Valparaiso University’s First American Physiological Society Fellow

Ethiopian international student Sara Tewoldemedhin ’26, a biochemistry major at Valparaiso University has completed the summer portion of her research as the University’s first recipient of the American Physiological Society’s (APS) Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF). Her project analyzes compounds involved in regulating fluids within the body to explore unanswered questions in the mechanics of those systems. 

The Fellowship included a $4,000 stipend for 10-weeks of consecutive research as well as up to $1,300 in travel expenses for the annual APS Summit in Baltimore. SURF recipients are required to have a member of the APS in good standing act as their research host to be eligible to apply. Patrice Bouyer, Ph.D., associate professor of biology at Valparaiso University and APS member, acted as her host and faculty sponsor for the project. Enabling students to take on opportunities like those provided by SURF are part of the University faculty’s dedication to using their expertise to help students thrive. 

Tewoldemedhin’s research focused on the compound NKCC1, critical to chloride-driven fluid secretion in the human body which is an important process for the healthy function of a variety of organ systems. When activated, protein kinase C (PKC) causes cells to internalize NKCC1, but what activates PKC is unclear. She believed the protein ubiquitin could be responsible. Using a technique called fluorescent microscopy, Tewoldemedhin examined samples that had been treated with ubiquitin inhibitors to see how reducing its effect altered the PKC effect on NKCC1 internalization. 

While the results so far have been hopeful, Tewoldemedhin said she will have more research to do before the APS abstract submission deadline in December 2024. As someone who wants to continue being a researcher after graduation, she appreciates how the project has helped her grow with respect to that goal.

“I’ll need a lot of patience and persistence if I want to be part of a research lab,” Tewoldemedhin said. “There are a lot of things that go wrong, and things that you have to troubleshoot for, and that takes a lot of patience and grace, sometimes for yourself because you might make mistakes.”

Tewoldemedhin will travel to Baltimore for the APS Summit in April of 2025. Her message for other students trying to make their projects a reality is to not let fear hold them back.

“Sometimes it seems intimidating and competitive, but as Valpo students we do a lot on campus,” she said. “You can trust that you’re way more capable than you think you are. Have faith that even if you don’t understand something at first, you can still learn from the experience.”