By Fatima Magana '22

ALLIANCE- Junior biochemistry and biology double major, Morgan Klein ’25 spent her summer at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital learning from experts in the pediatric field. As part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program, Klein conducted research for nine weeks while working in a lab.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital was ranked #1 in the nation as the Best Children’s Hospital by U.S. News and World Reports for the 2023-2024 year. Klein was one out of 133 students in the nation to participate this summer.

“I worked 40 hours a week in a lab under the mentorship of Dr. Nurit Azouz who helped and guided me throughout my research,” said Klein. “My project investigated a potential mechanism that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), drugs commonly prescribed to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), work through to induce disease remission in Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE), a chronic allergic disease of the esophagus.”

Throughout her participation, Klein attended workshops regarding topics about immunology, surgery, and scientific writing where she gained comprehension skills to better understand scientific literature. She also learned how to navigate the EPIC software system to know how patient information is accessed and stored.

Klein (Right) and friend (Left) holding their awards

“I was able to present my research at the Capstone Poster Symposium where I received honorable mention for placing in the top 20%,” said Klein.

Dr. Keith Miller, associate professor of chemistry serves as Klein’s advisor and research mentor. Klein is grateful to have Dr. Miller aide in her collegiate journey as he prepared her for this practicum by reviewing applications and conducting a practice interview.

“Through the biochemistry program at Mount Union I have learned valuable laboratory techniques such as cell culture and cell counting that helped me immensely throughout my participation in the SURF Program,” said Klein.

Upon graduation Klein will attend medical school at NEOMED as she has received early assurance entrance to their program. She hopes to one day become a physician in the pediatric field.

To learn more about the biochemistry major at Mount Union, visit https://www.mountunion.edu/academics/undergraduate-degrees/biochemistry