[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":200},["ShallowReactive",2],{"/stories/samuel-cortes":3,"processed-html-b5e432cc":183,"processed-html-fcfe6541":184,"processed-html-ecf353c6":185,"processed-html-6f572ea2":186,"processed-html-5c8314fa":187,"processed-html-95f62682":188,"processed-html-e89af381":189,"processed-html-024dedb3":190,"processed-html-06a2bd1c":191,"processed-html-6b438118":192,"processed-html-9bc60b48":193,"processed-html-d5118600":194,"processed-html-177c498c":195,"processed-html-5ecaa44a":196,"processed-html-48383518":197,"processed-html-c2d79863":198,"processed-html-1ceb37d3":199},{"id":4,"type":5,"path":6,"published":7,"publishDate":8,"author":9,"taxonomy":10,"headerType":13,"image":14,"video":18,"title":20,"subtitle":11,"hideFromSearchEngines":11,"social":21,"bodyBlocks":25,"slug":134,"description":135,"metaDescription":136,"metaTitle":11,"relatedStories":137,"created":172,"changed":173,"breadcrumbs":174},"e0e1088d-194e-4423-8bf6-4f661dfafc3d","story","stories/samuel-cortes",true,"April 13, 2026","Ross Bishoff",{"name":11,"slug":12},null,"","image",{"url":15,"alt":16,"caption":17},"https://editing.intcomm.osu.edu/sites/default/files/styles/widescreen/public/media/image/2026/04/samcortes_crop.jpg","Ohio State student Samuel Cortes poses for a selfie with ruins in the background","Samuel Cortes had a rich experience at Ohio State that enabled him to study abroad, conduct undergraduate research and get connected with impactful mentors who've helped him achieve his goals. (Ohio State)",{"url":11,"transcript":19},{"text":11},"Samuel Cortes: Undergrad research led to valuable experiences",{"title":22,"description":23,"imageUrl":24},"How Undergraduate Research Opened the World for Samuel Cortes","From Ohio State labs to global research experiences, Samuel Cortes discovered how undergraduate research, mentorship and curiosity can lead to real‑world impact and a future in medical science.\r\n","https://editing.intcomm.osu.edu/sites/default/files/media/image/2026/04/samcortes_social.jpg",[26,33,39,45,51,57,67,73,79,85,91,97,103,109,115,122,128],{"blockName":27,"attrs":28,"innerBlocks":30,"innerHTML":31,"innerContent":32},"core/paragraph",{"uuid":29},"b5e432cc",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">Research came alive for Samuel Cortes at Ohio State, and before long it carried him far beyond campus labs and classrooms.\u003C/p>",[31],{"blockName":27,"attrs":34,"innerBlocks":36,"innerHTML":37,"innerContent":38},{"uuid":35},"fcfe6541",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">Growing up near Akron with parents who were professors, Cortes understood early that scientific research meant impact. In high school, watching scientists race to develop vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, he witnessed just how urgent that work could be and how science can help society move forward.\u003C/p>",[37],{"blockName":27,"attrs":40,"innerBlocks":42,"innerHTML":43,"innerContent":44},{"uuid":41},"ecf353c6",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">It sparked an interest in infectious disease and confirmed that research could be more than a career path. It could be a way to help people.\u003C/p>",[43],{"blockName":27,"attrs":46,"innerBlocks":48,"innerHTML":49,"innerContent":50},{"uuid":47},"6f572ea2",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">But it wasn’t until he arrived at Ohio State that the passion bubbled to the surface.\u003C/p>",[49],{"blockName":27,"attrs":52,"innerBlocks":54,"innerHTML":55,"innerContent":56},{"uuid":53},"5c8314fa",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“The seed was already planted but when I came to the university and saw it in practice, it really developed and matured,” said Cortes, who will graduate with a degree in \u003Ca href=\"https://medicine.osu.edu/education/undergraduate/biomedical-science\" class=\"bux-link\">biomedical science\u003C/a> in May. “When I was choosing institutions to attend, Ohio State being a massive research presence with a medical center, it was perfect in that sense, and I’ve been very happy with my experience here.”\u003C/p>",[55],{"blockName":58,"attrs":59,"innerBlocks":64,"innerHTML":65,"innerContent":66},"media-text/bux-quote",{"quote":60,"author":61,"source":62,"uuid":63},"“(My mentors) have been a big support and that's been super important. They really believe undergraduates are an important part of the lab culture.”","Samuel Cortes","Ohio State biomedical science major\u003Cbr>","95f62682",[],"\u003Cbux-quote class=\"wp-block-media-text-bux-quote\">\u003Cspan slot=\"quote\">“(My mentors) have been a big support and that's been super important. They really believe undergraduates are an important part of the lab culture.”\u003C/span>\u003Cspan slot=\"author\">Samuel Cortes\u003C/span>\u003Cspan slot=\"source\">Ohio State biomedical science major<br>\u003C/span>\u003C/bux-quote>",[65],{"blockName":27,"attrs":68,"innerBlocks":70,"innerHTML":71,"innerContent":72},{"uuid":69},"e89af381",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">As a student in the \u003Ca href=\"https://honors-scholars.osu.edu/eminence\" class=\"bux-link\">Stamps Eminence Scholarship\u003C/a> program, Cortes was encouraged to find undergraduate research opportunities. After reading about different research groups, an email led him to the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.gallegoperezlab.com/\" class=\"bux-link\">Gallego-Perez Nanomedicine Lab\u003C/a>, where he found an opportunity to try something new.\u003C/p>",[71],{"blockName":27,"attrs":74,"innerBlocks":76,"innerHTML":77,"innerContent":78},{"uuid":75},"024dedb3",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">Cortes joined the lab in the spring of his freshman year and stepped into a world of emerging technology to explore gene therapy techniques that help the body heal after injuries, including damage to peripheral nerves.\u003C/p>",[77],{"blockName":27,"attrs":80,"innerBlocks":82,"innerHTML":83,"innerContent":84},{"uuid":81},"06a2bd1c",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“This was something I hadn’t had any exposure to,” said Cortes, whose original plan was to study virology and infectious disease. “But I was interested in the novel technology employed in this lab. It was fascinating.”\u003C/p>",[83],{"blockName":27,"attrs":86,"innerBlocks":88,"innerHTML":89,"innerContent":90},{"uuid":87},"6b438118",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">The lab also meant invaluable mentorship under the guidance of Daniel Gallego-Perez, chair in biomedical engineering, and researchers like \u003Ca href=\"https://www.gallegoperezlab.com/postdocs/ana-salazar-puerta%2C-ph.d.\" class=\"bux-link\">Ana Salazar-Puerta\u003C/a>, now an assistant professor, who illustrated how the 20-person lab was built on collaboration, persistence and curiosity.\u003C/p>",[89],{"blockName":27,"attrs":92,"innerBlocks":94,"innerHTML":95,"innerContent":96},{"uuid":93},"9bc60b48",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“They’ve been a big support and that’s been super important,” Cortes said. “They really believe undergraduates are an important part of the lab culture.”\u003C/p>",[95],{"blockName":27,"attrs":98,"innerBlocks":100,"innerHTML":101,"innerContent":102},{"uuid":99},"d5118600",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">The experience and support of the lab propelled him into new opportunities outside of Ohio State. He studied pediatric cancers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital before traveling to Jacksonville, Florida, for a summer research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic, where he studied blood-based biomarkers and contributed to a co-authored publication. He then conducted an international research internship at Heidelberg University in Germany, studying biomaterials.\u003C/p>",[101],{"blockName":27,"attrs":104,"innerBlocks":106,"innerHTML":107,"innerContent":108},{"uuid":105},"177c498c",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“I’ve been super grateful for the opportunities that have been afforded to me, I don’t ever take them for granted,” said Cortes, who plans to pursue a PhD. “Research as a career has always been the goal and my dream is to work in medical research to help combat disease.\u003C/p>",[107],{"blockName":27,"attrs":110,"innerBlocks":112,"innerHTML":113,"innerContent":114},{"uuid":111},"5ecaa44a",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“Having these different experiences, developing the soft skills and hard skill techniques through these different environments, has been really valuable.”\u003C/p>",[113],{"blockName":116,"attrs":117,"innerBlocks":119,"innerHTML":120,"innerContent":121},"core/heading",{"uuid":118},"48383518",[],"\u003Ch2 class=\"bux-h2\">Mentorship advice:\u003C/h2>",[120],{"blockName":27,"attrs":123,"innerBlocks":125,"innerHTML":126,"innerContent":127},{"uuid":124},"c2d79863",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“As far as finding a mentor, use Ohio State resources to the utmost degree. For me, having the Stamps Eminence program was a major help. But even if you’re not in that situation, Ohio State seems big and daunting but don’t be afraid to reach out to professors if their research sounds interesting. There’s going to be one who’s open to having an undergraduate in their lab.\u003C/p>",[126],{"blockName":27,"attrs":129,"innerBlocks":131,"innerHTML":132,"innerContent":133},{"uuid":130},"1ceb37d3",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“Once you’re in, stay dedicated. Research has a steep learning curve and you’re interacting with PhD students, professors — this is their career. You’re going to have imposter syndrome, but good mentors know this. They know you’ll mess up and you don’t fully understand everything at first. But go through the learning curve, stick to it. That’s the difference-maker. If you’re dedicated, you will get more interaction with mentors and build a good rapport over time.”\u003C/p>",[132],"samuel-cortes","Biomedical science student Samuel Cortes turned undergraduate research at Ohio State into global opportunities, gaining mentorship, skills and real‑world impact while preparing for a future PhD and a career advancing medical research.\r\n","Ohio State biomedical science student Samuel Cortes shares how undergraduate research, mentorship and hands‑on discovery led to national and international experiences—and a path toward a PhD in medical research.\r\n",[138,150,161],{"slug":139,"path":140,"title":141,"description":142,"subtitle":11,"taxonomy":143,"image":144,"video":147,"hideFromSearchEngines":11,"hasVideo":149},"living-and-learning-on-the-water","stories/living-and-learning-on-the-water","Living and learning on the water","Environmental science student Mike Penka found his passion at Ohio State’s Stone Laboratory, conducting aquatic research, presenting at conferences and exploring a future career in water quality and wildlife conservation.",{"name":11,"slug":12},{"url":145,"alt":146},"https://editing.intcomm.osu.edu/sites/default/files/media/image/2026/03/penka2_1.jpg","Mike Penka at Stone Lab.",{"url":11,"transcript":148},{"text":11},false,{"slug":151,"path":152,"title":153,"description":154,"subtitle":11,"taxonomy":155,"image":156,"video":159,"hideFromSearchEngines":11,"hasVideo":149},"mentorship-is-everything","stories/mentorship-is-everything","‘Mentorship is everything’","Through mentorship and hands‑on research, public health student Emanuel Tewolde presented nationally, earned major honors and discovered his passion for public health research as he prepares for a future career in medicine.",{"name":11,"slug":12},{"url":157,"alt":158},"https://editing.intcomm.osu.edu/sites/default/files/media/image/2026/03/25_6065830_11841_0.jpg","Emanuel Tewolde talks with his professor Min-Ae Song.",{"url":11,"transcript":160},{"text":11},{"slug":162,"path":163,"title":164,"description":165,"subtitle":11,"taxonomy":166,"image":167,"video":170,"hideFromSearchEngines":11,"hasVideo":149},"the-science-of-space-food","stories/the-science-of-space-food","The science of space food","Ohio State students Mehr Un Nisa and Fuanyi Fobellah served as Simunauts for NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge, testing innovative space food systems and discovering new possibilities for their futures in food science.",{"name":11,"slug":12},{"url":168,"alt":169},"https://editing.intcomm.osu.edu/sites/default/files/media/image/2026/03/simunauts_1.jpg","Mehr Un Nisa, left, and Fuanyi Fobellah harvest plants grown as part of the NASA Simunauts project.",{"url":11,"transcript":171},{"text":11},"2026-04-13T16:41:13+00:00","2026-04-15T13:28:50+00:00",[175,178,181],{"title":176,"path":177},"Home","/",{"title":179,"path":180},"Stories","/stories",{"title":20,"path":182},"/stories/samuel-cortes","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">Research came alive for Samuel Cortes at Ohio State, and before long it carried him far beyond campus labs and classrooms.\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">Growing up near Akron with parents who were professors, Cortes understood early that scientific research meant impact. In high school, watching scientists race to develop vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, he witnessed just how urgent that work could be and how science can help society move forward.\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">It sparked an interest in infectious disease and confirmed that research could be more than a career path. It could be a way to help people.\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">But it wasn’t until he arrived at Ohio State that the passion bubbled to the surface.\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“The seed was already planted but when I came to the university and saw it in practice, it really developed and matured,” said Cortes, who will graduate with a degree in \u003Ca href=\"https://medicine.osu.edu/education/undergraduate/biomedical-science\" class=\"bux-link\">biomedical science\u003C/a> in May. “When I was choosing institutions to attend, Ohio State being a massive research presence with a medical center, it was perfect in that sense, and I’ve been very happy with my experience here.”\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cbux-quote class=\"wp-block-media-text-bux-quote\">\u003Cspan slot=\"quote\">“(My mentors) have been a big support and that's been super important. They really believe undergraduates are an important part of the lab culture.”\u003C/span>\u003Cspan slot=\"author\">Samuel Cortes\u003C/span>\u003Cspan slot=\"source\">Ohio State biomedical science major<br>\u003C/span>\u003C/bux-quote>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">As a student in the \u003Ca href=\"https://honors-scholars.osu.edu/eminence\" class=\"bux-link\">Stamps Eminence Scholarship\u003C/a> program, Cortes was encouraged to find undergraduate research opportunities. After reading about different research groups, an email led him to the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.gallegoperezlab.com/\" class=\"bux-link\">Gallego-Perez Nanomedicine Lab\u003C/a>, where he found an opportunity to try something new.\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">Cortes joined the lab in the spring of his freshman year and stepped into a world of emerging technology to explore gene therapy techniques that help the body heal after injuries, including damage to peripheral nerves.\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“This was something I hadn’t had any exposure to,” said Cortes, whose original plan was to study virology and infectious disease. “But I was interested in the novel technology employed in this lab. It was fascinating.”\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">The lab also meant invaluable mentorship under the guidance of Daniel Gallego-Perez, chair in biomedical engineering, and researchers like \u003Ca href=\"https://www.gallegoperezlab.com/postdocs/ana-salazar-puerta%2C-ph.d.\" class=\"bux-link\">Ana Salazar-Puerta\u003C/a>, now an assistant professor, who illustrated how the 20-person lab was built on collaboration, persistence and curiosity.\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“They’ve been a big support and that’s been super important,” Cortes said. “They really believe undergraduates are an important part of the lab culture.”\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">The experience and support of the lab propelled him into new opportunities outside of Ohio State. He studied pediatric cancers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital before traveling to Jacksonville, Florida, for a summer research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic, where he studied blood-based biomarkers and contributed to a co-authored publication. He then conducted an international research internship at Heidelberg University in Germany, studying biomaterials.\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“I’ve been super grateful for the opportunities that have been afforded to me, I don’t ever take them for granted,” said Cortes, who plans to pursue a PhD. “Research as a career has always been the goal and my dream is to work in medical research to help combat disease.\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“Having these different experiences, developing the soft skills and hard skill techniques through these different environments, has been really valuable.”\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Ch2 class=\"bux-h2\">Mentorship advice:\u003C/h2>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“As far as finding a mentor, use Ohio State resources to the utmost degree. For me, having the Stamps Eminence program was a major help. But even if you’re not in that situation, Ohio State seems big and daunting but don’t be afraid to reach out to professors if their research sounds interesting. There’s going to be one who’s open to having an undergraduate in their lab.\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“Once you’re in, stay dedicated. Research has a steep learning curve and you’re interacting with PhD students, professors — this is their career. You’re going to have imposter syndrome, but good mentors know this. They know you’ll mess up and you don’t fully understand everything at first. But go through the learning curve, stick to it. That’s the difference-maker. If you’re dedicated, you will get more interaction with mentors and build a good rapport over time.”\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>",1776431685822]