UC Irvine undergraduate Haik Mkhikian has earned a scholarship and research position from the National Institutes of Health.

The 2004-05 NIH Undergraduate Scholarship for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds was awarded to only 18 students nationwide. In addition to receiving a scholarship worth up to $20,000 for tuition and living expenses, every winner makes two commitments: a 10-week summer research experience at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md., and a full year of employment with NIH after graduation.

"I'm very honored to have been selected for the NIH scholarship," said Mkhikian, a senior majoring in philosophy and biological chemistry. "By far, the most exciting aspect is the opportunity to do research with an organization as prestigious as NIH. I look forward to broadening my research experience and working on new projects."

Based on his scientific interests, Mkhikian will be placed on a research project through the NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program. In addition, Mkhikian will be encouraged to develop a one-on-one mentoring relationship with at least one NIH researcher to help foster his educational and professional development.

For the past year, Mkhikian has worked in the laboratory with Philip Carpenter, an associate professor of clinical pathology at UCI. "Haik is among the most knowledgeable and creative undergraduates I've encountered," said Carpenter, who is Mkhikian's research advisor and NIH sponsor. "He is curious, thinks of all kinds of interesting possibilities and shows a very active interest in research."

With Carpenter, Mkhikian has been investigating how normal breast tissue affects E-Cadherin -- a molecule that acts like glue for cells -- in breast cancer. He found that proteins secreted by normal breast tissue seem to decrease this molecular glue, allowing breast cancer cells to become motile or break off from the main clusters (a key step of metastasis).

Mkhikian presented his research findings as part of UCI's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program last year, and also was awarded an Excellence in Research designation by the School of Biological Sciences.

Mkhikian and his two brothers -- one of whom is also a UCI student -- were born in Soviet-controlled Armenia. When he was seven, the family immigrated and settled in Los Angeles. In 2000, Mkhikian came to UCI as an undeclared major, unsure what career path he wanted to take. Now he expects to graduate in June 2005 and spend the following year fulfilling his NIH research obligations. Eventually, he hopes to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. with UCI's Medical Scientist Training Program, an NIH-funded program that prepares students to be both physicians and scientists.

About the Scholarship:
NIH established the Undergraduate Scholarship Program to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds pursue educational and career opportunities in biomedical, behavioral and social science health-related research. The program focuses on providing opportunities for students with "exceptional needs," as defined by the federal government. The student's faculty advisor works closely with NIH and the student as the undergraduate prepares for professional research opportunities.

About the University of California, Irvine:
The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked public university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with approximately 24,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,300 faculty members. The third-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3 billion.