Sushruta Muthuluru is eager to participate in medical research at the University of Cincinnati, but the incoming freshman is no stranger to the lab.
Muthuluru already has four years of medical research experience. He is one of 10 Cincinnatus Presidential Scholars entering UC this fall.
research experience
Muthuluru plans to study medical science at UC. As a freshman and sophomore at DuPont Manuel High School in Louisville, Kentucky, he joined a research program at the University of Louisville Brown Cancer Center, studying immunotherapy methods that help the body’s immune system fight cancer.
“I was able to work in the lab, and it really piqued my interest in immunotherapy and oncology in general,” he said.
When the COVID-19 pandemic prevented him from returning to the lab as a junior, Muthuluru began his research project at home. Using a National Institutes of Health database, they conducted a meta-analysis of HIV’s mutation rates to learn how a specific protein present in HIV cells mutates too quickly to allow the immune system to attack HIV and kill the body. not be able to protect.
“Although it wasn’t super fancy, it was something I researched extensively and turned out to be something very interesting to me,” Muthuluru said. “With that project, I was able to win some prizes in a state competition.”
In addition to medical research, Muthuluru said that his hobbies and extra-curricular activities include the Science Olympiad, an international team competition in which students compete in events related to various fields of science; National Science Bowl, a high school science knowledge competition; and enjoying nature through birdwatching and participation in the Boy Scouts.
“I think being able to link your interests to academic interests is a good way to get started with your extracurriculars and hobbies,” he said. “Being able to actually compete in my extra-curricular activities, in community work or in national competitions like Science Olympiads is something I personally thought was really important in my Cincinnatus application.”
giving back
Muthuluru said he is grateful to his family, school staff and community members who helped support him from primary school through high school. To give back, he serves as CEO of a Louisville nonprofit called Reading Gardens that partners with schools in disadvantaged areas to provide books and mentoring programs for students.
In addition to Reading Garden, Muthuluru has volunteered at his local hospital, with the Boy Scouts and other non-profit organizations.
“The people who support you are the people you really depend on,” he said. “I know it sounds weird, but it’s extremely impressive to use your skill set to help other people – to know that people are getting better and learning more because of you.”
choosing uC
Muthuluru said UC became one of his top choices because of its closeness to home, close enough to move to Louisville on the weekend but far enough away where he can experience life in a new environment on his own. But more importantly, he said UC’s strong medical research and education program attracted him.
Muthuluru said, “It was the culmination of all these different factors that would provide me with the best education for the path I want to be on, which is to become a doctor or a future professional in the healthcare industry in the future.”
While he already has medical research experience, Muthuluru said he looks forward to learning from professors who are experts in their fields and to use the research infrastructure at UC College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. are looking forward to.
“The resources at the University of Cincinnati are amazing,” he said. “I personally am extremely excited to be doing research at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital or the University of Cincinnati, and I know that both of those places are really good at research and really good at treating patients.”
An academically competitive program, Cincinnatus Presidential Scholars receive full tuition, fees, room and board, and a book allowance for four years of graduate study. Muthuluru recalled that he had received emails informing him that he was a Cincinnatus scholar the day after school while playing basketball.
He said, “It was heartening to see that all my hard work paid off and I was given this fortunate opportunity to pursue the next four years of my education on a full scholarship.” “Instead of worrying about debt and things like that, I can focus on how I can best give back to the community, how I can do better research in the future, and how I can volunteer at the hospital. How can I do or start the initiative in Cincinnati like I did in Louisville.”
Muthuluru said he is also looking forward to meeting new people from different backgrounds and experiences.
“I’m really looking forward to trying to explore the world a little bit,” he said. “I want to meet a lot of people – diverse people – people who have similar interests as well as different interests.”
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