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Frankey Sanchez, a Keck Graduate Institute Research Assistant for Associate Professor of Biopharmaceutical Sciences Dr. Derick Han, recently received a Diversity Supplement Grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the amount of $155,564 ($103,778 direct and $51,786 indirect). The grant will pay for Sanchez鈥檚 salary and attendance at conferences for two years.

Sanchez is 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 second Diversity Supplement Grant recipient, with Aldo Arce receiving the grant in fall 2021. The grant is designed to support individuals from underrepresented groups pursuing careers in science or medicine. Both Sanchez and Arce were referred to Han by his collaborator Dr. Jerome Garcia at the University of La Verne, a Hispanic-Serving Institute.

Han鈥檚 primary area of research revolves around liver diseases and is currently investigating the relationship between the liver and brain in promoting Alzheimer鈥檚 disease.

鈥淭he liver influences so much of our health鈥攊t鈥檚 the organ that regulates metabolism鈥攁nd thus it鈥檚 going to have a huge impact on the brain,鈥� Han said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e finding that things that affect the liver, like alcohol or a high-fat diet, change proteins in the liver that may promote Alzheimer鈥檚 disease.鈥�

For Sanchez, who earned her bachelor鈥檚 in biology, collaborating with Han in this research project provides an opportunity to gain valuable lab experience鈥攕he did not gain much exposure during her undergraduate education due to COVID-19 precautionary measures鈥攚hile becoming a stronger candidate for medical school. Beyond that, though, she is passionate about scientific inquiry in and of itself and is committed to advancing her knowledge consistently.

鈥淚鈥檝e always liked science because鈥攅ven though it still has gaps鈥攊t was the only thing that made sense to me,鈥� Sanchez said. 鈥淲hen I got to La Verne, I didn鈥檛 have a path. But I took many science classes. When I began the higher-level classes like physiology, biochemistry, and microbiology, I began to understand how everything works and see things more clearly. The desire to know more kept growing and everything fell into place.鈥�

Garcia has been a significant influence on her growth as a scholar.

鈥淒r. Garcia is an amazing professor and mentor who puts a lot of care and effort into students because he sees that we want to learn, and he challenges us to push ourselves,鈥� Sanchez said. 鈥淚 thought I had already reached the final stage, and he pushed me farther and helped me realize how much more capable I was.鈥�

Now she is continuing to grow and stretch herself at 黑料吃瓜网.

鈥淲hen I sit in the lab meetings, I鈥檓 in awe,鈥� Sanchez said. 鈥淓veryone I work with is so intelligent鈥攈ow they come up with experiments, how they manipulate things to get an outcome, and how they alter experiments if something鈥檚 not working.鈥�

Sanchez has discovered that performing experiments is not like following a script but requires high-level critical analysis and outside-of-the-box thinking.

鈥淚鈥檝e learned that sometimes you have to reinvent the wheel,鈥� Sanchez said.

鈥淭he biggest thing that has impacted me thus far is seeing how everyone can contribute their ideas. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn鈥檛. But it allows us to keep moving forward and making progress with the experiments rather than staying stagnant.鈥�

The research carries personal significance for Sanchez.

鈥淎lzheimer鈥檚 disease is so prevalent, but there鈥檚 a lot that we don鈥檛 understand about it,鈥� Sanchez said. 鈥淚鈥檝e witnessed family members who had Alzheimer鈥檚 progressively getting worse, and I didn鈥檛 understand why. That is why I gravitated toward this research when the opportunity arose.鈥�

Sanchez is also interested in exploring cancer research in the future.

鈥淭he best part about growing and learning鈥攅specially as a student鈥攊s that you can challenge yourself in many ways,鈥� Sanchez said. 鈥淢any times, we鈥檙e more capable than we think. Hopefully, I can prove that to myself during my time here and become a better student and thinker.鈥�

The NIH Diversity Supplement Grant provides dedicated scholars such as Sanchez with the tools to achieve their full potential in the medical field. Arce鈥敽诹铣怨贤�鈥檚 last grant recipient鈥攈as since been accepted to medical school and co-authored two papers.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a fantastic experience for Aldo, and hopefully, it will provide Frankey with the same opportunities and make her a stronger candidate for medical school,鈥� Han said. 鈥淔rankey came from a tough background, and it鈥檚 amazing how she鈥檚 excelled so much. I think she鈥檚 worthy of this supplement. Overall, the NIH has been great in supporting underrepresented populations.鈥�