Snekha Rajasekaran, a junior in the UAB B.S. in Biomedical Sciences program, completed summer research programs with the Stanford University School of Medicine Cardiovascular Institute, in California and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, in Illinois. She sat down with us to discuss her experience and share tips on how students can make the most of their opportunities.

Rajasekaran was born in India and moved to Utah at the age of four. At 11, her family relocated to Birmingham, where her parents began working at UAB. Her father, Dr. Rajasekaran Namakkal Soorappan is an Associate Professor in Molecular and Cellular Pathology and her mother, Vasanthi Rajasekaran, is a researcher in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Early on, Rajasekaran was introduced to UAB and soon became inspired to pursue a career in STEM.

“It was easy to recognize that UAB was a campus I was comfortable with, but more importantly I knew what they had to offer catered to my needs, such as being an R1 institution,” said Rajasekaran.

Initially, Rajasekaran found an interest in cardiology because of her father; however, after careful consideration, she found out certain aspects were not the right fit for her. While her dad spent many hours in the lab, Rajasekaran also wanted patient interaction within a clinical setting.

Rajasekaran, who is interested in pursuing an M.D/Ph.D., chose to major in Biomedical Sciences after researching what would best prepare her by talking with upperclassmen students. “UAB has a multitude of STEM majors to choose from, but I wanted something challenging that would also cater to my interests, while maintaining connectivity through my entire path.”

“The cool thing about Biomedical Sciences is how it covers so many aspects,” said Rajasekaran. “You get bits and pieces of everything; pathology, physiology, pharmacology, immunology, and neurology. To me, it brings everything together and gives me an opportunity to find out what I enjoy learning most.”

SERVANT LEADER

Rajasekaran believes in making the most of her time, and being well involved is an understatement. As a first-year student, she searched for leadership opportunities and found the Freshman Forum, an organization that allows devoted first-year students the opportunity to develop into essential members of UAB’s Undergraduate Student Government Association (USGA). The organization also helps students develop skills to recognize issues on campus and work as a team to find the best viable solutions while balancing differing opinions from their peers.

“I was one of 28 students selected to represent the Freshman student body, to serve as their voice for what they felt needed to be done on campus,” said Rajasekaran. “It was so fruitful to see the impact that we, as first-year students, were able to truly have.”

From her experience in the Freshman Forum, Rajasekaran was determined to continue being a voice for other students. Her sophomore year, she decided to join the Senate as a representative for the School of Health Professions (SHP). In the process, she was faced with the challenge of figuring out exactly what she wanted to do, soon also learning that change takes time. She began to understand that the impact she wanted to have may not entirely be achieved until someone else is in her seat but recognized that change begins with small steps – the smallest change can lead to the biggest difference.

“I think a lot of USGA is networking, communicating, and learning how other people work interacting with people not only in SHP, but in other divisions, whether it’s through the executive office of the president or hosting events with Student Services. I have enjoyed it so much that I decided to stay another year and now serve as the Academic Affairs Committee Head.”

RAJASEKARAN OFFICES

Rajasekaran holds numerous offices on campus, including serving as the Communications Chair on the Science and Technology Executive Council, as the Vice President of Marketing for the Serve205 organization, as the Class Liaison for the Biomedical Sciences Student Organization, as a proud Honors Ambassador for the UAB Honors College, and as a SMART Leader Coordinator.

One might ask how a student can balance it all.

“I encourage students to join all the clubs and organizations that they’re interested in, during their freshman year,” said Rajasekaran. “Take your time to figure out what you enjoy, and if you realize you aren’t especially passionate about it or it’s not within your bandwidth to accommodate, you always have the choice to say no. Take the time to find out what is most important to you.”

SUMMER PROGRAMS

At UAB, Rajasekaran has been involved with various research labs. As an undergraduate Case Analyst with the Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute, she worked under the guidance of Dr. Matt Might and Aleksandra Foksinska, to understand the prevalence, symptoms, and mechanisms of rare genetic diseases. From this, Rajasekaran presented her project at the 2024 National Conference of Undergraduate Research (NCUR) and the 2024 UAB Expo, titled: The Role of SCN5A in Sick Sinus Syndrome and other Cardiovascular Diseases: A Bioinformatic Study. Moreover, she went on to present another poster, focused on: “Analyzing the Predicted Impact of Published SCN5A Variants in Juvenile-Onset Sick Sinus Syndrome”, at the 2024 American Heart Association Basic Cardiovascular Scientific Sessions Conference. With a yearning to expand her work, Snekha met with Dr. Michelle Cook, Ph.D. - the Director of UAB Office of National and International Fellowships and Scholarships - for guidance on how to proceed. Cook encouraged her to apply to national programs catered to research experience for undergraduate students, reminding her to take baby steps: words that were vital to Rajasekaran’s outlook moving forward.

“That was important because it reminded me, I didn’t need to stress about going to the best program out there, or to the most prestigious school; so, I began applying to programs that fit my mission of what I wanted to do, regardless of ranking.”

In 2024, Rajasekaran secured summer research program opportunities with the Stanford University School of Medicine Cardiovascular Institute (CVI) and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.

“I attended the University of Chicago for a 7-week program based in the Biological Sciences Division” said Rajasekaran. “Apart from being in a new research environment, I had to figure out the town, but it was an absolutely amazing experience.”

During the program, Rajasekaran worked with diabetes for the first time.

“When you’re thinking cardiology, you think heart disease, cardiovascular disease, coronary disease – but not diabetes,” said Rajasekaran. “I did surgery on mice for the first time, and it was really cool. Moreover, I was able to take and apply everything I had learned previously to my experience at Stanford, and it felt like everything just fell into place.”

As a Stanford CVI Scholar, Rajasekaran was assigned a project detailing the “Characterization of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (IPSC) Lines from Dilated Cardiomyopathy Patients Carrying a Mutation in the RBM20 Gene”, targeting specific cardiac genes such as titin. At the end of the ten weeks, she presented her poster at the institute’s symposia and was selected for a one-minute rapid fire poster pitch discussing her poster.

Rajasekaran is currently continuing the research she began at Stanford and is hoping to publish it soon.

Rajasekaran says the biggest takeaway from the summer experience was to approach everything with an open mind – that includes your work and your goals.

“When you’re submitting applications for summer programs, the most important thing is not about how prestigious the school is, but rather where your research interests lie,” said Rajasekaran. “They want to see that you have a genuine interest in what you’re applying for. In fact, there were many individuals in my CVI cohort with minimal to zero research experience that did phenomenally in the program.”

Post graduation, Rajasekaran hopes to attend a Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) and pursue cardiac electrophysiology. In addition, she plans to remain involved in organizations that focus on a range of values and goals from serving the community to advocating for those in need, to embracing an advancement for social welfare.

“With my research interests in cardiovascular disease, circadian rhythm, and preventive medicine, I am particularly interested in subjects that mingle both translational research and clinical intervention,” said Rajasekaran. “I aim to ultimately grow my skills to become a successful physician-scientist. At the end of the day, I hope to be able to broaden my knowledge and bandwidth, and impact the lives around me, one step at a time!”

Her UABTeach professor, Mr. John Cross, had some kind words to share with us about Rajasekaran. "Snekha embodies the true spirit of excellence and determination. Her unwavering work ethic and commitment to her goals set her apart as a standout student. I have no doubt that she will leave a lasting legacy at UAB, joining the ranks of our most remarkable graduates."