Ashrafuddin Pirzada
PESHAWAR: Seven shining students selected from different high schools across the country graduated as part of the fifth batch of the six-week summer internship program at the Precision Medicine Lab of Rehman Medical Institute(RMI)in Peshawar.
In connection, a ceremony was arranged on Monday which was attended by guests including Chief Executive Officer of Rehman Medical Institute, Shafiq Rehman, Professor Shehzad Bakhtiar Zahid, Dean of Rehman Medical Institute, Naheed Begum, Principal of Peshawar Model School Hayatabad Campus, Salman Ahmad, Assistant Professor at Edwards College Peshawar, Suleman Faisal, Senior Lecturer at SECCUS University and Zeeshan Khatak, Lecturer at Institute of Management Sciences among others.
Journalists, students, parents, teachers, school principals, young students and members of the public sector schools and colleges also attended the event.
In their presentations, speakers said Precision Medicine Lab(PM-L) was one of the country’s leading biomedical research laboratories, funded by the federal government and operated in collaboration with Rehman Medical Institute and SECCUS University in Peshawar.
They said the lab engaged in various clinical studies and research projects including the country’s first precision medicine pilot in cancer.
Dr, Faisal Khan, director of the lab, said the lab hosts an annual summer internship program where high school students work on original research projects in biomedicine and related fields.
He said they had received thousands of applications from dozens of cities across the country shortlisted a few students and chose the seven final candidates after interviews and selection conferences.
He said the selected students for the internship worked on research projects in areas such as biomaterials, artificial intelligence, cancer models, 3D bioprinting, and protein semiconductors.
Dr. Faisal Khan said the research lab aimed to provide the students with early real-world research experiences. He said they learn scientific methodologies, face challenges in executing rigorous research projects and experience the moments of discovery and success when things start to work out.
Ayaan Amjad of Pak-Turk Maarif, Peshawar, Talha Khan of Pak-Turk Maarif, Peshawar, Romeesa Malik of Peshawar Model Degree College for Women in Peshawar, Zeena Bakhtiar of Peshawar Model Degree College for Women in Peshawar, Maahir Raza Qureshi of Cadet College Kohat, Majid Shakoor of Pak-Turk Maarif in Lahore and Ahmad Ali Abdullah of The City School, Sargodha were the students were honoured with awards and honorary certificates recognized their outstanding research on their respective fields.
The ceremony concluded on an inspiring note with special guests praising PM-L’s efforts to foster a culture of science, research, and innovation among young minds in the country. The event was not only an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the young researchers but also a declaration of future collaborations and advancements in the field of precision medicine.
