Growing as a Researcher: My Summer with the UH-HEART Fellowship

This summer, I had the privilege of joining the UH-HEART Summer Research Fellowship, a program supported by the American Heart Association and hosted at the University of Houston through the Drug Discovery Institute.

I entered the fellowship with a guiding question: How could cancer and cardiology, two fields often perceived as distant, intersect through scientific discovery? My goal was to explore this convergence while gaining new perspectives to inform my ongoing work in cancer vaccine development. Beyond advancing my research, I hoped to strengthen my scientific communication skills, receive mentorship from accomplished investigators, and ultimately present my work at a national conference.

What I discovered was more than a research experience; it was an immersion into the interconnected ecosystem of science and medicine.

Bridging Cancer and Cardiovascular Biology

My project was titled “Uncovering 11q13 Gene Fusions as Immunotherapeutic Targets in Breast Cancer with Putative Roles in Cardiovascular Inflammation via RNF121.”

This work centered on the discovery of novel gene fusions within 11q13-amplified breast cancers, with a focus on the RNF121–XRRA1 fusion. RNF121 has been implicated in activating pathways linked to atherosclerosis development, while XRRA1 regulates DNA damage responses and contributes to radiation therapy resistance. The convergence of these genes suggested an intriguing molecular bridge between tumor biology and cardiovascular inflammation.

To investigate this, I employed multi-omic approaches including structural genomic and transcriptomic analyses, in vitro validation of fusion events, and MHC Class I-binding predictions through bioinformatic pipelines and protein modeling. The technical demands were considerable, but the most transformative aspect of the fellowship was learning how to effectively communicate this complex work.

Presenting my research poster at the American Heart Association BCVS Scientific Sessions.

I received invaluable mentorship from Shiyanth Thevasagayampillai, the Lead Scientist of the UH-Sequencing Core, who has guided much of my development as a researcher. He helped me refine my experimental reasoning, troubleshoot analyses, and frame my findings with clarity and rigor. This reinforced a lesson that has become central to my career aspirations: research and medicine are not parallel tracks but complementary forces. Medicine inspires questions, and research builds the tools to answer them.

One pivotal moment came after our mid-program presentations. I sought out Dr. Tho Tran, the Co-Director of the program for advice on preparing for an upcoming 30-minute session presentation. He offered professional-level guidance on slide design, delivery, and pacing, and followed up later to see how my preparation was progressing. His mentorship sharpened my ability to present complex science clearly, which directly translated to my final fellowship presentation and my poster at the BCVS Scientific Sessions.

Immersed in Discovery

Attending the American Heart Association BCVS Scientific Sessions in Baltimore was an extraordinary experience. The conference brought together some of the most innovative minds in cardiovascular science, and stepping into that environment was electrifying. It was inspiring to see so many researchers, each advancing their own unique questions, contributing to the broader advancement of science and medicine.

The keynote lecture by Benoit G. Bruneau on the three-dimensional transcriptional regulation of heart development was especially impactful, revealing how spatial regulation shapes cardiac biology in ways we are only beginning to understand.

Session talks grand room at American Heart Assocation BCVS Scientific Sessions.

During a roundtable lunch with world-renowned investigators, I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. David Kass from Johns Hopkins University, who shared how his early research as an undergraduate at NASA helped shape the trajectory of his career. It was deeply encouraging to see how diverse formative experiences can converge into a highly focused and impactful scientific path.

Engaging with such a wide range of cutting-edge research sparked numerous ideas for my own work, including new experimental approaches, deeper analyses, and alternative perspectives for testing my hypotheses. Most meaningful, however, was the response to my own poster. Although my project focused on cancer vaccine development rather than traditional cardiovascular biology, many cardiovascular researchers visited, asked thoughtful questions, and expressed genuine interest. Their openness underscored that curiosity transcends disciplinary boundaries.

From Bench to Bedside

The experience affirmed for me that research and medicine are inseparable. Research cultivates the analytical depth required to excel in the clinic, while medical knowledge grounds research in meaningful context. One cannot truly thrive without the other.

This summer deepened my passion for science and strengthened my belief in its collaborative nature. Conferences are powerful reminders that science advances as a collective endeavor. Even the most niche work gains meaning when it becomes part of a larger dialogue, a dialogue that depends on communication as much as discovery.

If I had to distill the entire experience into one lesson, it would be this: communication is as essential to science as experimentation itself. Ideas, data, and medical practice only reach their full potential when they are shared, challenged, and integrated.

Looking back, I see this fellowship and conference as a pivotal bridge in my journey from bench to bedside. My work represents just one thread in a vast scientific tapestry, but together, these threads shape the future of patient care and outcomes.

Benchtop to Bedside