Brittany Banik of Monroe, a Clemson senior, Spends Summer in Singapore

2011 Nov 21

Brittany Banik of Monroe, a Clemson University senior majoring in bioengineering, spent eight weeks this summer in Singapore at Nanyang Technological University. Banik was one of two students to earn the SC Life International Summer Research Award for 2011.

Banik's adviser, Frank Alexis, assistant professor of bioengineering at Clemson, had contacts in the bioengineering department at Nanyang and was able to arrange for the trip. "She is very focused, and I am thankful to SC Life for providing opportunities for Brittany," said Alexis, who has worked with her in his lab for two years.

Banik has traveled to other countries, including Mexico, Guatemala and Canada, but considers her trip to Singapore as her first study abroad.

"I traveled through Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand and gained a cultural perspective and was able to form a more global view of life. It was interesting to observe the similarities and differences in people's lives on opposite sides of the world," Banik said

Banik's research involves work with hydroxyapatite, which is the main mineral component of bone. She observes what impact certain particles have on bone-building osteoblast cells. Her research helps further understand how to treat such bone diseases as osteoporosis and arthritis and could help bring new perspective to current treatment options.

Banik was able to develop advanced research skills because of the SC Life International Undergraduate Research Award, which is supported, in part, by grants to Clemson University from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute through the Precollege and Undergraduate Science Education Program. Barbara Speziale, biological sciences professor and associate dean of Undergraduate Studies direct the grants.

Banik plans to graduate in May 2012 with a degree in bioengineering and a minor in mathematics. She plans to pursue a master's degree in bioengineering and continue her graduate study for a Ph.D.

SC Life

SC Life supports research for college students and life sciences education for middle school and high school students and their teachers. Programs for teachers include workshops and graduate-level science courses; community-based research projects; classroom resources, including virtual field trips; and loans of equipment footlockers. SC Life enrichment and research opportunities for students include the Biology Merit Exam, Summer Program for Research Interns, Undergraduate Research Program and laboratory field trips to the South Carolina DNA Learning Center at Clemson University. SC Life has received $6.4 million in awards from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Undergraduate Science Education Program since 1998.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute

HHMI is a non-profit medical research organization that ranks as one of the nation's largest philanthropies. HHMI plays a powerful role in advancing biomedical research and science education in the U.S. In the past two decades, HHMI has made investments of more than $8.3 billion for the support, training and education of the nation's most creative and promising scientists. HHMI commits almost $700 million a year for research and distributes more than $80 million in grant support for science education.