South Middlesex Times

When Andrew Solomon transferred to Rutgers University–Newark from Middlesex College two years ago, he discovered his passion for biophysics. However, a lack of research opportunities on campus posed a significant hurdle. In pursuit of lab experience, Solomon spent a summer at Boston University's Physics Research Opportunity Program before applying to the Pathway for Junior Scientists program. This initiative is a collaboration between Rutgers-Newark and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS), designed to provide undergraduates with essential research hours without leaving the city.

"Ever since the program in Boston, I knew that research with cells was something that I wanted to do more of," said Solomon, who was selected for the inaugural class of researchers at Rutgers-Newark. "You don’t simply learn about science. To really excel, you need to ‘do’ science."

At Rutgers–Newark, only a small fraction of the 7,500 undergraduates have the opportunity to engage in research due to limited availability. For instance, National Institutes of Health–funded labs at Rutgers-Newark are already filled with students and cannot accommodate the 600 or so biology majors seeking appointments.

Nan Gao, a professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience at NJMS stated that even if every lab took two undergraduate researchers, hundreds would still be left out. "Most students at Newark don’t have the opportunity to participate in research," he said.

In response to this issue, Gao collaborated with William C. Gause, senior associate dean for research at NJMS and other Rutgers–Newark leaders including Jacqueline S. Mattis, Sofia F. Pinto-Figueroa and Laura Troiano. Their solution was close by; NJMS had more than 100 NIH-funded labs but lacked students to run experiments.

By connecting undergraduates with NJMS researchers, they created an ideal synergy.

The pathway program attracted 132 applicants from the School of Arts and Sciences–Newark for 20 laboratory openings. Students were selected based on interviews with faculty, experience, ambition and merit. "Every one of these students have great GPAs and are really motivated," Gao said.

The program is particularly suited for students interested in biomedical research, medicine, data science and related disciplines. Students are paid $800 per month and required to work a minimum of 10 hours per week in the laboratory. Since January, the first cohort has been working on research from pharmacology to pediatrics.

Laura Oyuela, another program participant, was assigned to the lab of Robin Stephens at NJMS. Oyuela is studying immune responses to infection by Plasmodium chabaudi, a rodent strain of malaria.

"For my project, we are infecting mice with two strains of the Plasmodium species to evaluate immunity," said Oyuela, a chemistry major at Rutgers-Newark.

Gause emphasized that these experiences benefit both students and their mentors. Laboratories receive necessary resources for their work while students gain valuable experience that could be advantageous when applying for graduate school or jobs.

Following the success of the inaugural cohort, Gause and Gao plan to expand the program starting in June with a summer research initiative for Newark-area high school students and science teachers. The merger of Rutgers’ two medical schools – NJMS and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School – is also expected to enhance opportunities for educational and research programs.

Gause explained that this high school initiative aims to create "more interactions with the community" and serve as a "potent outreach program" for future Rutgers-Newark science students.