Mānoa: Early Admission to Doctor of Medicine student at UH Manoa wins prestigious research grant

UH News

University of Hawaiʻi at MānoaContact:Posted: Apr 24, 2017Dr. Bruce Shiramizu, before and after his head-shaving for charity. Natalie KamadaUH Mānoa is one of only 21 universities this year awarded a St. Baldrick’s Foundation summer research grant to fight childhood cancer.This month, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation announced it is providing $105,000 — in grants of $5,000 each — to support summer research fellowships. UH Mānoa student Natalie Kamada, who is in the Doctor of Medicine Early Acceptance Program, will spend the summer working in a pediatric oncology setting in the John A. Burns School of Medicine's (JABSOM's) Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology. She will complete a research project under the leadership of childhood cancer expert Bruce Shiramizu, MD, a JABSOM professor and pediatrician.Kamada was born and raised in Waikele on O’ahu, and graduated from Maryknoll High.“I decided to become a St. Baldrick’s Summer Fellow to further understand how cancers affect children and to aid in the early detection of cancer cells that could lead to relapse,” said Kamada. “I hope to identify the presence of cancer cells to help improve treatment types and the health of children.”In the early acceptance program, if Kamada continues to remain in good standing, she will enter medical school at JABSOM after she graduates from UH Mānoa. She says she is interested in many areas of study, including pediatrics, radiology and oncology.“In a more personal sense,” said Kamada, “I hope to become a doctor who can understand the needs of her patients and can contribute back to her community.”The St. Baldrick Foundation summer research scholarships help to nurture the next generation of cancer scientists. The need for such funding is critical. Less than 4 percent of all federal cancer research funding is allocated to childhood cancer, making this specialty less sought after by aspiring ...

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