Student Awarded Prestigious Fellowship

Second-year medical student Kathleen Hanlon has been awarded a prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute Medical Research fellowship that will allow her to spend one year at Harvard Medical School researching genetics and molecular biology.

Kathleen Hanlon, MS2The program offers students the opportunity to take a year away from their training to immerse themselves in a mentored laboratory-based research project that they have proposed. Each fellow receives $43,000 in grant support.

Collaborating with the labs of Ben Croker, PhD, and Kimberly Stegmaier, MD, Hanlon will investigate the regulation of cell death pathways in human-specific responses to chemotherapeutics.

“The Medical Research Fellows Program is a unique opportunity for students to explore the intersection of science and medicine firsthand in a rigorous and supportive environment,” said David Asai, senior director for science education for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. “Our hope is that the experience will ignite students’ passion for research and encourage them to pursue careers as physician-scientists.”

Hanlon said the Med Fellows Program is an exciting opportunity because students have the freedom to choose a mentor from a wide range of labs across the country, and collaborate with them to propose a potentially high-impact research project on a topic the student is passionate about.

“It is a really special opportunity to go back to the basic science of medicine after gaining two or three years of clinical experience in school,” said Hanlon, who will take a year off from medical school and will graduate in 2021. “It gives you a chance to look at research with a different, more clinical perspective, but also lets you look at clinical medicine with a more analytical perspective. I'm really excited to gain experience leading a rigorous independent project. I think the fellowship will give me a strong foundation that will help cement my career as a physician-scientist. I encourage any students interested to apply.”

Hanlon thanked Matthew D. McEchron, PhD, UA College of Medicine – Phoenix director of Scholarly Projects, for providing immense guidance with her research proposal.

“He voluntarily reviewed one of my final drafts and gave me invaluable feedback,” she said. “It is really special to be at a school where professors will go out of their way to help students.”

About the College

Founded in 2007, the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix inspires and trains exemplary physicians, scientists and leaders to advance its core missions in education, research, clinical care and service to communities across Arizona. The college’s strength lies in our collaborations and partnerships with clinical affiliates, community organizations and industry sponsors. With our primary affiliate, Banner Health, we are recognized as the premier academic medical center in Phoenix. As an anchor institution of the Phoenix Bioscience Core, the college is home to signature research programs in neurosciences, cardiopulmonary diseases, immunology, informatics and metabolism. These focus areas uniquely position us to drive biomedical research and bolster economic development in the region.

As an urban institution with strong roots in rural and tribal health, the college has graduated more than 1,000 physicians and matriculates 130 students each year. Greater than 60% of matriculating students are from Arizona and many continue training at our GME sponsored residency programs, ultimately pursuing local academic and community-based opportunities. While our traditional four-year program continues to thrive, we will launch our recently approved accelerated three-year medical student curriculum with exclusive focus on primary care. This program is designed to further enhance workforce retention needs across Arizona.

The college has embarked on our strategic plan for 2025 to 2030. Learn more.