CHEMICA ALL'ESTERO! BIOCHEMISTRY STUDENTS TAKE RESEARCH ABROAD WORDS Matthew King I I PHOTOS Grant Schol Dr. Dennis Matlock, chair of the chemistry department, led a group of nine Harding students to Florence, Italy, during summer 2017, for a new program called Summer ndergraduate Research in Florence ( RF). The group stayed at th Villa, Harding's campus in Florence, with the Harding University in Florence (HUF) tudents to study and research biochemistry under Dr. hiara zzari at Meyer Children's Hospital. The idea for the program came when fatlock overheard students sa ing they wanted to travel abroad but were unable to due to their cla se , ,,;-hich were only offered certain eme ter . This included senior bi chemistry and molecular biology maj r Ryan ferritt, who aid if he were to mis a cla s, he would have to wait a ,ear to take it. "I wanted to go abroad my sophomore year, but I ne er did because I was taking cla e that were only ffered in the fall and spring," Merritt said. Matlock reached out to Dr. Jeffery Hopper, dean of international programs, to see ifhe knew of an ' research labs near the Villa or affiliated with Harding. Hopper informed Matlock that the Villa' groundskeeper, andro Guiducci, wa married to zzari, had a clinical laboratory. zzari had connections with Harding for a long time. he taught many Harding tudent traveling with International Programs. " he come up to the ilia and treat tudent when they are ick for a minimal co t," Hopper aid. fter getting in touch with zzari, Matlock packed his bags t check ut h r laboratory in Florence. "They were using e tablished techn logies to analyze a patient's blood ample for suspected clinical issue," Matlock said. Matlock and Merritt both noted tnat students practiced and studied similar techniques in the tudent labs at Harding. "It's all stuff that we learn about in classe here, but wed n't have the m netary re ources to actually do," Merritt said. ing the labs, doctor were looking for infectious di ea e and genetic disorders in the patient 'D . tudents received hand -on experience that they could apply when they returned home. "[ zzari) always emphasized that behind every sample you are dealing with a person's life," Matlock aid. Matlock has taught in Harding's ollege of Sciences since 2000. Because of the trip' ucces , Matlock planned on taking another group to f-1 rence in summer 2018, with plans to offer students f ur upperle el science clas es. "Dr. Matlock is the perfect professor to lead S RF," Hopper said. "It wa a joy to introduce him to Italy and zzari." I Senior Lance Benson studies with an Italian researcher at Meyer Children's Hospital during the SURF program In Florence, Italy, on June 13, 2017. Several seniors who were not previously able to travel abroad due to class schedules were able o partIcIpate in he six-week program.// Photo courtesy of Grant Schol Senior Shelby Roberts and junior Jade Toth observe an Italian researcher as she works at the Meyer's Children Hospital in Florence, Italy, on May 30, 2017. Students were able to receive hands-on experience that would stick with them throu hout their professional careers. II Photo courtesy of Grant Schol CD 6 r 0 G) _-< 0 I m s: u5 --i :0 _-< s: ~ I ::::::: ..... 0 ..... 7
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