Baylor Student Achieves National Praise and Scholarship for Medical Research

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WACO, Texas (Nov. 15, 2017) – Micheal Munson, a Baylor University sophomore and University Scholar, participated in the Johns Hopkins University Summer Internship as a research intern this summer and recently presented his research findings at a national conference.

Munson, of San Jose, California, was one of 15 students accepted into the summer program, and the only first-year student. His research focused on pulmonary and critical care medicine with projects spanning a range of research, from the basic science of endothelial or epithelial cell biology to asthma epidemiology.

“Research is largely defined by critical and methodical thinking, and it is that type of thinking that refines the scientific process to give researchers stronger, more accurate results,” Munson said.

During the internship, Munson conducted experimental studies on pulmonary hypertension in Larissa Shimoda’s lab. Shimoda, M.S., Ph.D., is a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins and her research on pulmonary arterial responses has been distributed in numerous publications.

In addition to research, students in the summer program also presented primary research articles to their peers and members of the faculty every week and attended a seminar series featuring faculty members from Johns Hopkins and the National Institutes of Health. At the end of the summer, students presented their work in a poster session.

In early November, Munson presented his summer research findings at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) national conference in Phoenix, Arizona. During this event 2,400 students presented their research and only 40, including Munson, received certificates of achievements.

“Micheal exemplifies many of the virtues I have found among Baylor students,” said James Marcum, Ph.D., professor of philosophy and medical humanities and faculty-in-residence at Earle Hall. “He is intelligent, caring and highly motivated to make a positive impact on the world. For Micheal, this is through biomedical research in order to reduce the suffering associated with illness. I’m confident that he will have a very successful career towards this end, as evident from his recent awards.”

In addition to his internship and award, Munson also won a $5,000 national merit scholarship from Thermo Fisher Scientific, a large biotechnology company. This scholarship is awarded to undergraduates, as well as research students from top-tier medical and graduate schools. Previous winners have been students from Stanford, Princeton and Harvard. Munson was one of only six students to receive this scholarship.

“If I had to give one piece of advice to anyone interested in research at Baylor, I’d tell them to first try their hand at it here at the university,” Munson said. “We have terrific professors who will devote 110 percent of themselves to help you improve as a professional. Baylor’s professors help students glean important experiences that can be used to apply our knowledge, research and skills in different settings down the road.”

Munson has achieved great academic success at Baylor University and in extracurricular activities, such as the Johns Hopkins Internship and the ABRCMS national conference. Munson’s passion for research and knowledge in the medical field has earned him national prestige and honor.

by Brooke Battersby, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.