Krieger School sophomores Sareen Muthyala and Natalie Bernstein have been named Johns Hopkins' inaugural Ethan M. Posner Fellows. The fellowship, designed to support independent student research with the potential to change the world, includes an award up to $11,000.
Muthyala, a biophysics major, plans to study the previously unaddressed role of retinoid metabolism in heart failure, a leading cause of mortality. Bernstein, who's majoring in psychology and political science and minoring in civic life, plans to study how personal experiences with dating and relationships may predict politically sexist attitudes.
The award was established in honor of Ethan Posner, a biophysics major who died March 8, 2024, after a brief illness. A sophomore, Posner made a far-reaching impression with his intelligence, work ethic, and generosity. Always striving for excellence, he modeled curiosity, a passion for learning and community involvement, and the pursuit of knowledge both academic and personal.
An active researcher in the lab of biophysics professor Karen Fleming and a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, Posner was a member of Hopkins Hillel, club swimming, the German Club, and the Undergraduate Brain Computer Interface Society. He hoped to develop new antibiotic therapies to target protein-protein interactions.
The university established the fellowship in June. Two Krieger School students—one in the natural sciences, and one in the arts, humanities, or social sciences—will be named fellows each year. Following in Posner's footsteps, candidates must demonstrate a passion for research and the desire to help others. Fellows craft their proposals in conjunction with a faculty mentor, and are selected for their motivation to pursue research based on a desire to change the world; vibrant energy and passion as reflected by their involvement at Hopkins; and caring commitment to the university community.
Funds may be spent on research costs including summer living expenses, travel, equipment, supplies, and use of archives or laboratories. Graduating fellows must present the results of their research to the university community, and a portion of each fellow's award must be dedicated to the dissemination of their research at a professional conference.
The fellowship is managed by the Krieger School's Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity (URSCA), which supports undergraduate students in creating, planning, and undertaking hands-on research projects. Jennifer Wester, URSCA's director, said the selection process of the first Posner Fellows was especially meaningful because she had worked with Posner when he was a Wilson Fellow, and the interview process gave an important glimpse into not just the research, but the researcher.
"The qualities described in the award criteria are not just abstract character traits—I have Ethan in mind as the model of exactly what genuine passion for learning and commitment to community look like. It was in those interviews that I could really see the spark that reminded me of Ethan," Wester said.
Muthyala's project is titled "Unraveling Cardiac Retinoid Metabolism: Enzymes, Mechanisms, and Implications for Heart Failure" and is supported by faculty mentor Brian Foster, assistant professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at the School of Medicine. Muthyala is involved with Hopkins Community Connection, which screens patients for essential resource needs during routine medical appointments and uses student volunteers and Community Health Workers to support them with navigating community resources. Noticing that the program required participants to be patients and therefore missed those without insurance, Muthyala created a website to provide guidance for people to apply for the program independently.
"This kind of 'take action' approach impressed us immediately, but Sareen's thoughtful reflection on the impact of this experience was even more moving," Wester said. Having come to understand the importance of community medicine and community care outside the hospital, Muthyala—who plans to become a doctor—also wants to be involved in legislation and the dissemination of public programs, and worked with Hopkins Votes during the fall semester.
Muthyala explains that his project is about finding the enzymes in the metabolic pathway of Vitamin A to retinoic acid in the heart. Retinoic acid has shown promise in preventing heart failure, so he hopes to find and test regulatory points which could be used as future targets for treatment.
"I have seen firsthand, both in clinical settings and with friends and family, how devastating cardiovascular disease can be," Muthyala said. "I am grateful for this opportunity as it will bring us one step closer to finding more effective treatments for heart failure."
Bernstein, whose project is titled "All's Fair in Love and Politics: Can Frustrations with Dating Explain Political Sexism in Young Adults?," impressed the selection panel as a true student of the social sciences, full of ambition and passion for research, Wester said. She will investigate how dating frustration and anxiety may influence young people's views on women's rights with the support of faculty mentor Dylan Selterman, associate teaching professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.
In addition to her academics, Bernstein is a first-year mentor, a member of the psychology undergraduate steering committee, and active in IDEAL (Inform, Discuss, Enlighten, Acknowledge, Learn), a student group that aims to foster productive political dialogue among students.
"Both her research project and her campus activities are about cultivating connection—finding ways to bring people together to foster a healthier society," Wester said.
Bernstein says that she's especially interested in her topic's location at the intersection of political issues—including women's rights and political polarization—with interpersonal relationship experiences.
"This experience will be an amazing opportunity to conduct my own independent, funded, and published research project, and will be excellent preparation for graduate school. I'm especially excited about the resources that the grant offers and the two-year timeline, which will allow me to collect longitudinal data," Bernstein said.
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