97-04-16 Mark Berkman Wins Research Fellowship

MARK BERKMAN NAMED TO PRESTIGIOUS PROGRAM FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS

     COLUMBUS -- Mark Berkman, a second-year student in The Ohio 
State University’s College of Dentistry, has been selected to 
participate in a prestigious national research program for 
outstanding medical and dental students.

     Berkman, 21, of BEXLEY, who is also a student member of the 
university’s Board of Trustees, is the first dental student ever 
selected for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute-National 
Institutes of Health Research Scholars Program.

     Forty-three students have been offered positions in the 
program’s class of 1997-98.  Berkman was chosen from among 206 
applicants representing 88 schools.

     Under the program, Berkman will spend nine to 12 months at 
the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md., to gain experience in the 
fundamentals of scientific investigation.  He will learn to 
conduct biomedical research under the direct mentorship of a 
senior NIH research scientist.  He will receive an annual salary 
of $16,800, on-campus housing and other benefits.

     “It is quite an honor both for Mark and the College of 
Dentistry that he was selected for the HHMI-NIH Research Scholars 
Program,” said Henry Fields, dean of the college.  “The fact that 
he is the first dental student ever selected for this honor 
speaks highly of his accomplishments.  I'm sure he'll do well.”

     Dennis McTigue, associate dean of academic affairs, added, 
“Mark has demonstrated that he is an excellent student with a 
strong aptitude for research.  This Research Scholars Program 
will allow him to further explore his interests and improve his 
abilities.  We’re proud of what he has achieved and wish him the 
best.”

     Berkman spent last summer at NIH as one of 10 national 
winners of the 1996 National Institutes of Health/National 
Institute of Dental Research Dental Student Award.  He said he is 
not sure what kind of research he’ll explore as part of his new 
program, although his major interest is in the cellular biology 
behind the growth and development of the head and facial area.

     “This is a wonderful opportunity for me to continue 
exploring my interest in science and research,” Berkman said.  
“I’m excited and honored to have been selected to take part in 
the HHMI-NIH program.”

     Berkman will begin the program sometime this summer.  He 
will continue his studies at the College of Dentistry after the 
HHMI-NIH program is completed.  After graduation, he plans to 
pursue a career in dentistry, although he has not yet chosen a 
specialty field.

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Contact:  Mark Berkman, 294-6878


[Submitted by: Von Vargas  (vargas.12@osu.edu)
               
Thu, 17 Apr 1997 10:45:02 -0400 (EDT)]
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