Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. President | St. John's University website

St. John’s University hosted a summer research program on its Queens, NY campus, welcoming over 40 high school and undergraduate students to engage in health research using the university's advanced equipment. The 10-week program included participants from local high schools and colleges such as Binghamton and Cornell universities.

Students selected their research topics from a list that included areas like bile acids as therapeutic agents and liver disease treatments. They were mentored by faculty from the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Over 100 students applied online for the program.

Vivek Gupta, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Research, managed the program. Anne Y. F. Lin, Dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, emphasized the hands-on experience provided by the program. “Our summer research program offers students the opportunity to work with outstanding faculty who are engaged in research,” said Lin.

The initiative aimed to help students from diverse backgrounds discover their scientific interests and gain essential knowledge for future careers in health professions. St. John’s recently opened the $106 million St. Vincent Health Sciences Center, which supports several health sciences educational programs.

Julia Salatti, a bioengineering student at Cornell University, praised her experience in pharmaceutical formulation development under Dr. Gupta's mentorship. “The skills I learned from the members of Dr. Gupta’s laboratory will greatly help me in this career path,” she said.

Dr. Gupta facilitated a nanotechnology project focused on lung function and led community outreach efforts. He highlighted the diversity of research opportunities available through the program and expressed hopes to expand it next year with potential federal funding aimed at supporting underrepresented student populations in STEM fields.

Dr. Gupta remarked that offering resources and knowledge to young scholars is central to St. John’s Vincentian mission.