HOUSTON METHODIST SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH INTERNSHIP

My research this summer focused on evaluating treatment timelines for pulmonary artery mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) at Houston Methodist, specifically examining door-to-needle times (i.e., hospital arrival to initiation of MT). After conducting a retrospective chart review of 569 patients treated with MT for their acute PE, we drew several clinical conclusions: The median door-to-needle time across the Houston Methodist Hospital system was 17 hours, with delayed reperfusion (> 12 hours) occurring in 57% of cases. Delayed reperfusion was associated with a lower reduction in pulmonary artery systolic pressure, a twofold increase in 30-day mortality (6% vs. 3%; p=0.040), and a higher risk of developing chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) within a year. Further research is necessary to define the ideal “Door-To-Needle” timing scale, but currently, we recommend quality improvement initiatives aimed at understanding workflow protocols used at Houston Methodist The Woodlands to consistently achieve door-to-needle times under 12 hours, thereby improving systemwide efficiency and patient care.

I had the privilege of working under Dr. Dominik Haudenschild in his Translational Orthopedic Laboratory, which is dedicated to developing medical treatments to prevent osteoarthritis following injury. Joint injuries often trigger significant inflammation, leading to fibrosis and, ultimately, osteoarthritis. By inhibiting the onset of inflammation, these secondary effects may be prevented. My project focused on developing a new tendon slice explant model that more accurately represents native human tendon tissue, thereby enabling more effective testing of the lab’s novel therapeutic approach. The ultimate goal of this research is to support the complete restoration of joint mobility after injury.

My research focused on a recently discovered ribozyme (catalytic RNA) found in the human genome that may be linked to leukemia. I used biochemical assays and cryo-electron microscopy to investigate how it folds, how magnesium enables its catalytic activity, and why current structural prediction tools fail to model it accurately. Understanding how this ribozyme functions can inform the design of synthetic RNAs for therapeutic applications. This work could ultimately support the development of RNA-based tools that regulate gene expression or activate treatments inside specific cells.

I’d like to thank Sue Smith and Mr. Brown for providing this truly incredible experience! The past 10 weeks at Houston Methodist provided ample insight into the kind of person, colleague, and physician I aspire to be. I also had the opportunity to attend an Internal Medicine boot camp alongside new internal medicine and anesthesiology residents at Methodist. I used an ultrasound probe to see the heart of a volunteer patient and received a crash course on how to read EKGs! Having these experiences helped solidify my interest in pursuing medicine. 

My PI is Dr. Mahinur Mattohti in the immunology and transplant science department, and my mentor is Wei Hong.

My research focuses on solutions to malignant melanoma, an aggressive cancer characterized by alarmingly high mortality rates. While significant progress has been made in understanding the genetic factors driving melanoma, knowledge of the epigenetic mechanisms that contribute to its progression and metastasis remains limited. 

My research project aims to identify key epigenetic modifications and regulators involved in melanoma progression and to elucidate how they enhance the metastatic potential of cancer cells. Ultimately, the goal is to discover novel drug targets and develop effective diagnostic assays to improve patient outcomes.

Under the guidance of Dr. Junji Xing in the Department of Transplant Immunology, my project focused on identifying key inflammatory proteins that activate antiviral innate immunity in response to Herpes simplex virus infection. I developed several mutant proteins for in vitro experimentation using a protein editing software. By analyzing the binding properties of these mutant proteins, I determined potential enzymatic pathways for targeted treatments that enhance a patient’s innate immunity. This lays the groundwork for future immunotherapies to effectively combat Herpes simplex virus infection.

I also contributed to two manuscripts exploring innate immunity in Herpes simplex keratitis and innate immunity in viral myocarditis.

At the Bo Hu Lab at Houston Methodist Research Institute, my lab modeled Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4J (CMT4J) in FIG4-deficient mice to study how the disease causes nerve demyelination. This allows us to test potential treatments in a controlled, blinded setting.

One candidate therapy has shown promise in improving both lifespan and motor function in these mice. This potential approach could lead to targeted treatments that slow or prevent disease progression in CMT4J patients, as well as various other related demyelinating disorders.

This summer I worked in Dr. Zhiqiang Zhang’s transplant immunology lab. In his lab, I studied TRIM47, which is an important regulator of the signaling pathways in macrophages. I researched its role in defending against RNA viruses and found that mice that had TRIM47 fought off the viruses much better than the mice that had no TRIM47.

This can be used to treat patients because we could find ways to increase the amount of TRIM47 in cells in order to better fight off viruses.

My research focused on applying machine learning and artificial intelligence models to create dose prediction plans for radiation oncologists and medical physicists. Under the supervision of Houston Methodist’s Chief Radiation Physicist, Dr. Ramiro Pino, as well as the guidance of Dr. Ivan Vazquez, our work used existing high dose rate prostate brachytherapy plans to generate treatment plans for cancer patients receiving supplemental treatment.

These models have the potential to revolutionize access to brachytherapy treatment by reducing cost and treatment times for patients and providers while also increasing patient survival rates. This software will hopefully be preliminarily tested at Houston Methodist in the near future.