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NOVEMBER 3, 2016
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
ALPHA EPSILON DELTA
THE COUGAR SCALPEL Walk for Autism at Minute Maid Park
By: Saqib Shahid The Walk for Autism is an event I remember quite fondly. It was quite early in the semester, so it was a good opportunity to get to know other members, while getting used to AED events in general. During this event, AED members handed out toys, books, and other prizes to the participants in the walk. I especially enjoyed giving away the free books, because seeing children get excited over receiving a new book reminded me of my childhood, a time when reading was fun, unlike today, when 90% of the reading we do is a chore, or for an assignment. Seeing those kids’ faces light up when they picked up a Harry Potter, or Percy Jackson book was a nice dose of nostalgia. Synthesizing Molecules! I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Mr. Mohamed Hashim, a PhD candidate in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Houston. Mr. Hashim is part of the organic synthesis group, and is currently involved with synthesizing porous crystalline materials. Using novel methodologies, he has synthesized a fluorinated, organic molecule that forms a 2-D, crystalline framework through non-covalent interactions, such as hydrogen bonding and pi-pi stacking
REPORTER: KEZIAH THOMAS
(interaction between aromatic rings). The end goal of Mr. Hashim’s synthesis, is to identify applications for the compound. Due to the porous characteristic of the molecule, Mr. Hashim has learned that it can entrap fluorinated molecules, such as chlorofluorocarbon (CFC). CFC is an organic compound that was heavily used in refrigerants and propellants at one point in time. It was later found out that CFC has been one of the biggest contributors to our ozone depletion. However, the synthesized molecule could be used to help reduce the ozone depletion. For Mr. Hashim synthesizing molecules is just another part of work. “It is really cool to say you are the first to synthesize a compound, but after you have done it a few times, it kind of loses its luster. You are still excited about it and it is still a great accomplishment, but it is not a big deal anymore,” Mr. Hashim said. Mr. Hashim has always been interested in drug discovery, and initially wanted to pursue Pharmacy. However, he discovered his interest was mainly in synthesizing molecules and identifying applications for it. When asked if he would still choose research, if he could go back in time, Mr. Hashim responded that he could not imagine himself doing anything else. An advice he had for undergraduate students was to start early with research and to be ready to accept challenges.
ISSUE 4
FALL 2016
!1
NOVEMBER 3, 2016
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
ALPHA EPSILON DELTA
Speaker of Day: Zach Dao! Zach is a former AED Officer. He is currently a first year medical student at the Baylor College of Medicine. He will be able to provide insight into what first year of medical school is like and how the application and interview process was for him.
Upcoming Events! 11/05 - Project Cure #3
11/07 - Journal Club #5
11/09 - Princeton Review Workshop
11/10 - Karaoke Social Night!!!!!
11/11 - 11/12 - UTHCSA Medical School Tour
11/16 - Med-Pathway Workshop #4
MCAT Question of the Day Which of the following is false regarding desmosomes? A. They contain protein structures
B. They allow tissues to resist shear forces, as in the epithelium
C.They contain pores for direct cell-to-cell communication through cytoplasm
D. They can be found in epithelial tissues
Answer: C
Source:
www.mcatquestion.com
Social Media Deets!
Email:
[email protected] Facebook: Alpha Epsilon Delta Twitter: @AED_UH
REPORTER: KEZIAH THOMAS
ISSUE 4
FALL 2016
!2
