Seven FORWARD PSU Students Present Research at 10th Annual CIMR SURF Forum
Seven OHSU-PSU School of Public Health students from Portland State University’s Fostering Oregon’s Workforce in Advanced and Restorative Healthcare (FORWARD PSU) program are presenting their research this week at the 10th annual Summer Undergraduate Research Forum (SURF), hosted by PSU’s Center for Internship, Mentoring and Research (CIMR).
At SURF, students showcase their work through oral presentations and a scientific poster session, highlighting the critical role of undergraduate research in shaping Oregon’s future healthcare workforce.
FORWARD PSU is designed to prepare a cohort of 30 American Indian and Alaska Native undergraduates to pursue advanced degrees in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, or public health, ultimately strengthening Native representation in the healthcare workforce.
The following public health undergraduate students are presenting their projects at SURF:
Ashley Mora-Garcia, mentored by Dr. Bory Kea (OHSU)
Alexander Sigaran-Chacon, mentored by Dr. Jaime Peterson (OHSU)
Bryanah Lopez, mentored by Dr. Deborah Karasek & Dr. Charlotte Roscoe (OHSU)
Jade Wolfe, mentored by Dr. Anita Minh (OHSU)
Charlene White, mentored by Dr. Richard Bruno (Multnomah County Health Department)
Fouaimalo Luamanu, mentored by Dr. Anita Minh (OHSU)
Manoj Rajesh, mentored by Dr. Anais Tuepker (OHSU)
FORWARD PSU builds on the strengths of CIMR — which has supported more than 700 diverse undergraduates in STEM and health sciences — and Oregon Health & Science University’s Northwest Native American Center of Excellence (NNACoE), a national leader in training Native physicians and reducing barriers for Native students and faculty in healthcare. This program is lead by Shandee Dixon (Apache), assistant professor of the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health and the Director of Didactic Learning for the Northwest Native American Center of Excellence (NNACoE).
Together, these partnerships exemplify PSU’s and OHSU’s shared commitment to mentorship, equity, and preparing the next generation of Native health leaders.