Meredith Sophomore Presents at National Collegiate Research Conference

Meredith College sophomore public health major Nabiha Khan was selected by the Harvard College Undergraduate Research Association (HCURA) to attend the 2018 National Collegiate Research Conference (NCRC), which was held January 18-20 at Harvard University.

“Being selected to the NCRC means a number of things to me, starting from how lucky I am to attend Meredith and to have such a supportive community,” said Khan. “I’m so thankful for the biology department, the Undergraduate Research Program, and especially my mentor Dr. John Mecham because I wouldn’t have even applied if it weren’t for him.”

Khan was one of fewer than 250 undergraduates from across the United States and several countries to be selected. She presented her research, which focuses on the knowledge of how dietary fat quickly and dramatically alters the physical and chemical properties of blood is potentially important health information for consumers.

“My research is more nutrition-based, although I hope to turn it into biochemistry eventually,” said Khan. “I am working with triglycerides to see how different amounts of consumption affect a person’s blood chemistry over a three hour period, as well as if the blood is incubated for a 24-hour period.”

Upon graduation from Meredith, Khan would like to attend medical school and become an emergency medicine doctor or cardiologist. But her dream doesn’t stop there. She would also like to earn a Ph.D. in biochemistry. As a sophomore, she knows her goals can change as she continues to explore various avenues.

“For Nabiha, being selected to present at NCRC is important because, at this early stage of her college education, she can use this experience as a stepping stone to advance her development and scientific maturity, which will help her to accomplish the goals she has set for herself,” said Professor of Biological Sciences John Mecham.