{"id":8857,"date":"2017-06-07T09:45:34","date_gmt":"2017-06-07T13:45:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/?p=8857"},"modified":"2022-03-22T13:55:28","modified_gmt":"2022-03-22T17:55:28","slug":"prescription-drug-discovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/prescription-drug-discovery\/","title":{"rendered":"K Students’ Research Relevant to Prescription Drug Discovery"},"content":{"rendered":"

Four Kalamazoo College chemistry students from Professor Laura Furge\u2019s lab<\/a> attended the Great Lakes Drug Metabolism and Disposition Discussion Group annual meeting on May 4 and 5 in Kalamazoo. The entourage included three \u2013 Sarah Glass \u201917, Christi Cho \u201917 and Cydney Martell \u201919 \u2013 who presented their research regarding enzymes that help the human body interact with and process prescription drugs. Their research is relevant to prescription drug discovery and treating diseases, especially in predicting how individuals will respond to their medications.<\/p>\n

\"Student
Cydney Martell ’19 is one of three students who presented their research regarding enzymes that help the human body interact with and process prescription drugs at the the Great Lakes Drug Metabolism and Disposition Discussion Group annual meeting. Their research is relevant to prescription drug discovery and treating diseases, especially in predicting how individuals will respond to their medications.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cho \u2013 a chemistry major<\/a> from Anchorage, Alaska \u2013 says her studies could help advance clinical research that ensures drugs won\u2019t build up to toxic levels or negatively interact with other prescription drugs. She will attend the University of Washington as a graduate student starting this fall, where she has received a Graduate School Top Scholar Award to help fund her education. Yet K has made an impression on her.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe faculty make a really good effort to create a friendly learning environment,\u201d Cho said. \u201cChemistry be challenging at times. They try to bring the fun into every aspect of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Glass \u2013 from Shelbyville, Mich. \u2013 in addition to presenting research, organized and planned the event\u2019s luncheon, providing students, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and pharmaceutical industry representatives with networking opportunities. Glass majored in chemistry at K, minored in math with a biochemistry concentration, and finished her undergraduate studies in December after just 3 1\/3 years. She will start pursuing a Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University this fall.<\/p>\n

At K, \u201call the chemistry faculty are extremely helpful and knowledgeable,\u201d Glass said. \u201cStudents get a lot of hands-on experience through labs and have opportunities to get involved in research early on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martell \u2013 a chemistry major from Gull Lake, Mich. \u2013 plans to further her research in K labs this summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me the annual meeting was a great experience to see how the topics I have learned in biochemistry and through research can be used to understand and critically think about current research in industry and academia.\u201d Martell plans to attend graduate school after K, where she will earn a Ph.D. She is leaning toward teaching research in her professional career.<\/p>\n

K chemistry major and Furge lab research associate Sabrina Leddy \u201919 also attended the meeting. K Visiting Professor Kyle Furge took the 13 students from his advanced biochemistry course to the meeting\u2019s opening plenary.<\/p>\n

The Great Lakes Drug Metabolism and Disposition Group website says the group:<\/p>\n