NSU Horizons Spring 2018

18 NSU HORIZONS Thiagarajan Venkatesan, Ph.D., have been working on a research project under Rathinavelu’s mentorship. They presented their findings at the 16th annual NSU Under- graduate Student Symposium in 2017. Boltson explained that the project focused on studying ways in which cancer finds its way through the body and how the path might be blocked to stop the cancer from spreading. “The experience at the RGI exposed me to the research side of medicine, broadening my scope and understanding of medicine as a whole,” said Boltson. The RGI accepts an average of 12 students each year into its undergraduate research program. Since 2008, about 70 students have participated. Students have the opportunity to present and publish their work, which demonstrates research acumen, a skill they can later apply should they pursue residency and fellowship programs. “Undergraduate students help in projects that are conducted to understand, for instance, how cancers grow, what causes them to be more aggressive, and the kinds of treatments that can be more effective,” said Rathinavelu. When Boltson graduates in 2021, he says he will take with him a learning experience that has shaped his future. “I now know that a cure for cancer may be an overly simplistic way of viewing cancer treatments. There are many types of cancers and, likely, many different ways to cure them.” But his career goal remains the same: “I want to fundamentally and radically improve medicine and the human condition.” For more information on the Rumbaugh-Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research, visit rgicr.nova.edu . ¨ RGI’s roots go back to the 1960s (above), when cancer research looked very different than it does today. (Left) Appu Rathinavelu works with RGI now.