Nola Reporter

Xavierite junior Farhana Islam won second place in a STEM competition  sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Islam  participated in the All of Us Research Program’s Minority Student Research Symposium (MSRS). The symposium’s goal is to address the lack of minority  representation in biomedical research by providing a supportive  environment that elevates the work of student researchers from  underrepresented communities. Increasing the number of minority  researchers will create diversity, help reduce racial and  ethnicity-related disparities and contribute to more significant  research innovation. Islam was excited to participate in MSRS as its  purpose aligns with her passion for researching minority communities.

Islam, a Public Health major, was inspired to pursue a public health  career after witnessing her family’s difficulties accessing proper  healthcare resources. In 1995, her parents immigrated from Bangladesh to  the United States. Islam was born and raised in the U.S., and after  visiting Bangladesh she noticed the significant differences in each  country’s healthcare systems.

“The quality of life [in Bangladesh] is a lot different than the U.S.  A lot of my relatives there don’t have proper access to healthcare.  They experience a lot of air and water pollution and diseases that are  not prevalent in the U.S., such as malaria,” Islam said. “I realized  public health is not individual, but community-based. I was interested  in public health as I want to do research to find out why certain  communities are affected and how I could intervene.”

Islam learned of MSRS from her Xavier mentor, Dr. Felicia Wheaton, an  assistant professor in Xavier’s Department of Public Health Science.  Due to COVID-19, MSRS was held virtually with over 50 scholars from  universities across the country participating by presenting their  research and scientific posters virtually.

For her research presentation, Islam researched disparities in the  impact of COVID-19. She felt it was important to discuss the virus given  its enormous, worldwide implications. Islam shared how participating in  MSRS was a rewarding experience, where she learned a lot of new  information about minority communities.

“My mentor and I observed how racial and ethnic minority groups have  been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 by looking at  hospitalization and vaccine rates,” shared Islam. “We focused on social  relationships as well, especially in older adults as social  relationships have been greatly impacted by COVID-19 due to isolation.”

MSRS also allowed Islam to expand her horizons and provided her with  opportunities to interact with scholars worldwide in academic  symposiums.

“Through the All of Us MSRS program, I’ve made new connections with  people outside of Xavier such as other researchers, mentors, and  students,” said Islam.

Islam went on to place second in MSRS’s undergraduate category. She  feels honored and blessed to be a standout student amongst the large  host of other students who participated in the symposium.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my mentor, Dr. Wheaton.  She’s been helpful and guided me on how to present and discuss  research,” expressed Islam.

Islam is thankful to her mentor and the Xavier community for helping  contribute to her success. She currently serves as President of the  Muslim Student Association at Xavier. She shares that this leadership  position allowed her to feel more connected with other students and  helps to provide Muslim student representation throughout Xavier’s  community.

As a rising senior, Islam plans to explore the graduate school  process and obtain a master’s degree in Public Health. She also sees  herself conducting additional research in the future, hoping to work  with local or international health organizations. She is interested in  global health, epidemiology, and increasing access to healthcare for  others worldwide. Islam exemplifies Xavier excellence with her  dedication to improving health equity. She also emphasizes the  importance of diversity when it comes to health research.

“We need more minority and underrepresented individuals to be part of  research because many researchers aren’t minorities,” stated Islam.  “Our Black, Brown, and Latin American communities are affected so much,  and not a lot of research is conducted by someone who looks like us, so  it’s definitely important to contribute to changing this in the future.”

Original source can be found here.