Aspiring Physician Focused on Research, Serving Others

Jada Tulloch, a Stamps Scholar in the Honors College at Georgia State University and a student in the Biomedical Science and Enterprise bachelor’s program, is working toward achieving her dream of becoming a physician while giving back to others through service.

ATLANTA — When Jada Tulloch came to Georgia State, she was focused and ready to achieve. She joined the Honors College and enrolled in the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree program with a Biomedical Science and Enterprise concentration.

She entered Georgia State with the prestigious Stamps Scholarship — a full-cost award that also covers fees and housing, provides a living stipend, and includes additional enrichment funding — becoming one of five students in the program’s first cohort. Through the scholarship, she has the opportunity to study abroad, secure a paid assistantship and participate in university research.

A driven student, she’s set her sights on becoming a physician. Enrolled in the Biomedical Science and Enterprise program in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences, she’s pursuing the pre-med track and next hopes to attend medical school to earn either an M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degree so she can work to bridge the gap between research and medicine. Later in her career, she’d like to take on administrative roles in healthcare.

“I want to become a doctor so that I can directly care for people who are in the most urgent need of help,” Tulloch said. “I’m especially interested in pursuing a career as an emergency surgeon, where I would have the opportunity to make a difference in critical, life-or-death situations. At the same time, I’m open to exploring other paths within medicine as I continue to gain experience.”

A native of Buford, Ga., Tulloch is a first-generation college student, along with her older brothers, and is the first in her family to pursue a science, medicine and research career.

She chose Georgia State because an older brother attended the university, and because of the research opportunities it offers her.

“It seemed like the best bet for me financially and also for my academic interests and goals,” Tulloch said.

She selected the Biomedical Science and Enterprise degree program because it combines her interests in the biological sciences and business.

“I always wanted to be an entrepreneur,” Tulloch said. “I have interests outside of biology and research, and I felt this degree would help me attain those goals. If I wanted to start my own practice or if medicine didn’t work out for me, I know that a business degree is kind of universal.”

She especially enjoys the positive interactions she’s able to have with her professors. Zachary Saylor, an instructor for the Careers in Biomedical Science course, made the class fun and engaging, she said.

To gain research experience, Tulloch has worked as a research assistant in a Georgia State biology lab, and for the past two years, she has participated in the Molecular Basis of Disease Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, a paid 10-week, research-intensive program that allows students to gain hands-on research experience in state-of-the-art laboratory facilities. Tulloch has also presented her research findings at the Georgia State Undergraduate Research Conference (GSURC).

“My research focuses on how cells break down glycogen, which is a way the body stores energy,” Tulloch said. “I’ve been studying this process in yeast, since it serves as a good model system for understanding more complex biology. Specifically, I’m working on designing an artificial receptor that can trigger glycogen breakdown in a selective way. This is important because in humans, problems with glycogen metabolism can lead to glycogen storage diseases, such as Pompe disease. By using yeast as a model, my research helps us better understand these diseases and explore potential strategies for addressing them.”

Community service is also a priority for Tulloch, and she gives back to others through a variety of activities. As an officer for the Honors Service Initiative, a student organization sponsored by the Honors College, she helps to plan, coordinate and advertise community service events. One service activity was making sandwiches for The Table on Delk, an organization that assists homeless women and children living in hotels along the Delk Road corridor in Marietta, Ga. She has also coordinated a period packing event, where menstrual products were packaged for women and girls in need, in addition to a 5K walk to benefit individuals without housing and a cleanup project at Oakland Cemetery.

As a Stamps Scholar, Tulloch also coordinates events for the Atlanta Community Foodbank, which has become a frequent service location for the group. In addition, she volunteers on her own as a mentor and tutor at Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School in Atlanta.

“Community service is important to me because I know what it feels like to go without basic necessities, which has made me deeply empathetic toward others,” Tulloch said. “I have an intrinsic desire to help people and to break down barriers that limit access to essential care and resources.”

When she’s not studying and doing research or service activities, Tulloch works as a student assistant for the photography team in the university’s Public Relations and Marketing Communications division. In her spare time, she enjoys going thrift shopping, reading and hanging out with friends.

As the school year continues, Tulloch is determined to gain the skills and experience needed to achieve her dream of becoming a physician. She hopes to get the opportunity to shadow physicians and other medical professionals to learn more about their clinical duties. She’d also like to gain some hands-on experience in the healthcare field.

— Story by LaTina Emerson