Two John A. Burns School of Medicine graduate students were recognized by Honolulu's chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation for their accomplishments in doing vital, high-impact research.
Courtney Kurashima and Anna Nilsson are conducting research that will have a meaningful impact on the people of Hawaiʻi and beyond. They received their awards at the annual ARCS banquet held at the Outrigger Canoe Club on May 5th.
Here's a closer look at each graduate student's work:
Anna Nilsson's research explores the heart in a model of diabetes. As cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the diabetic population, Nilsson wants to study the heart in the context of this disease.
"So far, we have found that autonomic function is really important in the heart," Nilsson explains. "There's actually a brain network, where activating it can promote more autonomic balance in the heart, which is cardioprotective."
Nilsson's advisor is Dr. Kathryn Schunke, whose lab focuses on molecular, transcriptional, and epigenetic targets of myocardial and neurovascular disease to expand understanding of the mechanisms of ischemic, hypoxic, cardiometabolic, and autonomic dysfunction.
" Dr. Schunke is the best mentor I could have ever asked for," Nilsson said. "She's incredibly supportive and also just a really good scientist. She has a lot of great ideas and has helped me come up with these experiments and also execute them."
In addition to her Guy Moulton Yates ARCS Award in Medicine,
Nilsson has also secured three grants and fellowships in recognition of her work. Courtney Kurashima's research is on developmental toxicity. She looks at birth defects at the molecular level in hopes of understanding why those defects are happening.
"When a pregnant person takes a drug, sometimes birth defects or abrupt miscarriages happen; such drugs are known as teratogens,” Kurashima explains. “However, there’s limited understanding of which drugs cause such negative effects and how they disrupt embryonic development. I aim to investigate at the molecular level whether and how these drugs are causing this teratogenic action by utilizing a stem cell embryo model.”
Kurashima is mentored by Yusuke Marikawa, PhD, from JABSOM's Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Physiology Department.
“Dr. Marikawa is one of the best mentors I know at JABSOM,” Kurashima said. “He truly cares about his students and is such an amazing scientist. I am so thankful I was able to join his lab and learn not only how to be a great scientist but what it means to be a great teacher and mentor.”
In addition to winning the E. Palmer Payne Jr. Memorial ARCS Award in Medicine, Kurashima was named one of the three ARCS Scholars of the Year, which surprised the Kapolei High graduate.
“Yes, I was very surprised! Everyone is doing such great research, and they all presented amazing results. I’m super thankful to the ARCS committee for choosing me, and I wouldn’t have been able to receive this award without the support of my mentors, family, and friends.”
When Kurashima graduates from JABSOM, she hopes to give back to her community on the west side.
"I really love teaching, so I would love to become a professor somewhere in that area, just helping local kids, or even Kanaka," she said. "Being Kanaka ʻōiwi, I believe we need to uplift our future keiki in STEM and open more opportunities for them as well.”
The ARCS Foundation has advanced science and technology across the United States since its formation in 1958. The Honolulu Chapter has contributed to science in Hawaiʻi for the last five decades. Through generous financial awards given to academically outstanding U.S. graduate students studying to complete degrees in science, engineering, math, technology, and medical research at the University of Hawai'i, ARCS has paved the way for homegrown researchers to make breakthroughs that impact our communities. Of all University of Hawaiʻi units, JABSOM has the second most ARCS Scholars with 155.
