Q&A with Nikhil Prabhakar, M2: Reflections on an AOA Student Research Fellowship
Nikhil Prabhakar, M2, Class of 2029 at the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, spent the summer engaged in research through support from an Alpha Omega Alpha Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship. In this Q&A, he discusses his research experience, the mentors who guided him, what life in the lab was like, and his advice for students interested in getting involved in research.
Where did you spend your summer, and what did the fellowship allow you to work on?
I spent most of my summer at the Center for Tissue Engineering, a plastic surgery and wound healing lab I worked in for three years before entering medical school. My time was split between observing plastic surgery procedures at UC Irvine Medical Center — where our lab collected the tissue specimens I used in our experiments — and running those experiments back in the lab. Alongside the GLP-1 and fibrosis project, I also spent time with the Urology department to broaden my exposure to other surgical specialties I may be interested in pursuing.
Most people know GLP-1s as diabetes and weight-loss drugs. What do they have to do with scarring?
GLP-1s are one of the hottest topics in medicine right now, and recent studies have shown their effects reach well beyond glycemic control. What surprised us was evidence that patients on GLP-1 medications had improved wound healing outcomes, and that observation became the hypothesis behind this project.
Our goal is to determine whether GLP-1s can meaningfully improve wound healing or reduce fibrosis, the excess scarring of skin and connective tissue. If they can, that opens up potential applications for people living with fibrotic skin diseases like scleroderma and morphea.
What did a typical day in the lab actually look like?
Because I needed to consent patients before their tissue could be used in our experiments, I had to reach them before they received any anesthesia — which meant showing up for pre-op rounds with the plastics team around 5:30 AM. After explaining the study and obtaining consent, I'd observe the procedure and afterward collect skin samples that would otherwise have been discarded.
Back in the lab, I'd clean and culture those samples to prepare them for experimentation. Over the following days, I learned to administer the treatments themselves, testing different GLP-1 medications to compare effects across manufacturers. From there, I'd perform a range of immunohistochemical stains that let us visualize the specific components of the tissue we were interested in, then use image analysis software to extract the data that becomes our results.
What I enjoyed most was the range of my research experience — picking up a whole set of new research skills while also getting to watch surgeons work up close.
What is the AOA Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship?
The Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship is awarded by Alpha Omega Alpha, the national honor medical society. It supports first-and second-year students at schools with active AΩA chapters, and each school may nominate only one candidate for the national competition. Recipients receive a research award plus funding towards travel to present their findings at a national meeting.
I was very grateful for this generous award. I used part of it to buy my mom a late Mother's Day gift and, being a big foodie, to try some new restaurants. The rest I'm saving for travel to present this work at future research conferences.
Who supported you along the way?
I'd like to thank Dr. Lisa Martinez, our AOA chapter councilor at FAU; Dr. Mary Ziegler, our laboratory's lead scientist; and Dr. Alan Widgerow, the principal investigator of the Center for Tissue Engineering.
Dr. Martinez was pivotal in helping me draft my research proposal for AOA and in keeping me on track with every deadline. Dr. Ziegler has been a personal mentor to me throughout my journey in medicine, and I'm grateful for the longitudinal guidance she's given me. Her genuine dedication to the personal and professional growth of every student she mentors, along with her depth of knowledge across the projects our team takes on, pushes me to work hard on everything I approach. I look up to Dr. Widgerow's leadership and his commitment to advancing patient care through novel research — a large part of why I want to become a physician who actively pursues cutting-edge research.
What would you tell a student who's interested in research but doesn't know where to start?
If there's an area of medicine or a patient population you want to work with, start by reading the current literature in that field. From there, look at the authors publishing in recent journals and reach out to those labs directly with your CV and a brief introduction to who you are. Labs are always looking for motivated people willing to put in the time and effort to help a team.
In my experience, principal investigators and lab coordinators are genuinely friendly and eager to help, especially when you're clear about your availability, your academic goals, and the skills you can contribute. And if anyone has specific questions, please reach out — I'm always happy to help.