THE FUTURE OF HEALTH CARE IS HERE
Student Imagination Powers Research and Innovation at UH
University of Houston students aren’t just learning in classrooms — they’re helping advance the future of health care through hands-on research in cancer, diabetes and microbiology planetary protection. Working alongside faculty mentors and leading researchers, these undergraduates gain real-world experience that fuels innovation and turns curiosity into life-changing discoveries.
This commitment to experiential learning shows how UH is shaping the next generation of health care scholars and innovators through a strong culture of undergraduate research. From their earliest years on campus, students are preparing for careers in research, medicine and other high-demand fields — all while contributing to discoveries with global impact.
University of Houston students aren’t just learning in classrooms — they’re helping advance the future of health care through hands-on research in cancer, diabetes and microbiology planetary protection. Working alongside faculty mentors and leading researchers, these undergraduates gain real-world experience that fuels innovation and turns curiosity into life-changing discoveries.
This commitment to experiential learning shows how UH is shaping the next generation of health care scholars and innovators through a strong culture of undergraduate research. From their earliest years on campus, students are preparing for careers in research, medicine and other high-demand fields — all while contributing to discoveries with global impact.
USING COVID VACCINE FOR CANCER
For the past three years, junior biology student Cole Woody hasn’t stopped thinking about the immune system — specifically, how it can be harnessed to overcome drug resistance in cancer.
“The immune system is incredibly dynamic, and with every new groundbreaking paper, the rules of the field change,” Woody said. “Studying cancer immunology has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of my life and seeing the positive impact it makes on patients makes it a career worth pursuing.”
Woody’s undergraduate research has ranged from developing improved antigen prediction algorithms to designing custom antibodies that detect increases in cancer-specific T cells following COVID-19 vaccination.
"I wouldn’t be here if not for UH’s initial faith in me and continued support."
Woody recently collaborated with researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center on a study that found patients who received mRNA-based COVID vaccines within 100 days of starting immunotherapy were twice as likely to be alive three years after treatment compared to those who didn’t receive the vaccine.
Woody designed the custom antibodies that validated the team’s hypothesis, a crucial step in demonstrating how vaccination enhances the immune response to cancer treatment. He will continue collaborating with MD Anderson researchers to explore ways mRNA vaccines may improve patient survival.
When he’s not at MD Anderson, Woody conducts research at the UH Sequencing Core in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, supporting translational genomics projects focused on cancer vaccine development. The core also develops blood-based biomarkers to predict and prevent opioid overdose deaths and applies genomic technologies to improve precision drilling and resource management in the energy sector.
“I wouldn’t be here if not for UH’s initial faith in me and continued support,” Woody said. “I was able to afford college because of UH’s full-ride Tier One scholarship, and I’m incredibly proud of the work I’ve accomplished with that support.”
TARGETING PANCREATIC CANCER
Another undergraduate student is also helping advance cancer research by using a novel stem cell cloning technology to study pancreatic cancer.
Senior biology student Paul Daniel studies a small group of cells inside tumors known as cancer stem cells, which are believed to drive tumor growth, treatment resistance and relapse. He works with Frank McKeon, professor of biology and biochemistry, and Wa Xian, a former biology professor at UH.
Using abdominal fluid samples from pancreatic cancer patients, Daniel isolates and grows cancer stem cells in the lab, then separates them into single-cell derived sub-clones to study how different cells from the same tumor behave.
"Classwork has never involved rote memorization."
Daniel said this approach allows researchers to study cancer at a higher resolution, revealing hidden differences between cancer cells that would otherwise be missed.
“By establishing different single-cell sub-clones, we can classify and unravel the heterogeneity of pancreatic cancer,” Daniel said.
Although his team’s research hasn’t been published yet, it could lay groundwork for developing more precise and effective pancreatic cancer treatments by identifying which cell populations drive disease progression and resistance.
Daniel credits his coursework in UH’s College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics with preparing him for advanced research in cancer cell biology and his goal of pursuing both an M.D. and Ph.D.
“Classwork has never involved rote memorization,” he said. “It’s helped me develop the critical thinking skills that I use every day in the lab.”
MANAGING TYPE 1 DIABETES
As a junior biomedical engineering student, Natalie Linde is contributing to research that could shape the future of diabetes care. Her work is driven by lived experience: Linde was diagnosed at age 15 with type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition.
“In the wake of that experience, I developed the single-minded goal to do whatever I could to improve the quality of life of children with type 1 diabetes,” Linde said.
"The thriving Cougar culture of success against the odds surrounds me in my classes, my clubs, and even standing in the Cage of our basketball games, fighting tooth and nail to win."
That lifelong commitment continued at UH, where Linde was a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship scholar. Her project focused on youth with type 1 diabetes who began using the Omnipod 5 insulin pump shortly after diagnosis. Linde assisted with data collection and analysis to evaluate the safety and efficiency of this relatively new technology.
The research team — led by Dr. Daniel DeSalvo of the Baylor College of Medicine and Marzia Cescon, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UH — found that the Omnipod 5 significantly improves glycemic outcomes and reduces long-term complications associated with the chronic illness. The resulting manuscript is currently under review in Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics.
Beyond the lab, Linde is a dedicated diabetes advocate. She has traveled to Washington, D.C. with the Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition to advocate for federal funding and improved access to diabetes care. Linde credits UH for making these opportunities possible.
“The thriving Cougar culture of success against the odds surrounds me in my classes, my clubs, and even standing in the Cage of our basketball games, fighting tooth and nail to win,” Linde said.
ZOOMING IN ON A RARE BACTERIUM
Researchers in UH’s Department of Biology and Biochemistry recently revealed that a rare microorganism discovered in NASA spacecraft assembly clean rooms may be able to evade detection by entering a dormant state.
One of the study’s co-authors was biochemistry graduate student Sahar Ali, who worked alongside UH microbiologists Madhan Tirumalai, William Widger and George E. Fox to investigate how this rare bacterium — called Tersicoccus phoenicis (T. phoenicis) — can survive the harsh conditions of clean room environments.
Ali purified and provided a resuscitation-promoting factor, a protein known to “wake up” actinobacteria similar to T. phoenicis from dormancy — a state of extremely low metabolic activity.
"I appreciate UH for providing a space where I can conduct my research, gain access to materials to aid my research, its proximity to the Johnson Space Center and the connections it has with NASA."
Confirming that T. phoenicis can enter dormancy could have significant implications for planetary protection, clean room sterilization practices and even future medical breakthroughs.
“Bacteria have such a huge impact in our lives,” she said. “Dormancy plays a big part in how tuberculosis evades being killed. If we could understand the mechanisms of dormancy, tuberculosis drugs could be more effective in killing the bacteria by preventing dormancy.”
Prior to her graduate degree studies, Ali gained her undergraduate degree at UH. As a junior, she worked in Widger’s lab on protein purification and plasmid preparations — experience that allowed her to contribute to the recent findings.
“I appreciate UH for providing a space where I can conduct my research, gain access to materials to aid my research, its proximity to the Johnson Space Center and the connections it has with NASA,” Ali said.
SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS
These student successes are driven by research programs that empower students to explore academic interests, develop critical research skills and gain recognition through presentations and publications.
One of the University’s signature events, Undergraduate Research Day, celebrates student discovery across all disciplines. The 21st annual URD will take place April 9, showcasing independent and faculty-mentored research projects.
UH also supports immersive research experiences through the SURF program, which provides funding for undergraduates to engage in a full-time, 10-week research experience under the guidance of UH faculty. The Houston Scholars program further supports high-achieving freshmen and sophomores through mentorship, scholarships and targeted programming.
Together, these initiatives reflect UH’s dedication to student success and its role as a Tier One research institution.
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