BIO5 Institute offers Flinn Scholars early research opportunities at the University of Arizona
Nine exceptional University of Arizona freshmen from diverse fields are participating in immersive, semester-long research with a mentor of their choice to jumpstart their scientific careers.
The BIO5 Institute at the University of Arizona, in partnership with the Office of Research, Innovation, and Impact (RII) and the W.A. Franke Honors College, is excited to offer an immersive research experience for Flinn Scholars during their freshman year.
Funded by the Flinn Foundation, these scholars are Arizona high school students who have undergone a rigorous selection process and earned a full-ride scholarship to one of the state’s public universities.
“Engaging students in research early in their academic careers opens doors to transformative learning experiences,” said Jennifer Barton, director of the BIO5 Institute. “Our collaboration with RII and the Honors College reflects BIO5’s commitment to nurturing young talent and guiding them toward future scientific careers and discoveries.”
The BIO5 Flinn Scholar Research Experience provides a structured, paid research opportunity during the spring semester of their freshman year. Gaining access to cutting-edge research early in their academic careers is challenging, but this initiative—now in its second year—supports early academic growth and inspires the next generation of innovators.
“Conducting research is a hallmark of an Honors education, which is why we in the Franke Honors are so pleased to partner with BIO5 and RII to offer Flinn Scholars early pathways into undergraduate research,” said Karna Walter, assistant dean for student engagement at the W.A. Franke Honors College. “They can leverage this experience to share their considerable talents with the university community and beyond.”
A unique aspect of the program is that students select their faculty mentor, who must be a U of A researcher, and then collaborate with that mentor to choose a semester-long research project in their area of interest.
“Early research experiences like the BIO5 Flinn Scholar Research Experience help students build critical skills, contribute to discoveries, and see the real-world impact of science,” said Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, senior vice president for research and innovation. “By investing in Arizona’s brightest students and engaging them early, we’re strengthening the future of research, innovation, and industry in our state.”
Through this program, students receive valuable mentorship, develop critical research skills, and contribute meaningfully to ongoing projects early on in their college career.
"We’re grateful to the university for ensuring Flinn Scholars—regardless of their discipline—have the opportunity to gain invaluable research experience in their first year,” said Anne Lassen, vice president of scholarship and education initiatives at the Flinn Foundation, “Time and again, we’ve seen how research experiences impact the development of foundational skills and professional confidence."
This experience will not only enrich their undergraduate education but also enhance their competitiveness for national scholarships and future academic opportunities.
Learn about the research projects of 2025 BIO5 Flinn Scholar Research Experience cohort.
Swanuja Godasi, physiology and medical sciences major
Swanuja Godasi is working on improving the accuracy and reliability of genomic data analysis for genetic research related to a rare type of epilepsy called SCN8A epilepsy. To do this, she uses a method called cross-validation to check and verify the data sets used in the research.
Godasi is part of the lab of Michael Hammer, BIO5 Institute research scientist at the Arizona Genetics Core. His team is focused on understanding how epilepsy develops in the brain. They aim to uncover new treatments that can reduce seizures and improve the quality of life for children living with epilepsy.
Luis Hernandez, physiology and medical sciences major
Luis Hernandez’s project is focused on understanding how insulin resistance develops in the body, a key factor in Type 2 diabetes. He is studying samples from patients with Type 2 diabetes to learn more about this process. Hernandez will work with patients at the El Rio Community Health Center, specifically looking at skin, which is an often-overlooked area that could play a role in inflammation linked to obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
Hernandez is being mentored by Lawrence Mandarino, a professor of medicine and director of the U of A Health Sciences Center for Disparities in Diabetes/Obesity-Metabolism. This center focuses on developing innovative ways to improve diabetes care and prevention.
Emma Langlais, mathematics major
For her project, Emma Langlais will study how countries influence each other’s scientific research. She plans to analyze data from millions of scientific papers, looking at different academic fields and how research has evolved over time.
Langlais is mentored by Charles Gomez, an associate professor of sociology who focuses on inequality in global scientific knowledge. He uses tools like language analysis, social network studies, surveys, simulations, and interviews to understand how scientific knowledge is shared and shaped. The goal of Langlais' project is to understand how concentrated influence from certain countries might affect future breakthroughs and innovations in research.
Katherine Lee, public health major
Katherine Lee's research focuses on how environmental factors, such as water quality, affect the health of mothers and children. She is specifically studying the impact of pesticides, metals, and heat exposure on kidney function. Her project involves gathering, analyzing, and visualizing data to help guide public health policies.
Lee's research is mentored by Melissa Furlong, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences who studies the long-term health effects of environmental contaminants, especially pesticides, and their impact on the nervous system. This project aims to understand how poor water quality and environmental exposures affect vulnerable populations, particularly during pregnancy and childhood.
Allison Mannon, molecular and cellular biology major
Allison Mannon’s research focuses on open reading frames, which are sections of DNA or RNA that can be turned into proteins. She is studying how these sequences play a role in cellular processes, like how cells respond to stress, using yeast cells as her model. By applying advanced techniques in cloning and RNA analysis, her project aims to learn more about how proteins and messenger RNA (mRNA) interact within yeast cells.
Mannon will be mentored by J. Ross Buchan, an assistant professor of molecular and cellular biology and BIO5 member. In his lab, they explore basic biological processes to better understand aging and cancer, with a particular focus on RNA, protein balance in cells, and how important molecules are transported within cells.
Jared Matheson, physiology and medical sciences major
Jared Matheson’s research focuses on studying how foodborne illnesses and infectious diseases spread. He will interview people who have recently contracted COVID-19 or bacterial infections to better understand the patterns of these diseases. He will also learn how to analyze data using a statistics program called R.
Matheson is being mentored by Kristen Pogreba-Brown, an associate professor of epidemiology. His research aims to fill in gaps in our knowledge about how diseases spread and explore the social and medical factors that contribute to disease outbreaks.
Jennifer Orozco Torres, neuroscience and cognitive science major
Jennifer Orozco Torres is studying how Alzheimer's disease and brain aging affect memory. Specifically, she is investigating how the loss of a protein called neuronal pentraxin 2 (NPTX2) impacts memory function.
She will be mentored by Carol Barnes, a Regents' Professor of psychology, neurology, and neuroscience, director of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, and BIO5 member. Barnes’ research focuses on understanding how the brain changes as we age and how those changes affect memory and the ability to process information.
Seth Rojas, computer science major
Seth Rojas’s project aims to create an online tool to help college basketball coaches identify talent in the transfer portal—the system that allows players to transfer between schools. His project will use advanced data analysis and possibly predictive modeling, such as estimating the value of a player's Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), to build an easy-to-use web application. This application will serve as a dashboard for coaches to better evaluate players.
Rojas will work with BIO5 member Mihai Surdeanu, a professor of computer science, in the Computational Language Understanding Lab, where they develop systems that can process and understand information from natural language texts.
Ruby Wray, journalism major
Ruby Wray’s project focuses on studying digital stories and content to understand how online communities shape public opinion and help people form their identities. Her research combines methods from the humanities and social sciences to explore this topic.
Wray is being mentored by Jasmine Linabary, an assistant professor of public and applied humanities, in her Co-Design Collaborative (Co-Lab). Linabary’s work focuses on creating more inclusive and fair spaces for people to participate and engage in various activities.