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Marquis Scholar Mara Shainheit ’03, a biology major from Hainesport, N.J., is investigating the speed of T cell and tumor cell growth in an independent research project this term. In particular, Shainheit is comparing their growth speeds to each other and observing how effectively T cells kill off tumor cells.
The project is entitled “Mathematical Model of the Immune Response to Tumor Cell Growth.”
Shainheit is working with Robert Kurt, assistant professor of biology. “Dr. Kurt is a great lecture professor. He is also an extremely knowledgeable and friendly professor to work with in the independent research laboratory. He is very passionate about his work and cares about the students he works with,” she says.
Kurt recently received a $214,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to study the immune response to breast cancer. “The grant will provide the means to determine whether we can reverse some of the adverse effects that tumors have on the immune system,” Kurt says.
“T cells are a group of immune cells that patrol the body looking for anything that does not belong,” he explains. “For tumor immunity, they are critical because they have the ability to kill tumor cells without destroying normal tissues. Furthermore, once T cell immunity has been established and the threat to your body has been removed, you are left with immunological memory. This means that if the tumor comes back, your body is already prepared to handle it.”
“I decided to do an independent research project because I became very interested in the immune system and the way it responds to foreign cells after taking an immunology class last semester,” says Shainheit. “The independent study also gives me another avenue to explore biology besides going to regular lectures and lab. It is more of a hands-on teaching and learning experience. You learn just as much, if not more, by actually doing procedures and experiments in comparison to reading about them in a textbook.”
She adds, “I think that independent studies are a great way for students to learn more about their majors and to get a better idea of what they hope to do when they graduate. All students should try to do a research project before graduating.”
A former valedictorian of Rancocas Valley Regional High School, Shainheit plays varsity softball and is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She also participates in the Lafayette Leadership Forum.
A National Leader in Undergraduate Research. Mara Shainheit ’03 made a presentation on research she did under the guidance of Robert Kurt, assistant professor of biology, at the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science.