprostane, in which the assay quantifies 15-isoprostane F2t in urine samples. Isoprostane has seen to play a role in atherogenesis, where elevated levels of isoprostane is linked to hepatorenal syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, and carcinogenesis (Oxford Biomedical Research, Inc).
I took General Botany in Fall 2020 in which the overall goal of the class was to apply research methods to devise an experimental procedure working with fellow classmates. General Botany was my first experience in applying research methods which ultimately curated into individual research papers each member was to write on their own. A big aspect in the class was to work together with your fellow group members to discuss experimental questions, plan out experimental design, and perform treatments on a species of basil known as Ocimum basilicum.
The following artifact is my research paper I wrote following my participation in General Botany, and photos of the basil plant before defoliation and some following our defoliation treatment.
This shows the height of the plant following defoliation.
This photo depicts the amount of leaves which were lost following defoliation treatment.
The plant on the left is our control plant and the plant on the right shows our defoliation treatment.
The left plant was our control plant which received no defoliation, while the right plant received defoliation treatment.