Student Researcher – Zakariyah Mujeeb (Undergraduate Biology Major)
Zakariyah Mujeeb is an undergraduate senior majoring in Biology, on the Premed track at Nova Southeastern University (NSU). He has been working for the past three years in Dr. Robert Speth’s research lab in the College of Pharmacy. He shared many of his positive experiences with the Razor’s Research Program at NSU, his work in Dr. Speth’s lab doing mentored research, and where he plans to go next.
Talk me through your journey to where you are at NSU now.
My family has a strong history with NSU. My older sister was attending dental school when I applied to NSU. Also, my older brother did a portion of his undergraduate schooling here, and now my younger sister is also at the university. Beyond this family connection, I was especially interested in the dual admission program and the various Razor’s Edge program options. All of these opportunities appealed to me as I have always been interested in exploring various aspects of life, health, and answering questions through research.
How have you been engaged in research at the university?
The Razor’s Research Program has supported me to be successful in research. First, in my freshman year, I heard from various faculty members about their research interests and ongoing work. I was especially excited by Dr. Speth’s presentation at this seminar series, and I reached out to him through email to see if I could join his lab. This was before most Razor’s Research Program students begin their research; students usually get matched with a research mentor during their sophomore year. This early start to research has been invaluable to my current level of success.
Other parts of this program include semesterly research presentations to other students in the program, keeping a research log, and other activities that showcase research and student projects throughout the NSU community, such as through research symposiums and outreach activities.
What kind of research are you working on, and what made you interested in it?
I was intrigued by the intersection of neuroscience and pharmaceuticals that Dr. Speth researches. Since high school, where I did Science Fair projects, I have been interested in doing research, so I wanted to explore it more at NSU by joining Dr. Speth’s lab.
The main focus of Dr. Speth’s lab is on the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). This is a hormone system in the body responsible for raising and lowering blood pressure. People might be familiar with a common prescription drug class that impacts this system: ACE inhibitors, an abbreviation of “angiotensin-converting enzyme” inhibitors. ACE inhibitors block production of the hormone angiotensin II, which the ACE enzyme forms. One issue is that patients prescribed ACE inhibitors typically must take these medications for the rest of their lives. If we can better understand this system and its interaction with various diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, better treatments can be developed to address them. Cardiovascular disease is, in part, caused by a dysregulation in the RAS, when the system cannot properly keep blood pressure in balance.
I am currently writing a review paper that is the culmination of my research and interests developed in Dr. Speth’s lab. In this paper I am investigating the relation between the RAS and diabetes. This connection is important to examine because one of the main causes of mortality in diabetes is cardiovascular disease. I recently presented my work to other Razor’s Research students; see my presentation here [starting at minute 39:36].
This work was inspired by Dr. Speth’s approach to research, in which he is always thinking about new contexts to study the RAS. This topic is also of special interest to me as two of my grandparents have diabetes.
How does this work relate to your future career goals, and what do you plan to do next?
I am passionate about how our society is structured and how scientific and medical experts could help to fix societal issues. I want to gain specialized knowledge in an area where I can then apply it to real life to improve things like healthcare policy and ultimately people’s lives.
Next year I will be taking a gap year and pursuing some career development opportunities, likely in central or south Florida. I am looking at options such as clinical training or research experiences in a lab. During this year I also plan to look into graduate and professional schools to pursue medical or Ph.D. programs.
What advice do you have for other students interested in getting involved in research?
My advice is to take initiative to reach out to faculty and see how you can get involved with their research. I also benefited by taking a biochemistry course earlier than most, so I was able to more significantly contribute to my lab and its research. The coursework was directly applicable to the lab work, and it helped me better understand what was going on in the lab.
Also, in general, research is a slow process that takes a lot of effort before you can see results. Additionally, it takes time to become trained and acclimated to a new research environment, so you need to start early. After three years in Dr. Speth’s lab I am finally seeing the outcomes of my work and can now make original contributions to the direction of the research projects.