Former American Cancer Society Diversity in Cancer Research (DICR) interns at the University of Illinois Cancer Center, Lauryn Perry and Irann Martinez, placed third for their respective presentations at the 2024 Illinois Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (ILSAMP) Symposium.
Perry placed third in the molecular biology category for her oral and poster presentations titled “Investigating the Therapeutic Potential of Notch4 Deletion on Ocular Angiogenesis: Induced Inflammation Through Corneal Wounding.” Perry’s research was conducted in the lab of Cancer Center Director Jan Kitajewski, PhD.
Martinez placed third in the general biology category for her oral presentation titled “Enhancing Colorectal Cancer Screening in Underserved Communities: A Strategy for Improved Family History Documentation and Tailored Risk Assessment.” Martinez was mentored by Cancer Center member Keith Naylor, MD, at UI Health gastroenterologist.
About DICR Interns
Perry and Martinez are both undergraduate students at Governors State University. Learn more about their experience as DICR interns in this video.
The ILSAMP program increases the quality of STEM educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and prepares students for careers in STEM. The program also serves as a bridge to minority and underrepresented graduate students, to push them to enroll in doctoral programs.