ATLANTA – Two Honors College students have been named this year’s Beckman Scholars at Georgia State University.
Jade Kang, a chemistry major with a concentration in biochemistry, and Chinedu Odedo, a biology major, will begin working on laboratory research projects this summer.
The Beckman Scholars Program is a 15-month mentored research experience that pairs high-achieving students studying chemistry, biology and neuroscience with faculty advisers to complete meaningful, long-term undergraduate research and receive valuable professional development opportunities that will prepare them for post-graduate education and careers in science.
Kang will be joining Anne Murphy’s lab, where she will be studying the perigestational effects of opioid exposure in rats. This work combines her interests in studying the effects of aging as well as working with people in addiction.
Kang plans to go on to earn an M.D. and a Ph.D.
“I see research and working on that frontier of discovering new treatments or their effects as a necessary part of becoming a better physician,” she said.
Odedo will be working in Marise Parent’s lab with rodent models to develop solutions for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition that causes food avoidance and leads to malnourishment in children. Odedo will assess the way GERD alters eating habits in mice leading to avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).
Odedo has always been interested in exploring scientific questions ranging from how and why people make decisions to learning about the medical interventions that saved his life as a young child. He was born with a heart defect that required several surgeries to correct. He is hoping to go to medical school to become a pediatric cardiologist and perform the same types of surgeries that made his life possible.
In 2021, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation selected Georgia State University as a recipient of the Beckman Scholars Award Program. The foundation is dedicated to supporting young scientists in paving the way for future discoveries. As Beckman Scholars, they will receive $21,000 over 15 months, including travel and supplies, and their faculty mentors will receive $5,000 to support educational expenses for their scholars.