Undergraduate Summer Scholar aims to help those with colorectal cancer
‘Miami has given me so many opportunities not only to practice leadership but also to observe leadership’
Undergraduate Summer Scholar aims to help those with colorectal cancer
‘Miami has given me so many opportunities not only to practice leadership but also to observe leadership’
Videography by Zach Burnett and Cameron Johnson
Choosing the right college can be an overwhelming task. But for Stephen Mullally ’28, a Biology major with a Premedical and Pre-Health Studies co-major, it was a no-brainer: He was coming to Miami. An Oxford native, he already knew the area well and described Miami’s campus as “the most beautiful place on earth.”
His favorite spot on campus is near the Sundial facing central quad. “I think it's just the greatest thing you could ever look at, especially in spring with the tulips coming up and blooming,” he said.
Beyond campus beauty, there’s another reason Mullally knows choosing Miami was right for him: He doesn’t feel like he’s just a number here. “I chose Miami because I absolutely love the small town feel of it, while getting the same opportunities that I would get at a larger state school,” he said.
In fact, the size of the school mattered to Mullally because he knew that would impact the connections he could make. “The faculty here are absolutely wonderful. I love the faculty and the College of Arts and Science. Every professor has had a meaningful impact on me. My education, my leadership style, every part of my personality has been impacted by one of my professors. I also appreciate every department that works behind the scenes. I mean they do such a great job. And when you email them, you can tell they care about you and they want to see you succeed,” he said.
“I also really appreciate the extensive liberal education they offer here. The multiple classes outside your major really create a feeling of critical thinking and personal development that I don't think you see in a lot of other universities,” Mullally said.
Making an impact through research
As a Biology major, he’s had the opportunity to explore many different areas that he’s passionate about and finds great reward through his classes. He’s also been conducting research this summer as part of the Undergraduate Summer Scholars program — a 10-week program offering research experiences for undergraduate students at Miami — along with his faculty mentor Dr. Haifei Shi, professor of Biology, and graduate student mentor, Neda Malekikhas.
Mullally’s research focuses on seeing how colorectal cancer cells can be affected by a combination of treatments, specifically liraglutide and tyrosol. “Liraglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist. So, in general terms, that means it's closely related to the active component in things like Ozempic,” he said. “It's actually been shown to suppress colorectal cancer cells. Additionally, tyrosol is something that you find in everyday items like wine and olive oil, specifically — that has also been shown to suppress colorectal cancer cells.”
Mullally added, “I'm really interested in this topic because colorectal cancer is extremely prevalent. It's the third most common and the second most deadly cancer in the entire world. Many people struggle with it throughout their lives. Many people have faced hardship because of it, and I'm really interested in trying to lessen that hardship for a lot of people. It's also something that I'm looking to do in my future career.”
Being part of the research team — and also in the presence of many other researchers at Miami in their respective fields of study — Mullally is simply amazed by it all. His top takeaway from his research is simply the scale of it. He mentioned, “Colorectal cancer research is an extensive process. I mean if I'm able to isolate a treatment that suppresses colorectal cancer cells, that's about one step of the battle. We have to go through so many more steps before it is safe to be put in our bodies.”
Building connections
In addition to his research, Mullally also participates in a pre-med fraternity on campus, and he encourages others at Miami to get involved and say yes to opportunities. “There's an unbelievable amount of clubs here,” he said.
Mullally also thinks that one of the best things you can do during college is attend office hours. “It's so important to form a connection with your professor because they're more than just your instructor. They can be your advisor. They can offer a letter of recommendation. They can offer a shoulder to lean on,” he said.
Something that he has observed — and recognized the importance of — in the lab is leadership. “Miami has given me so many opportunities not only to practice leadership but also to observe leadership,” Mullally said. “I think that's really important because specifically in this lab, I'm not telling anybody what to do. I'm more on the receiving end of that leadership. And while it's not an instance where I can practice leadership, it's an instance where I can observe it and use that in another field in my life where I am in a leadership position.”
Preparing for medical school
Mullally has a deep appreciation for the career and professional development offered at Miami, specifically the Mallory-Wilson Center for Healthcare Education in his case. “They really care about you not only as an individual but as a future physician. And that goes for every single major and every single career development course that we offer here at Miami,” he said.
“After graduation, I hope to go to medical school. I hope to use my interest in colorectal cancer research that I'm doing now to help others in a meaningful way,” he said. “Because of Miami, I've been given the opportunity to look at a lot of things differently. I've been given the opportunity to be a better leader, to look at the classroom differently, to look at forming relationships with my faculty and advisors and professors differently. I've also been able to look at how I'm achieving the best version of myself, and how I'm setting myself up for the future, which I think Miami offers me a great opportunity to do.”