Breyah Atkinson
2018 graduate of East Carolina University, Greenville NC
Faculty Mentor: Lance Okeke, MD
"I chose a gap year program because I wanted to expand and enhance my knowledge of clinical research and public health. The BIGGER experience will allow me to gain knowledge on the importance of clinical research especially as it relates to health disparities, ethics, and equity. This experience will allow me to explore public health deeper, and connect with my peers on how to better serve the community through clinical research. After the internship, I hope to explore international health disparities before applying to medical school."
Melanie Bakovic
2019 graduate of Duke University, Durham NC
Faculty Mentor: Kristin Newby, MD
Faculty Mentor: Erich Huang, MD
“One big impact BIGGER had on my professional development was learning from professionals who are underrepresented in the health field. As a Latina growing up in the US I had not seen much diversity in doctors and was very inspired by such a diverse BIGGER team. Also, our lessons about the health inequities and race in health were profoundly impactful, especially when we had discussions where group members were able to share personal experiences. Since BIGGER, I know a goal of mine is to make medicine more accessible for all underrepresented groups.”
Kiera Benson
Senior Faculty Mentor: Danny Benjamin, MD
Jr. Faculty Mentor: Kanecia Zimmerman, MD
Project: "Antibiotics Use for the Treatment of Early-Onset Neonatal Sepsis"
Liz Ciociola
Senior Faculty Mentor: Jennifer Li, MD
Jr. Faculty Mentor: Christoph Hornik, MD
Project: "Association between preoperative respiratory support and postoperative complications in patients undergoing pediatric cardiac surgery"
Gabriel Blanco-Colmenares
2019 graduate, Florida International University, Miami, FL
Faculty Mentor: Larry Jackson, MD
Cecil Daniel
Senior Faculty Mentor: Brian Smith, MD
Jr. Faculty Mentor: Kevin Hill, MD
Project: "Patterns of Phlebotomy Blood Loss and Transfusions in the Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants"
Razan Fayyad
Senior Faculty Mentor: Janet Prvu Bettger, ScD, FAHA
Project: "Uptake of a smartphone app for self-assessment of functional capacity as the sixth vital sign a RE-AIM evaluation"
Antonina Flair
Meredith College Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Health Program, Raleigh NC
2010 graduate of Knox College, Galesburg IL
Faculty Mentor: Jennifer Li, MD
Faculty Mentor: Christoph Hornik, MD
“I know I still have much to learn, but the progress and knowledge gained in these short months has given me perspective and fueled my engines forward. This would not be possible without the consistent support and encouragement of my mentors along the way."
Ciara Green
Senior Faculty Mentor: Kimberly Johnson, MD
Jr. Faculty Mentor: Rasheeda Hall, MD
Project: "Hypothesized negative correlation between self-reported recovery time and physical activity levels in older hemodialysis patients"
Jiwoo Kim
2021 graduate, Duke University, Durham, NC
Faculty Mentor: Larry Jackson, MD
Tomi Ladipo
Senior Faculty Mentor: Brian Smith, MD
Jr. Faculty Mentor: Kevin Hill, MD
Project: "Epidemiology of Bacterial Meningitis in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit"
Morgan Lane
2018 graduate of University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC
Faculty Mentor: Danny Benjamin, MD
Faculty Mentor: Kanecia Zimmerman, MD
"Before I started the BIGGER program I didn't even know what clinical research involved. I chose to participate in the BIGGER program because it is an opportunity to explore clinical research and different areas of medicine while I apply to medical school. As I have learned about clinical research I have started to understand its importance and now want to pursue a career in academic medicine so I can continue clinical research. I hope to matriculate next fall to study for a career in pediatric medicine."
Logan Long
2021 graduate, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
Faculty Mentor: Isaretta Riley, MD
Reid McCabe
Senior Faculty Mentor: Kristin Newby, MD
Jr. Faculty Mentor: Erich Huang, MD
Project: "Reducing Disparities to Ensure Health Equity in Project Baseline: A Longitudinal Cohort Study"
Career Update: Completed Duke MBS Program; currently a medical student at Tulane University
Taylor Mitchell
2021 graduate, Duke University, Durham, NC
Faculty Mentor: Isaretta Riley, MD
Kaila Moore
2021 graduate, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
Faculty Mentor: Andrew Landstrom, MD
"The Flow of the didactics were perfect. We were always learning how to do something exactly when it was useful to our project. I also loved the lessons that helped us better understand the challenges in medicine and ways to track personal growth so that we were able to leave the program with a well-rounded understanding of how to be a phenomenal professional and individual."
Chiagoziem Ogbonna
2019 graduate of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem NC
Faculty Mentor: Andrew Landstrom, MD
"I view my time spent in the BIGGER program as a pivotal and defining period of my professional development. It was the first time I received direct mentorship from a physician. The amount of autonomy I was given to explore my research question was challenging and as a result I feel as though I grew as an aspiring physician scientist and learned valuable skills throughout the process that have helped me succeed in medical school."
Maria Parra
2019 graduate of North Carolina Central University, Durham NC
Faculty Mentor: Kevin Thomas, MD
Faculty Mentor: Larry Jackson, MD
"I chose the BIGGER gap year program to gain more research experience in preparation for my graduate studies. This program will also allow me to explore different health careers that I could potentially consider in the future. After the six-month research experience, I plan to begin the process of applying to graduate school. This experience will give me an unique perspective of the clinical research field and allow me to learn new skills in research."
Luz Plumey
Senior Faculty Mentor: Kimberly Johnson, MD
Jr. Faculty Mentor: Rasheeda Hall, MD
Project: Ethnic Differences in hospital days among older adults receiving dialysis
Career Update: Crytogenetic Technology Trainee at LabCorp
Kyra Potter
2020 graduate, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
Faculty Mentor: Andrew Landstrom, MD
“When I first applied to the BIGGER Program, I hoped to gain a more in depth understanding of the disciplinary cross-link between patient care and research through exposure to clinical research. My involvement in the program has not only allowed me to achieve this goal, but has also given me a newfound interest in alleviating healthcare disparities through clinical research. In the future, I aspire to apply to a Physicians' Assistant program, where I hope to further develop the professional as well as research related skills that I have gained from my involvement in this program. Furthermore, I plan to continue clinical research with the goal to make the healthcare experience more equitable.”
LaPrince-Miller Smith
Senior Faculty Mentor: Danny Benjamin, MD
Jr. Faculty Mentor: Kanecia Zimmerman, MD
Project: "Comparing the Safety of Morphine and Fentanyl in a Retrospective Study on Preterm Neonates"
Miracle Thomas
Senior Faculty Mentor: Jennifer Li, MD
Jr. Faculty Mentor: Christoph Hornik, MD
Project: "Patterns of Lab Evaluations in Neonates Undergoing Cardiac Surgery"
Career Update: Completed her master's in biomedical science at Morehouse School of Medicine and her PhD in physiology and biophysics at Howard University
Jimica Wilson
Senior Faculty Mentor: Kevin Thomas, MD
Jr. Faculty Mentor: Larry Jackson, MD
Project: "Racial and Ethnic Differences in Prevalence, Management, and Outcomes of Patients with Severe Aortic Stenosis: A Narrative Review"
Career Update: RN with St. Francis-Emory Healthcare