Ask A Student | Medical Scientist Training Program | Case Western Reserve University

Want to know what it's like to be in the MSTP? Ask one of our students!

Derek Wong

Entering Class: 2017
PhD program: Pathology/Immunology
Advisor: Reshmi Parameswaran, MS, PhD
Research Interests: My current research interests primarily include cancer immunology, but they are also quite broad and encompass other aspects of cancer biology. In the past, my research areas have included the use of nanoparticles for cancer therapy or diagnosis, as well as drug resistance in breast cancer.
About Me: I really enjoy photography and exploring the creative things I can do with my camera. Nature and city sights are particularly interesting to me, and I have thousands of photos in my Lightroom catalog from the places I have visited. I also enjoy hiking, science fiction, and dabbling in short stories and sketching.
Comment about the MSTP Program: One of the things I appreciate most about the program is how well it integrates with the MD curriculum while still granting us the flexibility to choose our lab rotations and grad school courses. The intro course in the summer helped us to adjust to the program and find our first lab just as Block 1 picked up. Fitting in a rotation during coursework, while challenging at times, was more than doable, with start and end dates that fit our individual needs. I found valuable assistance from the directors and other faculty in planning my first grad school course and subsequent rotations, so despite my many interests, I never felt truly lost or without guidance.

Entering Class: 2021
Undergraduate Institution: Washington and Lee University
Hometown: Oak Park, CA
Research Interests: I am primarily interested in inflammatory cell death, and more broadly the immune response to infection.
About me: I grew up in Los Angeles, CA before moving to Virginia for college. After college, I took two years before coming to CWRU to get a master’s in immunology. In my free time I love to cook and explore the restaurants and breweries around Cleveland. I also enjoy walking around the many parks and hiking trails around Cleveland and Cuyahoga County.
Comment about the MSTP program: My favorite thing about the Case MSTP is that it truly is a community - from your class, to the older students, faculty, and directors, everyone is there to support you and make you feel at home. The array of interests that you can pursue here, both personally and professionally, is amazing, and you are surrounded by faculty, administrators, and students who are there to help you figure it all out.

Email Jacob at jji20@case.edu

Entering Class: 2019
PhD Program: Pathology - Cancer Biology
Advisor: Justin Lathia, PhD
Undergraduate Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Hometown: Vancouver, CN
Research Interests: I am interested in sex differenc+H6es in glioblastoma, cancer stem cells.
About me: I love languages, trashy reality shows, and painting! Laundry is my nemesis. Cleveland has a great array of metro parks, coffee shops, and breweries to constantly explore.
Comment about the MSTP program: Everyone here is extremely friendly and always willing to help out. As part of Intro to MSTP, I was able to bond with the rest of my MSTP cohort, which was extremely valuable as we started med school. There is great mentorship everywhere you go.

Email Sabrina at szw7@case.edu

Entering Class: 2019
PhD Program: Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Advisor: Scott Williams, PhD
Undergraduate Institution: University of Texas at Dallas
Hometown: Denton, TX
Research Interests: Population Genetics, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Alzheimer's Disease, Schizophrenia
About me: I spent most of my childhood in Denton, TX with a number of years in San Antonio, TX before moving back to Denton where I completed my Associate of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees at North Lake College and the University of Texas at Dallas. As an undergrad I bounced between a biochemistry conducting protein work, and a couple neurology and neuroscience labs studying the cerebellum at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center before coming to CWRU's MSTP where I am currently working on my PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. In my spare time I serve as a leader in a number of student-run organizations, make time to see musicals (I hope to perform in one in the coming years), hike around the country, and play with my cat Sonora.
Comment about the MSTP program: CWRU's MSTP allowed me the time and freedom to explore and discover my research interests. The ability to rotate during my medical school years streamlined the process of finding the lab that fit me as an individual and as a researcher in training. I have also been able to build a network of friends from across the years in the program with whom I can now talk with and explore Cleveland!

Email Razaq at rod10@case.edu

Entering Class: 2019
PhD Program: Biochemistry
Advisor: Jonathan Stamler, MD
Undergraduate Institution: Middlebury College
Hometown: Rockville Centre, NY
Research Interests: My research interests are in understanding how cells respond to all types of external stimuli from the relatively small, pre-defined set of genes in the genome. Specifically I am curious about how post-translational modifications, alternative splicing, and epigenetics expand the cellular repertoire.
About me: I like to fill my free time with exploring new neighborhoods and parks on my bike, playing pickup sports, listening to history podcasts, and finding new coffee shops. Growing up on Long Island, I also have a healthy appetite for NY sports teams and escaping to elevation for skiing.
Comment about the MSTP program: I’ve been very happy with the availability of faculty and older students to give me candid advice on all the intricacies of MSTP training. I also really appreciate being in a program that has such a wide variety of clinical connections with all the Cleveland hospital systems as well as lots of guidance focusing my projects in lab.

Email Joseph at jcs186@case.edu