Tanner Baughman just completed his freshman year at Ohio Northern University, and he’s already working on a cure for cancer.
A hard-working chemistry major with minors in biology and public health, he received one of 14 coveted spots among 973 applicants for a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in nanobiotechnology at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.
Tanner is assisting with a research project involving immunity cell therapy to combat ovarian cancer.
“Nanoscience is the newest way to look at cancer and forms of aging. This research field can create drugs, cures, or new methods of therapy to better human life for years to come.”
This spring, Tanner’s ONU professors gave him the creative freedom to pursue his own lab research in microplastics. This helped him develop solid lab experience and bolstered his REU application.
At Johns Hopkins, he is expanding his lab skills to include forms of cell culturing, T-cells, and DNA purifications. And he’s networking with science professionals and students from all over the world.
“I am challenged every day and I have a smile on my face every day when I leave. It’s like a childhood dream to be in a lab and go in every day doing something different and learning something new.”
He credits several ONU professors and mentors for opening doors to this summer internship. In particular, the late Dr. Forrest Clingerman encouraged him to pursue research opportunities at ONU, “creating a butterfly effect to where I am today,” said Tanner.
“To be at a small university—the connections, the references, the word-of-mouth—it’s just invaluable.”