Cheyanne Sparkman is a 3rd-year biochemistry major with a Spanish minor from Chesapeake, Virginia. She is on the pre-medicine track and has involved herself in several opportunities that align with her desire to pursue an MD-Ph.D. Her summer research experiences include participating in the First Year Research Experience at Columbia University in the summer of 2022, where she investigated abnormal collagen self-assembly in Osteogenesis Imperfecta.
Furthermore, she had the opportunity to attend the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) at the University of Rochester. Her research entailed “Developing a Network of Signaling Pathways Involved in HIV-Associated Atherosclerosis (Asc).” During her time at the the University of Rochester, she participated in the anatomy lab and lecture and gained several shadowing experiences.
Her current research entails developing cellular scaffolds to investigate cellular migration, spheroid formation, and fibroblast viability and morphology in microgels, titled “Developing 3D Cellular Scaffolds from Colloidal Microgel Particle Blends,” which she conducts in Dr. Michelle Gaines’ lab at Spelman College. Through her various research experiences, she presented at the Leadership Alliance National Symposium of 2022, the University of Rochester SURF Symposium of 2023, and recently, the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) annual conference of 2023 and the American Chemical Society National Conference of 2024.
Cheyanne heavily invests herself in her passions, which is evident in her leadership role as Co-Vice President of the Chemistry Club. She also is an Ethel Waddell Githii Honors Student, Health Careers Opportunity Pipeline Program Preparation Scholar (HCOPPP), University of Rochester School of Medicine Early Assurance Program Scholar, and member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Upon graduation in May 2025, she will attend the University of Rochester School Medicine as an aspiring pathologist.
“LINCS Scholars are two-year cohorts of women scientists at Spelman College, who aspire to become leaders in STEM. These students contribute dynamic science and diverse perspective to a growing field. Typically, most of our LINCS Scholars reside in Laura Spelman Residence Hall, a social justice dorm on Spelman’s campus."