Project Mentor

Dr. Nilanjana Maulik
Surgery

Undergraduate Research Opportunity Description

Project Description	Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain among the deadliest diseases in the world, standing next to cancer and stroke. Among the major CVDs, acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a key life threatening disorder that occurs due to permanent damage of the left ventricular cardiac tissue. The major coronary arteries that supply blood to the functional left ventricle get blocked due to thrombotic plaque occlusion. Therefore, the long-term objective of my laboratory is to design strategies to prevent heart failure with modified stem cells, growth factors, scaffolds, and exosomal nano vesicles to induce therapeutic angiogenesis and arteriogenesis to increase blood flow, prevent ischemic injury, and preserve ventricular function.
Project Direction	Therapeutic angiogenesis and/or arteriogenesis might be preferable to induce blood vessel growth and expansion in the ischemic tissue to prevent heart failure. Working on these projects, various strategies or thought-provoking ideas are likely to emerge from this concept.
Mentorship and Supervision	The students will be under direct supervision of senior postdocs throughout their program in the lab. They are asked to sign attendance sheets to mark the date and time of their presence in laboratory. The summer students are allowed to attend lab meetings every Tuesday and to participate in the scientific discussions with clinicians and postdocs about the ongoing projects in our lab. The students are trained to understand the fundamental basics of scientific research, to design their research hypothesis and a systematic way to carry out the experiments. The students are well trained for scientific communication and presentations to large scientific gatherings.
Student Qualifications	– Interest in revascularization and regenaration of ischemic tissue like ischemic myocardium, wound, skin flap – Knowledge regarding simple lab techniques such as protein isolation and estimation, cell culture, etc.
Summer Schedule Options	Research Dates: 9-10 full-time weeks to be scheduled between May 8 and August 25, 2017 Schedule: To be determined in consultation with selected student
Project Continuation	Fall 2017, Spring 2018
Academic Year Time Commitment	9 hours/week
Possible Thesis Project	Yes

Application

Submit an online application for this research opportunity using the form below. The application deadline is Friday, February 24, 2017.

This application requires a cover letter, a resume or CV, a brief statement of research interests, and a brief statement of research interests.