Bucknell Scholar Contributes to National Cancer Institute Research
From a young age, Bucknell University Scholar Ahmed Elnaiem has been fascinated by the natural world and excited by critical problem solving. A rising senior majoring in cell biology and biochemistry, he’s putting his skills to work as a research assistant with the National Cancer Institute at the National Institute of Health (NIH).
For the second consecutive summer, Ahmed is extracting scientific data from patient reported outcomes in multiple myeloma and cancer survivorship among elderly patients. His work contributes to a national database for cancer survivorship studies. He will receive training to assist in analyzing the data to find answers critical to patient care.
“In my major I focus on things happening at the protein level, pure science,” says Ahmed. “Coming to the NIH, I’m seeing science at a population level, which has expanded my scope.”
Earlier this summer, Ahmed traveled to Ethiopia with the support of a Posse Summer Leadership Award to observe a clinical trial at a local university and visit a Doctors Without Borders clinic near the border of Sudan, his home country.
Ahmed’s interest in assisting impoverished communities is driven by his involvement with BACES, a student-run service learning program at Bucknell. As president of the campus group, Ahmed directs year-long fundraising initiatives to support an annual week-long trip to the Dominican Republic where a team of student volunteers implement sustainable development projects such as rebuilding homes and assisting a co-op of women farmers.
“My work with BACES showed me that I want to help people and improve their lives in a fundamental way,” Ahmed says. “Medicine brings together my love of academia with my belief that health is a human right. This is my calling, working on problems that combine social justice and clinical practice.”
Ahmed’s accomplishments also include being inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, serving as a resident advisor (RA), and winning an award this spring for his mentoring of first-year RAs. As he enters his senior year this fall, Ahmed will be working on his applications to medical school.
